New Forest & South Coast wheelchair and pushchair friendly walks

Wheelchair and Pushchair Friendly Walks around the New Forest and the South Coast

We provide a variety of printed walking routes in the cottages, ready for you when you arrive. You will also find our “New Forest by bike” guides which often surprise guests because many of the cycle routes are also accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters. Most routes use compressed gravel tracks, and where you do meet gates they are often stock gates designed for horses, which means they are usually suitable for wheelchairs, accessible trikes and scooters too. Occasionally you may come across a kissing gate, often outside the National Park boundary. Some metal kissing gates can be opened with a Radar key, so do remember to bring yours. In the New Forest, a Radar key can open up extra possibilities.

When exploring somewhere new, it can really help to plan ahead, so we have gathered a mix of online resources to support you. All the walks listed here are wheelchair or pushchair friendly, weather and working forest conditions dependent.

Four of our favourite accessible walks

We know everyone enjoys different distances and surfaces, so we’ve included a mix of options. Some are also listed on the National Park’s recommended page: New Forest Accessible Walks.

• Blackwater Walk – A peaceful woodland trail through towering conifers, following wide, level forestry tracks with a firm surface. A reassuring option for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walkers with support, and pushchairs, with gentle gradients and no tight pinch points.
• Bolderwood Walk – The Radnor Trail is best known for the chance to see deer, often from the viewing area and along the open woodland sections. The track is wide and well-surfaced, with benches along the way for resting and quiet wildlife watching.
• Hordle Cliff Top Walk – A gentle coastal route with big skies and open sea views across the Solent. Wide, level paths with a firm surface make this a comfortable fresh-air walk for wheelchairs, scooters and pushchairs, with space to move without steps or steep slopes.
• Keyhaven Walk – A calm, mostly level walk along the salt marshes and sea wall, with wide, firm paths and excellent birdwatching. Perfect if you want coastal views and wildlife without uneven ground or challenging gradients.

Our own routes

We share some of our favourite local routes via ViewRanger (now OutdoorActive). You can follow us here: Our Bench Walks. Always carry a map, but these apps are handy for exploring.

From Our Bench holiday cottages in Lymington

Head out from your cottage door without needing to load your wheelchair into the car, and enjoy a simple, carefree walk close to your base.

• Pennington Common: Just across the road from the cottages. Follow the information boards and worn paths to enjoy local history and wildlife. Perfect for an early leg stretch or dog walk, though not suitable for most wheelchairs due to grassy terrain.
• Farmers’ Fields Circular: A popular local dog walk through farmland and alongside the road. A Radar key is required for some gates. Accessibility depends on season and weather, as paths can become very muddy. It’s a great 45 minute loop if you want a “me time” break, or if one person in your group fancies a quiet hour outdoors. View route.

• Solent Nature Reserve: Pavements, quiet tarmac roads and compressed gravel paths circle Eight Acre Pond and return the same way. No stiles, and gates on the sea wall are wheelchair accessible. View route.
• Lymington Circular (4.5 miles): From the cottages into Lymington via the High Street, Town Quay, Bath Road Park, the Sea Water Baths and back via Woodside Gardens. Includes three accessible toilets (one Changing Places), plus plenty of cafés and stopping points. View route.

More walk suggestions

• Adventure Wheels' Karla and Stephen share their adventures online, Karla's a powerchair user - so you can see here 3 recommended accessible walks on their site - Adventue Wheels - 3 accessible walks.
• St Barbe Walks: Three circular routes exploring history, saltmarshes and nature reserves (2–7km) based around Lymington, produced by our amazing local museum, St Barbe. See details.
• The Ambling Path: Family-friendly walks around Lymington. Routes can often be adapted to avoid steps. Read more.
• Highcliffe to Mudeford: A flat coastal walk through Highcliffe Castle grounds, a nature reserve, Avon Beach promenade and on to Mudeford. Accessible paths, cafés, sandy beaches and crabbing spots, making it ideal on a beach-weather day. View route.
• Access for All: This excellent guide was created in 2017, but the New Forest changes slowly, and many routes remain just as useful today. It includes helpful details like the walk length, gradients, terrain and practical notes. We keep a printed copy in the cottages too. Many guests tell us they never realised how accessible the New Forest could be.

Walking apps

The New Forest National Park app offers over 25 walking routes with maps. Not all are wheelchair accessible, but some are. Search for “New Forest National Park Walks” on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Hopefully we’ve inspired you to enjoy a walk or two during your stay

If you don’t need an accessible route, there are lots of other options too. The links below are a great starting point:

• New Forest National Park – Access for All Trails
• Baby Routes – pram and buggy friendly
• Enjoy Hampshire Countryside – walks
• Bournemouth Tree Trail
• Wheelchair Walks Hampshire (Facebook)
• New Forest Car Park Walks

If you are planning an accessible walking holiday in the New Forest with your Tramper or mobility scooter, we can provide an extension lead and an outdoor socket to make charging easier. Garden Bench has a garage, so you can store your scooter undercover overnight and charge it safely. There is also space for a bike alongside, and if you are tight for space bringing everything with you, don’t forget we can provide a variety of equipment to make your holiday with us easier.