• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015
You are here: Home / Community / Delightful Hut Wood – Have You Been Yet?

Delightful Hut Wood – Have You Been Yet?

May 9, 2015 By chippy minton 14 Comments

Update:  Since writing this article, the Forestry Commission has closed Hut Wood to public access.

Hut Wood is one of those delightful bits of countryside that is just on our doorstep, yet few people seem to know about.

Well, there is an excuse – it’s managed by the Forestry Commission, but even their website doesn’t admit to its existence.

The wood lies to the west of the road from Asda in Eastleigh to Chilworth, just before the bridge over the M27 link road.

Hut Wood is full of wonder.
Hut Wood is full of wonder.

There is a small off-road parking area adjacent to the entrance. It is a delightful place for a walk, with well-made tracks providing access around the area. Note that although the paths are well-made, they can also be muddy in places.

Stout shoes are needed this time of the year, and walking boots are essential in the winter. And if you find that someone has cut canals between the puddles in the pathways, you’ll know that I’ve been there first!

Hut Wood- walking boots are essential in the winter.
Hut Wood- walking boots are essential in the winter.

As you enter the woods, the noise from the motorway is quite loud. But as you delve deeper, the traffic noise dies away and the birds start to sing – though as my young companion pointed out, the birds have always been singing – it’s just that now we can hear them above the background noise.

And, in actual fact, that traffic noise does turn out to have a useful purpose. There are no waymarks in the woods – the direction of the sound helps you find the way back to the car!

Lovely plants in Hut Wood.
Lovely plants in Hut Wood.

The woods contain a variety of trees and shrubs – mostly pine-type (sorry, I’m not good on tree identification), but also oak, beech, birch, elderflower, gorse and holly – and several others too.

Hut Wood paths
Hut Wood paths

Birds and butterflies dart about (usually too quick for the camera). For the artistic among you, there are some interestingly shaped trees, and some wonderful lighting effects filter through the leaves.

A wonderful place to visit on a sunny day to just sit quietly and relax. Or on a dull day, to get a bit of gentle exercise.

Hut Wood
Hut Wood
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email

Related posts:

Blashford Lakes New Forest review chippy mintonDays Out: Blashford Lakes Hidden Hampshire: The Monarch’s Way My Favourite Short Walk – Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook Station WalksReview: Station Walks Book In Praise of Royal Victoria and Itchen Valley Country Parks
Tags: days out, Eastleigh, hobby, local interest, nature, recommendations, review, travel, walking, wildlife

About chippy minton

I've lived in Chandler's Ford and Eastleigh for most of my adult life, having recently returned after seven years in north-west Hampshire (though remaining a regular visitor to the area).

I work in IT, and my hobbies include bell ringing, walking and cycling. I volunteer with St John Ambulance and am also a self-confessed “born-again runner” having discovered parkrun in 2015.

I enjoy watching live theatre and music, and try to watch many of the shows that are performed in the Eastleigh area.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allison Symes says

    May 10, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    Great article and wonderful photos. Looks a good place to walk our dog. Thanks for bringing this to light.

    Reply
  2. EILEEN FIELDER says

    March 19, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    WENT THERE TODAY 19.03.2017 AND THERE WERE LOADS OF SCRAMBLER BIKES RIDING UP AND DOWN THE PATHS WHICH HAVE BEEN TURNED TO MUD LOTS OF TREE CLEARING GOING ON. NOT THE PLACE THAT WE W ERE EXPECTING TO SEE !!!! NOT A PLACE FOR A GENTLE WALK !!!

    Reply
  3. James Brown says

    April 20, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    The Forestry Commission has raped this wood, it has cut down well over half the trees in it and has not put anything back. THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT! Am going to raise it to the local MP.

    Reply
    • Martin Smith says

      October 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      How often do you go to the wood, and what damage have you evidenced caused by the work?

      It has been carefully managed and is an operational woodland. The large cleared area has facilitated this year to the breeding on site of Nightjar and Tree Pipit which did not previously breed here.

      The clearance work done to open up the rides and paths has increased the number of butterflies to 18 species now breeding include some rarities.

      Reply
  4. chippy says

    April 21, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Yes, a large proportion of tree have been felled, but that is what happens when trees are grown as a commercial crop. I’m no apologist for the Forestry Commission but have no reason to believe that trees will not be replanted. I know nothing about growing trees, but maybe the ground needs time to recover before new trees are planted?

    One other thing I noticed on my recent visit: parking restrictions in the lay-by near the entrance – double yellow lines and only a few (time-limited) parking spaces.

    Reply
  5. Martin Smith says

    October 29, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    The cleared area has been replanted. It is now a wonderful area for rare breeding birds, lizards and snakes and provides a unique habitat.

    Similarly the rides and paths host butterflies, dragonflies and many othe rlocally rare insects, escpecially ichnuemon wasps.

    Park at the Chilworth Arms and walk in from the back.

    The layby has been restricted to stop office workers using it all day. You have at least four hours in the bays, its never full (I go 3 times a week) and not many people visit the wood for that length of time

    Reply
    • chippy says

      October 29, 2017 at 7:15 pm

      Sounds wonderful and I will visit there again soon.

      Reply
  6. Iris says

    December 3, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    Hi please can you tell me if this trial is easy walking for spectators Thank You Iris

    Reply
  7. Ruby says

    September 6, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    I have just received a message back from the Forestry commission advising they are aware of a camp site within the woods, but also stating Hut wood is NOT open to the public!
    I have walked my dogs here for years and the sign on the gate has recently changed – Reserved rights not open to public- but you can’t find out what this means, if any one knows please respond.

    Reply
  8. martin smith says

    January 3, 2019 at 11:02 am

    It is correct that Hut Wood is not open to the public and there is no access.
    I have been reminded of this myself recently.

    There is a conservation programme in place, and active forestry work regularly without notice and at any time.
    This explains why there are no rights of way, no signs and no public access to the Wood.

    A bridleway runs North / South from the Chilworth Arms to Templars Way.
    There is a public footpath from Winchester Road through Velmore Farm that connects with this bridleway and runs along the northern perimeter boundary of the wood.

    Moto-X is being challenged / prevented and the campsite has been removed

    Reserved Rights means – I think – that FC has rights to manage the woodland in accordance with an agreed commercial programme, subject to conditions agreed with the landowners. This includes their right to restrict public access.

    It is also worth bearing in mind that the boundary of jurisdiction between Eastleigh Borough Council and Test Valley Council runs along Winchester Road across the entrance to the Wood.
    I am in constant touch with both bodies about flytipping at the gate.

    Reply
  9. Nick says

    December 27, 2019 at 10:15 am

    Very unfortunate that sign has appeared – noticed that for the first time yesterday. Haven’t been in there for a while, but went there regularly in around 2009 and for the first time as long ago as 1995.

    Indeed, last time I went in there, access had improved with a parking area and an unofficial but usable link to the bridleway at Chilworth. This meant that Hut Wood could be included in various circular walks in the area.

    Unfortunate, but seems to be symptomatic of a gradual shutting down of some of these sorts of unofficial countryside areas in the past 5 years or so, after public access to the countryside improved from around the mid-nineties onwards. It’s not the first time I’ve seen former permissive paths or countryside areas shutting down after many years of open access.

    Reply
  10. Doug Clews says

    December 28, 2019 at 12:12 am

    As in a lot of places where public access had been denied, there is possibly an old ‘act’ or ‘by-law’ preventing the denial of access to the public or ‘commoners’ … maybe worth a bit of digging (a bit hard from Australia I’m afraid) …

    As Martin Smith points out, not ALL is lost !!!

    Keep smiling

    Reply
  11. joe bloggs says

    September 22, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    used by motocross bikes all the time.they recently did some management work in hut wood and it looks like it is often frequented by the fc.

    Reply
    • Doug Clews says

      September 23, 2020 at 12:08 am

      Hut Wood is managed and maintained under a 10 year tenancy by the Forestry Commission, running from 13 August 2019 to 13 August 2029.
      A clause in the management plan covers ‘People’ …

      People
      The woodlands are managed under a leasehold, and due to restrictions on the lease public access is limited to any rights of way that exist in the blocks. The Public Rights of Way (PROW) will be managed as part of the ride & road management programme. Refer to Ancient Woodland, Historic Environment and PROW map.

      Unfortunately, there are no PROW’s going THROUGH the wood, only the one mentioned in a previous post, running along the northern perimeter from Castle Lane/Templar’s Way to Old Chilworth.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
Forty Years in Chandler's Ford - a Journal (Part 159)
101 Things to Put into Room 101
First Aider and First Responder
It’s All Greek to Me
Lockdown Afternoon Tea
Home
101 Things to Put into Room 101 - Part 7 - The Final Leg
My Favourite Short Walk - Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook
Hidden Hampshire - Woodland Walks: Jermyns Lane

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading religion review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Doug Clews on It’s All Greek to Me
  • Rick Goater on Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 159)
  • Mike Sedgwick on It’s All Greek to Me
  • Mike Sedgwick on Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 159)
  • Allison Symes on Local Author News – Allison Symes – Summits, Talks, and Interviews
  • Jim Bates on Local Author News – Allison Symes – Summits, Talks, and Interviews

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2021 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.