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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.
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