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Highcliffe Castle – Cliffside Steps to the Beach loop from New Milton

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Highcliffe Castle – Cliffside Steps to the Beach loop from New Milton

Moderate

5.0

(1)

hikers

Highcliffe Castle – Cliffside Steps to the Beach loop from New Milton

02:19

8.79km

70m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 19, 2026

Tips

Temporary access restrictions

Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.

After 553 m for 61 m

Customers only

After 8.19 km for 61 m

Customers only

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.17 km

Walkford Brook Path

Highlight • Forest

Hard compact track along Walkford Brook.

Tip by

2.66 km

Highcliffe Promenade

Highlight • Beach

lovely hard compact gravel with great views

Tip by

4.31 km

Highcliffe Castle has been described as arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture, which flourished at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Its significance is recognised nationally by its Grade 1 status on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historical Interest.

There is an international importance, too. For a large amount of medieval French masonry, shipped across the Channel, was used in its construction. It is this Norman and Renaissance carved stone, along with the Castle’s Gothic revival features and ancient stained glass, that make it appear older than it is.

Built mainly between 1831 and 1836, the Castle is the realisation of one man’s fantasy. He was Lord Stuart de Rothesay, a distinguished diplomat who had known and loved the cliff-top site overlooking Christchurch Bay since he was a boy.

The magnificent building, once lavishly furnished in the 18th century French style remained a family home until the 1950s. In the late 1960s two fires rendered the building derelict and in 1977, to prevent further deterioration, Christchurch Borough Council purchased it.

Tip by

5.46 km

Cliffside Steps to the Beach

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

There’s a hidden flight of steps down the cliff side at this location.

Tip by

5.84 km

View of the Isle of Wight from Highcliffe-on-Sea

Highlight • Beach

Lovely little spot to look over to the IoW, benches and a nice Green to sit and relax to take in the sea air. Toilets available at the car park too.

Tip by

6.08 km

Cliffhanger Restaurant & Beach Parking

Highlight • Beach

The three menus (breakfast, daytime & evening), all offer a simple, uncluttered range of tasty and wholesome dishes, with ingredients sourced as locally as possible. The Cliffhanger’s classic staple dish is beer-battered chunky fish and chips, served with minted mushy peas and homemade tartar sauce. The menus do vary, often to reflect seasonal variations in available ingredients, they occasionally feature unexpected twists on a classic – for example, they once served chilli con carne on a baked sweet potato.
Opening Times
Sunday - Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday & Saturday 09:00 - 20:00

Tip by

8.79 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.43 km

2.60 km

2.13 km

286 m

284 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

3.39 km

1.80 km

1.79 km

997 m

402 m

279 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Wednesday 8 July

29°C

15°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Highcliffe Castle – Cliffside Steps to the Beach loop from New Milton

Walkford Brook Path

Highcliffe Promenade