Breamore Railway line

History

The path follows part of the railway that opened on 20 December 1866 as 19 miles of single track between Alderbury Junction, between Salisbury and Dean, and West Moors, serving Downton, Breamore, Fordingbridge, Daggons Road and Verwood and following the River Avon along the western edge of the New Forest. The line did not do well financially, stayed of local importance only, and was closed in the Beeching cuts, the last train leaving in May 1964.

Hampshire County Council bought the two miles between South Charford and Burgate Cross in 1971 to build a bypass round Breamore. The plan was abandoned in the 2000s and in 2006 the land passed to the council's Countryside team. Working with Breamore Parish Council, the New Forest National Park Authority and the Ringwood and Fordingbridge Footpath Society, the Countryside Service cut back the vegetation, improved the surface and removed barriers, and opened the line from Burgate Cross, just north of Fordingbridge, to the old station in Breamore and on to South Charford as a public footpath. In December 2023 the council won a bid to formalise public access along it, and approved making it a public footpath with permissive cycling rights. A project led by the National Park Authority with the council and backed by National Grid is restoring heritage features and improving habitats along the two miles.