Brook, Cadnam and Bartley

Brook, Cadnam and Bartley form a small cluster of villages on the northern edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, gathered around the junction where the M27 meets the A31 and A337. Despite their proximity to the motorway, the three settlements retain a distinctly rural feel, with thatched cottages, open commons grazed by New Forest ponies, and a lattice of quiet lanes leading deep into the national park.

Brook is the most picturesque of the three, strung along a quiet lane with the Bell Inn and the Green Dragon serving traditional New Forest fare. Nearby Bramshaw Golf Club, founded in 1880, offers two heathland courses that wind across the open forest. Cadnam acts as a gateway to the wider park, with the Sir John Barleycorn pub and easy access to the gravel tracks of Stoney Cross and Janesmoor Pond. Bartley sits a little further east, blending into Copythorne and giving access to the broader wooded enclosures around Wigley.

Walkers and cyclists will find plentiful parking at forestry car parks within a short drive, including Telegraph Hill and Cadnam Common. The area is well served by the X6 and Bluestar bus routes from Southampton and Lyndhurst, making it an easy starting point for a day exploring the northern New Forest.