Ringwood
& Burley - More Charming Towns WithinThe New Forest...
It
could be the prettiest of the New
Forest towns, though the competition is fierce for that title. In the
summer,
this lovely town is just crawling with people – poking in and
out of the
pretty tea rooms and souvenir shops.
If
you explore enough, you’ll see
many of the buildings and shops in Burley have a distinctive
“witch” theme
– that’s because in the 1950’s Burley was
the place where Sybil Leek (a
prominent witch) used to live. You can even visit the place where she
lived (now
a shop called “Coven Of Witches”.
It’s
also possible to take a cheery horse-drawn
wagon ride from the Queens Head car park in Burley
– while the rides
depend on the weather being fair, it’s mostly available
during April to
October. Also worth a visit are the grounds of New Forest Cider
whereyou can
catch a glimpse of the cider pressing process.
Slightly
south from Burley is Holmsley
Bog, and it’s believed that over a hundred
different types of plants grow
here.
Officially,
Ringwood is not
part of the New Forest, but a drive into the town strongly suggests
otherwise.
On the borders of Ringwood are the lovely Blashford Lakes, a short
drive away
from the town centre and marketplace. It’s possible to take a
guided tour of
the lakes where you’re likely to encounter many of the
wildfowl that migrate
here in the winter months.
Accommodation
in Burley & Ringwood
isn’t quite as widespread as in Lyndhurst
or Lymington but there are
some good Inns, hotels and bed & breakfast places to stay at
overnight on
your visit to the New Forest:
-
Holmans (Bisterne Close, Burley)
-
Wayside Cottage (Garden Road, Burley)
-
The Burley Inn (The Cross, Burley)
-
Forester’s Cottage (Verwood Road,
Ringwood, New Forest)
-
Karelia (The Studio, Ashley, Ringwood, New Forest)
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