Sturt Pond

Summary

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A guide to the Sturt Pond Accessible Trail, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) coastal walk near Milford-on-Sea that takes 1–2 hours and uses gravel and surfaced paths. The route starts and finishes at Hurst Road East Amenity Car Park and follows the coast and Sturt Pond, a tidal inlet known for birdwatching. The walk offers views toward Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight Needles, with brief background on the Needles’ history and shipwrecks in the area. Step-by-step directions describe leaving the café and car park, passing a restaurant, following the track alongside the pond, and crossing two wooden bridges, with an option to return the same way or take an upper path near beach huts and the bowling green. Facilities include a café, easy-access toilets, and nine Blue Badge parking spaces; accessible toilets are also available at Hurst Road West car park.

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New Forest Walking Guides

Sturt Pond Accessible Trail

This 1.5 mile coastal walk uses gravel paths.

Key

Trail Starting Point
Trail
Car Park
Public Toilet
1 Trail steps

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Sturt Pond is a tidal inlet and a fantastic place to see a wide range of birds. For a shorter walk, staying on surfaced paths, head west (keeping the sea on your left) and saunter past the bowling green with views of the White House before heading back to the car park and café.

The walk takes in views of the Isle of Wight ‘Needles’ – chalk formations known as stacks. They take their name from a large needle-shaped pillar that was part of the group until 1764, when it collapsed in a storm. The treacherous area around The Needles has caused numerous wrecks, going back hundreds of years.

Trail Overview

Start/finish:: Hurst Road East Amenity Car Park.
Grid reference: SZ 276 918
what3words: what3words.com/structure.showering.skyrocket
Ordnance Survey map:: Explorer OL 22 New Forest.
Distance:: 1.5 miles (2.4 km) – 1-2 hours.
Local facilities:: The car park has nine accessible bays, easy access toilets and a cafe.

Directions

1. From the car park

From the Cafe and the adjacent car park, keep the sea on your right and follow the tarmac path up to the road. Follow the pavement along the road until the surfaced path ends, then cross over the road and head towards the restaurant

2. Toward Sturt Pond

Continue past the restaurant, through the car park and onto the wide dirt and shingle track, alongside Sturt Pond. Follow the path alongside Sturt Pond, passing by the first wooden bridge. Continue along the path until you reach a second wooden footbridge

3. Views of Hurst Castle

From the bridge head right, up the short shingle ramp to enjoy the spectacular coastal view. You can retrace your steps or walk on top of the shingle bank for coastal views. On returning, you can take the upper path by the beach huts, past the bowling green for a longer walk and access to public toilets.

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