Fritham to Godshill

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The sun glinted from the blue sky, a sharp wind blew from the north and it was cold enough that many of the large water holes in the New Forest had a film of ice. There were even ice crystals in the grass in the deeper shade. Nevertheless, swaddled in three layers beneath a good fleece jacket and thermals under combats, with woolly socks and a woolly hat, I was toasty and got really quite warm during the afternoon as I tramped about the New Forest for three and a half hours today. Even my hands, although I'd forgotten my gloves, stayed surprisingly warm.

The scenery was about as varied as it gets in the New Forest starting from a tree-lined and muddy car park, past an open lake called Iron Wells Chalybeate and through a brake of trees out into green lawns dotted with faded heather and soggy underfoot. Over hills, through "bottoms" and out on to the copper bracken plain edged with the dark eaves of Islands Thorns Inclosure. An army helicopter zoomed low over my head, chuttered into the south, and a few moments later came round again from the east and across westward behind me, where it dived into the shallow valley of Black Gutter Bottom. I didn't see it again after that. Somewhere northward someone was shooting things.

Heading towards Leaden Hall I was passed by a lady on a tall grey gelding. I commented "That's a lovely way to spend the morning", to which she replied, laughing "It would be if the cold didn't make my face ache." Leaden Hall is a strange area of sand and gravel that looked like it should be under several inches of water to form a lake. The water must just sink into the ground here. Although fairly soggy it was firm enough underfoot. From here across Little Cockley Plain and down Cockley Hill through little groves of trees, across a shallow bridge over a stream where I tried to wash the mud off my boots, and up to Godshill. I found a pleasant spot with a good view and had lunch.

From my lunchspot, I walked along Godshill Ridge and then down towards Pitts Wood Inclosure on rutted green tracks and fording the stream again. There are no gates or fences to the Inclosure and it looks like the trees have been taken back so that the stream that used to run through the Inclosure now runs in front of it. There is a wide walk up through the Inclosure, today covered in brown oak leaves which covered a soggy secret. This lovely-looking walk was like a mire under the leafy carpet. Further on however, the mud gave way to good gravel track heading upwards and soon joined the cycle track along the top of Hampton Ridge. As I walked up through Pitts Wood there were some semi-wild cattle complaining loudly about something somewhere to the north of the Inclosure. They didn't half go on about it, too.

As the clouds began to roll down from the north and the sun to fall into the west, the track wound down into Amberwood Inclosure. All I heard was the faint thrumming of a distant aeroplane and then only birds. I spotted a doe watching me from the trees and managed to get a photograph of her before she bounded away.

And so back to the car park after a lovely walk full of variation and surprise.

Acres Down to Lucas Castle

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As the afternoon turned out to be the pleasantest for some time, I was lured out to the New Forest once again. I decided to return to Highland Water within Minstead CP as it has lots of paths going off in all directions, making for interesting shortcuts and diversions off the cycle track. However, going off the well-surfaced, all-weather tracks was made more interesting by the inevitable mud. Despite this, it is possible to find good enough footing, as long as you are wearing sturdy waterproof boots.

It was also interesting to see a place once thick with leaves now bare and "see-through". You can see where the paths run after they turn, which is hidden amid the summer foliage, and look back through the skeleton trees at the bridge crossed some minutes before.

What else struck me was the sound of the wind through the tree tops. Down amid the roots of the trees, hardly a breath of wind stirred, but the sound above and around was as if the sea was in the sky. Strange but lovely to hear, especially with no other sounds, except now and then that of water when passing the river.

There is a little lake before emerging from the Inclosure out on to the moor. Very pretty and peaceful and I shall look forward to seeing it again next spring and summer.

When I came out on to the moorland, the paths that cross it are of the "lawn" type, very green and close shaven by the ponies. Better than any lawn-mower. Behind me the sun was westering and cast a deep autumnal light on to the slopes ahead, giving them a copper glow, in contrast to the deepening shadows in the shallow dips between.

A short, sharp shower came over suddenly and changed the landscape completely, giving it a more brooding beauty.

The path I was on came down to another part of Highland Water which has to be crossed and at this point there is no bridge. It must be jumped or forded. In places it is deeper than my boots, in others shallower and running fast. I decided to cross where it branched into two streams where the water was narrower and shallower, but the opposite bank looked deeply muddy. I picked a landing place that looked more solid than the rest. I was wrong. My foot sank deep in a hole and I fell forward, fortunately landing on my hands. Mud everywhere nonetheless!

The walk took longer than expected, probably due to time spent taking photographs, stopping to look at the scenery and negotiating streams and mud.

I climbed up from Lucas Castle to where there are two lakes. I only passed the one which was ruffling in the wind. From here I failed to find the start of the path to cross Withybed Bottom. As it was now starting towards dusk, I decided on discretion and made for the nearby car park (Albert's Mare?) from where I could walk to the road and turn right along the verge back to the crossroads near Acres Down. My main worry about walking in the dark? Bumping or being bumped into by a pony or cow. Apart from this I quite enjoyed the novelty of wandering around in the twilight. Something I wouldn't as happily do in the city.

Oh, and I saw deer of course, four fallow does grazing on one of the paths I was about to walk along in Highland Water Inclosure. They soon spotted me and after staring undecidedly for a minute they trotted off.

Back at the car at last, having sloshed through another ford, there were tea and jaffa cakes waiting.

When the daylight fades too soon

What with the mad hours I work and the lessening daylight hours it's getting harder and harder to stick to my idea of getting out everyday. The gloomy weather isn't helpful, either.

However, around my home town of Southampton there is some very pleasant walking to be had.

These are my woodland favourites, for between 1/2 and 1 hour of greenery, fresh air and stretching limbs cramped from long hours sitting down.

Telegraph Woods - located at Telegraph Road, West End. In any season this is a lovely place to walk on good surfaces, although these paths can still be quite muddy after rain. There is good roadside parking on laybys both on Telegraph Road and Moorshill, and access is gained from these through radar gates (disabled access gates).

The environment consists of ancient woodland and more recent pine forest. There is a small lake to be found in the northern part of the woodland, and two pleasant open areas.

Information panels at the main entrances detail a circular walk through the woods and other paths, and also a viewpoint to the south east.

As this is close to home, it's my absolute fall-back when I have very little time but I simply have to get out.

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Holly Hill Woodland - Again, a walking place for all seasons. The big attraction of this area is the series of lakes not far from the car park on Barnes Lane. There are manmade waterfalls, and wooden bridges over the narrows of the lakes where they spill into each other. The lakes are dotted with little islands of trees and shrubs.

The paths are well-laid out. However, be sure to wear suitable footwear if it has rained recently. There are paths to and around the lakes and out towards the Hamble River and Hook by Warsash nature reserve.

There is a specific car park for those with restricted mobility a little further along Barnes Lane from the main parking area, leading on to well-appointed easy access paths.

There is an information panel giving details of the history and nature of the woodland, with marked-out walks and viewpoints. The entrance from the main car park is through a charming green-painted iron holly arch with a leaf gate.

This place will take a good hour of your time and is well worth it. I have yet to see this woodland in Spring, but autumn seems to paint some of her brightest colours here.

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West Wood, Weston - Another extensive walking area also accessible to cyclists, this not only has beautiful woodland to wander in, but also an open picnic area and access out on to grassland with extensive views out over the surrounding countryside and across the Solent. There is a small lake about 200 yards into the woodland from the entrance at Weston Shore. This woodland does undulate quite a lot so is good for working the legs. The paths are well-appointed and there are steps down to the lake. It is also possible to spot fallow deer in the woods, if you are very quiet and very lucky.

Parking is on Weston shore front. There used to be a car park on the woodland side of the road but this has been blocked off. There is a narrow path that leads around the lefthand side of the blockage for access across the car park to the woodland entrance.