River Stour DISTANCE: 5 miles MAP: OS Landranger 195 Bournemouth & Purbeck START: If coming from Ringwood, pass through Ferndown on the A348 and look out for a layby on the left about 200 yards past the Angel public house. It is also used as a site for glass and tin recycling bins. For a full page map of the start point, click here. NOTES: After heavy rain, if the River Stour is in a flood, parts of this walk may not be possible.   THE WALK: With the car park to your left, continue down the hill; you will have to cross carefully to the other side of the road. Turn right along Pompey's Lane and walk to its end at a small wood. Turn right into the wood and fork right onto a well-used bridle way and follow it as it bends left with a steep bank to your right. Turn right onto a gravel/dirt track and continue to a T-junction.   Turn left along the track upon which you continue as it passes paddocks to the left and heath land on your right. After passing Knoll Gardens on the right you will reach a minor road. Turn left and take care as you walk along this to reach the B3073. Cross carefully and continue along the lane ahead towards Hampreston. Take the signposted left-hand turn to Hampreston Church. Veer around the left of the church and its grounds and take the footpath which then turns right to pass around the back of the churchyard. Continue along the right-hand side of the field to reach a stile.   Climb the stile and walk along the left-hand edge of the river meadows. You may notice debris which has been left after the recent river floods. Keeping to the fence, you will be signed to swap and keep the hedge on your right after a while. Maintain your direction until you reach a track. Turn left then quickly right to join a track which takes you around the gravel pits. Remain on the track ignoring any turn off until you have passed by the back of a large bungalow. Climb a stile into a field and walk by the fence on your right until you reach a second stile which you climb to reach a grassy track. Turn left and walk out to the main A348 by Longham Bridge. Turn left and cross the road just after you pass the hotel and building and look out for a footpath opposite.   After carefully crossing the road, take the footpath which takes you past the car park and down to the banks of the River Stour. Continue with the river to your right and a golf course on the left. Cross a small wooden bridge and continue up the hill to reach a metalled lane. With Dudsbury Fort ahead of you, turn left, and continue through the barrier and down to reach the road.   Cross the road and turn left. After a couple of hundred yards, take the signposted footpath on the right. You go gently uphill to reach woodland. Take the signed path half-left and continue in this general direction gently uphill. Although indistinct at times, your path bends right as it nears a rhododendron bush and continues to gently climb. At the next, and subsequent, way markers, fork left as the path takes you past fenced off areas which sadly appear to have been set aside for residential building. Because of this, there may be a few changes to your route, but the path was very well marked when we were last here. You will reach a lane which leads you gradually uphill to reach the main road and the layby which you left some time ago. Home / Salisbury & Wessex / New Forest / Guestbook / Links / Your page / Other Interests