The Derelict Airfield: Beaulieu, New Forest

14:34:00 The Lanky Runner 0 Comments

Start Point: Carparks either off the B3054 or B3055
Distance: 5.1 km (3.1 mi)

Difficulty Level: Easy

My Time: 00:29:12 HRC* (Pace: 05:43/km or 09:12/mi)

RAF Beaulieu was once a hub of aircraft activity, between 1942 and 1959 being used for bombers and fighter jets heading out on wartime missions. These days, it's a peaceful site surrounded by a 5 km loop of flat tarmac and gravel trails, often visited by walkers, cyclists, and the New Forest's most notable residents, horses.


The run can be started either off the B3054 (if you're heading towards Beaulieu from Lymington) or off the B3055 (if you're coming from either Brockenhurst or Beaulieu).

From your start point, head away from the road and choose your direction as you reach the T-junction ahead: being a pentagonal loop, you have the choice of going clockwise or anti-clockwise. Follow the course around it's perimeter, taking in the multiple surfaces - tarmac on the northeast stretch and loose gravel on the southwest - and the wildlife which you will inevitably spot on your way around. This course is dead flat, so just keep heading around the course until you get back to your start point, where you can either call it a day or throw in another lap.

The best part of this route is the fact you can easily do multiple laps in either direction, knowing that it's roughly four laps for a half marathon, or eight for a full. Additionally, this loop can be used for interval training, running individual stretches of the route at target pace to help improve overall performance.

I would recommend avoiding this trail in the midst of a wet winter or immediately after a big downpour - unless you enjoy mud.

If you've had a go at this route, drop a comment below and let me know how you got on!

End Point: Where you started.

Terrain: a mixture of tarmac and loose gravel trails

The Highs: quiet, undisturbed pathway surrounded by New Forest ponies, cows and donkeys.

The Lows: negotiating the sometimes unavoidable puddles.

Hints: Use the downwind legs for pace and the headwind legs for resistance training.

Conclusion: An easy loop around a disused piece of history, surrounded by wildlife and peaceful heathland. 

*HRC = Heart Rate Control. Run at a slow pace to improve aerobic capacity.