RAF Beaulieu Airfield Walk #2 (Roundhill Campsite & Hidden Areas)
If you enjoyed my original Beaulieu airfield walk, you will also find the second part interesting. Rather than taking you on a walk around the perimeter track and well-known aspects to the old WW2 airfield, this one takes you on a journey through other aspects of wartime history.
It’s an alternative walking route around the site of the RAF Beaulieu airfield, focussing on showing you the ruins of old accommodation areas and taking you through some very peaceful woods. You can see a video of me taking this the RAF Beaulieu airfield below, followed by what’s included.
What’s included in this walk
In wintertime or wet weather conditions you will need waterproof footwear because part of this RAF Beaulieu walk can get very wet due. There’s a lot of woodland and heathland you will need walk through.
The walk is approximately 3.8 miles.
- The foundations of the Defence Site in Stockley Inclosure which was home to around 300 airmen.
- The water tower at Roundhill Campsite and the markings of the wartime communal areas to be found on the site.
- A walk around the perimeter track of Roundhill Campsite where the airmen and women would stay – including a look at a Bronze Age burial ground.
- The sergeant and officer quarters that are now being used to hold livestock and farming equipment.
- A walk through Perrywood Inclosure where we find more wartime airfield evidence.
- A short stop off at Roundhill Pond.
- Finishing up the loop back at Colt Pixies Cave in the New Forest just above the RAF Beaulieu airfield and down from Hawkhill Inclosure.
Route details
Start in the first Hawkhill Inclosure car park on the left-hand side. Walk out towards the main road, taking an immediate right hand turn to walk adjacent to the fence line. Then walk through the gate into and start walking down towards the woods in Stockley Inclosure.
From there you can exit a gate to cross the B3055 towards the cottage on the corner. Walk down the track towards Roundhill campsite, and then turn left at the water tower, following the perimeter path in a clockwise direction around the campsite.
When you get to the left hand turn off that says Access to Cottages Only (this road is open to public walkers) turn down there. You will soon come to an entrance to farmland on your left with two gates into Thistle Lane.
You can open the left-hand gate and walk down the farm track as it’s a bridlepath. At the bottom of the left-hand track, follow the bridlepath to the right, as it snakes around. This lets you see the RAF Beaulieu handcraft huts which were accommodation and now being used for livestock.
Once you see those, you are able to turn around, and come back up the farm track. Come back through the gate and turn left to continue the journey. You will pass cottages on your left-hand side, and at the second cottage (Dilton Cottage) turn right and walk up onto the heathland to enter Perry Inclosure.
Walk up into Perrywood Inclosure, through the woods, and then turn right near the stream to rejoin the perimeter pathway of Roundhill Campsite. Now walk along the campsite path in a northerly direction towards Round Pound.
When you reach Round Pound, turn right and walk back through the campsite towards the water tower. At the water tower you can turn right to see the fence ringed stone age barrow briefly. After that you then then walk back up past the water tower towards the B3055, going the way you came until you get back to Hawkhill Inclosure.
Once at the entrance to Hawkhill Inclosure, you can cross the road to see the remains of the Colt Pixies Cave barrow which is on the entrance to RAF Beaulieu.
If you enjoy reading or finding out about the history of RAF Beaulieu, please visit my other website. You can also visit this page about the New Forest WW2 airfields for details of the other bases.
