Two miles of former Salisbury-to-Wimborne railway line running through Breamore and Fordingbridge to be turned into public footpath

A TWO-mile section of a former railway line which runs through the New Forest will be transformed into a public footpath.

The two-mile section of Hampshire County Council-owned dismantled Salisbury-to-Wimborne railway line runs through the parishes of Breamore and Fordingbridge, between South Charford and Burgate Cross.

The line was closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching Cuts, and in 1971 the county council obtained the land to create a bypass around Breamore.

The project was abandoned in the 2000s, and in 2006 the land was officially transferred from Highways to Countryside for its new purpose as a bridleway, open to walkers, horse-riders and cyclists.

The land was cleared and improved during the 2000s and early 2010s. At the time, residents asked to dedicate the site as a public right of way, but this was rejected following objections from landowners.

In December 2023, after New Forest District Council made Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money available, the county council won a bid to implement the “long-term aspiration” to formalise public access along the former railway.

This covers the entire width of the line, which ranges from 5.5 meters at the narrow section between the platforms at Breamore station to 20 meters at its widest point.

While earlier discussions about the Breamore line touched on the potential for dedicating bridleway rights, the council said the absence of suitable off-road connections for horses at both ends of the line made it more fitting for only footpath rights.

HCC approved transforming the disused railway line into a public footpath with permissive cycling rights.