On the far bank, turn left along the river (4), which is teeming with yachts and birdlife. When you reach the Universal Marina boat yard, turn right by the blue shed, then left in the yard to Café Lulworth, the perfect spot for lunch (5). Rejoin the riverside path beyond the café’s toilets and continue to a minor tarmac road and straight on to the busy main road where you go left, passing the roadside Spinnaker pub, opposite (6). You’ll hear the noisy M27 nearby, so walk quickly, cross the river bridge, under the railway bridge, with Bursledon station to your left.
Cross the road to Blundell Lane (7) and, with no footpath, walk facing the traffic to enter the Brixedone Farm/Foulkes & Sons Boatyard and under the M27 flyover ahead, then turn right, using a stile to a second stile. In 80 metres, by a riverside bench, fork left across the field.
At the crest, follow the footpath sign, which is ahead to your left. Following the worn path, cross two stiles, then the drainage channel, and go right (8). At the next fork, go left uphill, following yellow-ringed posts and then signs to Manor Farm Tea Rooms (seasonal opening), about one mile further on.
By the farm entrance, follow the sign to St Bartholomew’s Church, where you turn left, then left again at the road. Pass The Old Rectory and follow the footpath sign, right, to the next marker post, then diagonally right to pass between barns and a house on the right (9).
Go through the kissing gate, right on a tarmac lane and left at the footpath sign, following a track over a stream and uphill to a minor road. Here turn right, then left at the junction and continue on to emerge on Botley High Street. To get to the station, turn right on the busy A334, passing The Naked Baker at Botley Mills to your left (10).
For details of other great walks starting and finishing at stations across the South West Trains network,
please visit southwesttrains.co.uk.
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