In this episode I cycle the Castleman trail from Brockenhurst to Poole in one go – some 33+ miles. I’ve cycled the trail before, but done it in sections. I’ve looked at the history of the old railway line the trail is based on in a previous film, so this time I’m looking at any infrastructure left and how to have a wee wearing lycra bib shorts!
IT’S CHRISTMAS!!! However this film isn’t about Christmas, it’s about bikey things. We’re filming this bit during Crimbo Limbo hence the tree. Anyway, rewinding to October. Usually when I get to this point, it’s left, under the railway and onto Holes Bay. But today, Angus and I are catching a train.
He’s called Angus because hybrid bikes have wide handlebars, and from the the front this reminds me of a certain breed of Highland cattle. Our destination is Brockenhurst in the New Forest, and from there riding the old disused railway known as the Castleman Corkscrew back to Poole.
I’m having a bash at doing this year’s London to Brighton British Heart Foundation bike ride in June in remembrance of my sister Janet and today’s ride is part of my training for it And my first action on leaving Brockenhurst is to ignore the bike nav, and go the wrong way.
I realised this about a mile in, turned around and made another wrong turn ending up back at Brockenhurst station to start again. I’m not sure when this film will get uploaded, but I did the ride at the beginning of October when we had a few warm, and sunny days.
So as I’ve already done a film exploring the route and history of the line, this film will concentrate on any infrastructure left, and how to have a wee whilst wearing Lycra bib shorts. Although I think I know how that’s going to go. Last time I came through here, these bridges were shut.
But they’ve fixed them and you can go over them now. Okay, potted history time! In 1840, the railway from London to Southampton docks was completed. Followed by Southampton to Dorchester in 1847. This line ran through the New Forest connecting up all of the existing settlements
And was named the Castleman Corkscrew after the guy who proposed it, and the roundabout route it took. At the time, Bournemouth didn’t exist. The area was a barren wasteland popular with smugglers. It had a soldiers hut by the seafront, and a duck farm at Coy Pond.
As the years went by, a new main line connecting Brockenhurst to Hamworthy was built bit by bit making Castleman, and its branches redundant. Some lines were closed when they became financially unviable, and the rest were finished off in the Beeching cuts, leaving us with one of the routes originally proposed 200 years ago!
Not quite sure where we are, but I’m sure I’ll find it on the map later. I think it’s near Sethorns? Trying to mind puddles, horses and read the autocue! Coming through girls – thank you! That’s the A35 to Christchurch Okay so this is Holmsley station. The first station we come to is Holmsley.
There weren’t any houses there when the railway was built, and there still aren’t. So, why build a station there? Quite simply, because it’s the point where the railway crossed the coach road between Lyndhurst and Christchurch. Passengers for Christchurch could catch a connecting coach and horses for the last few miles.
So in that direction you’ve got Holmsley station, which is now a tea room. And this is the trail end of the platform. It must have been a station during my lifetime, as it closed in 60’s. Let’s go back find Angus and carry on a bit.
Here I found a couple of old bits of track. Not quite sure where we are – I’ll look it up later. The old railway track becomes impassable at Burbush car park, where I divert north to Burley. The dotted line shows where the railway used to run. This is heading up towards Crow Hill from Burley.
I know I’m not riding – I’m cheating by pushing. Well we struggled up Crow Hill on a gravel track, now we’re treated to a nice bit of downhill on a road – which is lovely! We can’t actually join the railway until pretty much Ringwood. Nobody else is about – it’s lovely!
Bike-Nav:- “Take the next right” Oh she don’t half go on!! So having done a fair few miles on forest roads and forest tracks, it’s back to railways. And then it’s on to the other part of the Castleman trail which I know a lot better than this one.
From Holmsley to Burbush car park I rode the old railway line. Then it’s up to Burley, and down Crow Hill to re-join the railway track at Barrack Lane and into Ringwood station. The old railway line took a more direct route, but today it’s impassable – even by foot.
Okay, we’re in Ringwood and the station used to be pretty much where this lot on my left was. So where these industrial units are, is where Ringwood station used to be. Okay, we’re through Ringwood, and we’re now coming on to the bit I know a lot better. Except I never quite know where to turn!
So we’re on the Castleman Trailway again, and this was the sidings for the old Ringwood station. And this is one of the railway bridges over the river. Now at this point, the first ever railway towards Bournemouth branched off to the left. It went originally to Christchurch, and then eventually got extended to Bournemouth.
Crossing under the A338. Back on the Castleman Trailway. This is where I broke the journey last time. So we’re just coming into Ashley Heath. Now the railway goes straight ahead, and round the back of One Stop, But we’re just going to make a very quick diversion.
So the reason for the diversion was this. What’s claimed to be Britain’s shortest High Street at 40 odd meters. So this is worth exploring. It’s one of the few bits of infrastructure left. Ashley Heath station. Having left Ringwood, the track went over Stour Meadows, past the old railway junction to Christchurch,
Under the A31 and into Ashley Heath. So we’re just approaching the village of West Moors on the Castleman. Now pretty much the only bit of that left is this set of buffers here. West Moors was originally a junction on the Wimborne to Salisbury line. Like the Castleman, that’s long gone.
But like the Castleman, me and Ross made a film about that not so long ago. The only other part of West Moors left is the Station House that’s now a private house. So this is the route of the Castleman approaching the Ferndown bypass.
Now the official trail heads to my right, but I’m going to do something stupid. I’m going to follow as near to the railway line as I can, which involves Ferndown Industrial Estate. That’s why I don’t like roads! That was a diversion I didn’t particularly enjoy just to do this.
I can see why you go on the walkers path now Had I been remotely sane and gone the other way, it would have been a series of lovely well-maintained forest paths and back to this point. From the Ferndown Industrial Estate roundabout, the railway took a leisurely curve.
And the pink line is the official Castleman Trail. Both routes meet up and follow the railway line towards the Canford Bottom roundabout. So we joined up with the Castleman, through a few of the ‘burbs of Colehill, and we’re now on By-The-Way field.
Unfortunately a lot of the ‘burbs of Wimborne have been built on top of the line. So although you can trace it on a map, and you can also look at it on Google satellite view there’s not much you can see on the ground.
If there’s a sane way through Wimborne, I’ve yet to find what it is. For the record, I really dislike Wimborne for cycling. They spent loads and loads and loads of money putting in cycle ways on the easy bit into the town, which was never a problem in the first place.
The moment you get to the town, cycleways disappear and you get thin roads where you’ve got to fight with the traffic. Waste of money! So down here we have Lady Wimborne’s private road from Wimborne to her house. And about 600 yards in is a bridge that the railway took over her private road,
And they paid to have a really, really, really smart Bridge! From the Willett Arms it’s a long, slow downhill ride on the old railway, and through Broadstone to where the line crosses Roman Road. Normally I go down here left, and onto Roman Road. But I could go down the Castleman and continue along for a bit.
So which do we choose? Yep, it’s going to have to be the Castleman! I’ve passed this bit of infrastructure a few times. I’ve still no idea what it is! Maybe it was a water tower That’s where the railway used to go through, but obviously you can’t cross a dual carriageway. Let’s go down this way.
And that’s the A35. Keep going! So this is the last part of of the Trailway. From here, if you go straight ahead, you end up on the old disused railway bridge over Hamworthy. Now I’ve done that, quite frankly it’s impassable. So we’re going to go this way.
The final section from Roman Road went through Upton, and Upton Country Park. Upton Country Park is the official end of the Castleman Trail, and features on most of my rides. It’s got some lovely gravel paths, and superb views. The final bit of the ride was a quick blast along the Holes Bay cycle track
And back to Poole station where the day started. So we’re back at Poole station, 33.3 miles since we started I actually really enjoyed the ride, and I don’t think I’m anywhere near as unfit as I thought I’d be. However, not a lot of it was uphill, but by contrast an awful lot was on gravel
Which is hard going. I think the only change I’d make to the route is to find some way around Wimborne. That is an awful place (to cycle). Now at this point you could be forgiven for thinking I’m obsessed with old railways! The truth is that I hate riding on roads,
And disused railways provide lovely, quiet tracks through glorious countryside with the added advantage of being mostly flat! The historical bit comes from a childhood memory I have as a 5-year-old watching steam trains from Corfe Castle with my Grandad.
In later life I’ve come to realize that these old tracks still exist, and their worth was, and still is grossly undervalued. Back to cycling, and I’ve already put up a few videos about why I’m doing the ride, and the training so far. Nope – I’ve got no idea why I did that segment either!
The training for London to Brighton is going okay, but being the winter, it’s limited to weekends if it’s not raining. I’ll ramp it up a bit when the weather improves. I do have a cunning plan for the ride.
I’m doing it with my daughter’s partner and a couple of his mates, but I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with them. So I’m going to ditch them early on, and latch onto any random group of slower people who also like to walk uphill, and coast down.
Sorry Nath, but I will try and keep up! Please click the Subscribe button to get a notification of when I add new content to the channel. I’ve officially given up on Twitter / X / whatever it’s called this week as I’ve got no idea how to use it.
In 2024 I’m planning to work on a series of short films exploring odd and quirky places in, and around Poole Harbour. Plus at some point Ross and I will be clambering over old ruins and there’ll probably be a bike involved. Maybe even a drone! Regarding London to Brighton, I’ll keep adding the occasional training update
And nearer the time I’ll do a compilation film of the training, with a link to the Just Giving page. Thanks for watching, and all the best for 2024.
2 Comments
Love this ride 👍
Happy new year David , bloody good luck with Ditchling Hill !!!!!