Discover the New Forest’s Castleman’s Corkscrew

Sometimes, getting out and about is the only way to discover those hidden gems and learn about the history about your local area. Clutching my trusty Ordnance Survey map, I ventured out for a walk in the New Forest one weekend. Starting near the village of Burley (a must-visit attraction around Halloween as it was home to a famous white witch in the 1950s) I was setting out on a short, two and a half mile circular route.

My directions told me I’d come across the remains of an old railway crossing and to turn onto the old railway line. I’d never heard of there being an old railway line, but checking the map, I could see the dismantled railway line was clearly marked. I only needed to follow the railway line for a short distance on my route, but it piqued my interest.

The railway line was once known as Castleman’s Corkscrew, opening in 1847 and running from Brockenhurst to Poole Junction. The pretty but somewhat circuitous route fell foul of Beeching’s Axe in the 1960s and the section between Brockenhurst and Ringwood closed. One section of the route became a new road, but much of the rest remains and is used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders today.

So, over 160 years after it opened, Castleman’s Corkscrew in the New Forest is still a great place to visit for both locals and visitors.

Grab a map and follow the old track!

For more information about Ordance Survey please visit  www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Posted by Gemma Baimbridge, Ordnance Survey, Southampton