Whitefield Moor and Rhinefield

13 January 2009

For route details click here

Another self-plotted walk taking in some lovely views, as you can see from the photo, lots of mud, open plains, lots of trees and a lesson in fitting gaiters to make them properly waterproof.

The weather varied from very dark cloudy to bright sunshine and managed to choose to rain right when I chose to stop for a sandwich and a flask of tea. How does the weather do that?

I parked at Whitefield Moor Car Park. Be aware that there is a donation requested at this car park as at Blackwater with again a minimum suggested amount of £2. I was determined to go over White Moor this week so go I did, and an excellent walk it is too.

The land undulates along narrow paths between heather and bracken, currently asleep for the winter, passing between gorse bushes and alongside small copses. The first of several streams along the route is Silver Stream where the water is so clear it's like looking through clear glass to the stony bed. All the streams were swollen from yesterday's rain which made for a bit of fun later on. However, there is a good footbridge over Silver Stream and then the path rises up to pass either side of the copse on Holm Hill. From here are beautiful views such as the one above.

This path will eventually carry you on to Wilverley Plain but my way turned back on itself northwards leading down to another unnamed stream, which is crossed via some strategically laid logs. Here is where a walking pole comes in handy if you're none too sure of your balance. Ahead the path looks muddy but is pretty firm underfoot. Today there was a little streamlet formed along one of the little pathlets and at one point a tiny waterfall into a tiny pool.

On into Ferny Knapp Inclosure which has a lovely green path along the eastward path my route followed, between tall pines on the left and "Christmas" trees to the right. Out of the Inclosure once more and down across moorland to a river and a bridge ... umm, well, the bridge is sort of in the river ... The water has so overflowed the banks that the grassland around the bridge is flooded. Fortunately the ground is firm underfoot and a way to the bridge can be found if you are wearing good waterproof boots. The bridge itself is excellent being extended across the wide reach of this river which appears to be unnamed also.

On the other side of the bridge the path resumes, climbing uphill to a gate into Clumber Inclosure from where the route passes Rhinefield House Hotel and follows the line of the fence. There is another fascinating red brick building in the grounds about which I have not yet been able to find any information, but which I think may be Tudor in origin.

The path comes to Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and follows this a few yards to the cycle track that passes Rhinefield Cottage. The map I have is either out of date or in error, showing fences where they are not in Rhinefield Sandy's Inclosure and not showing fences where there are such. However, the ford is where it is supposed to be and with the Black Water being full from yesterday's rain the ford was running quite high. Confident with my gaiters on I strode forward. And water dribbled into my boot. Thanks to my lovely socks, the damp didn't last long as I walked on.

The sky was becoming ominously dark at this point but I'd decided I was going to stop for a break in Blackwater Arboretum. So I did, at a picnic table beside a Leylandii. And it began to rain ... Fine. I drank my tea, picked up my sandwich and strode on, nothing daunted, and ate as I walked.

Across the Drive and Blackwater Car Park and into Poundhill Inclosure, on to a cycle track heading south east and soon left on to a grass track down to a gate into a small enclosure of lawn and gorse with areas of strange grass mounds. I don't know what they are either or what causes them. I thought they were to do with water, but they were firm underfoot. Maybe they're fairy dwellings ...

At the south east corner of this field a bridge goes over Fletchers Water and the route passes between trees and gorse out to Fletchers Green, a lovely expanse of heathland popular with ponies. It seems that people other than "the commoners" turn their ponies out into the Forest. I met a woman with halter and food in a bucket. She asked me if I'd seen any ponies. Umm ... well ... There were loads of ponies all over the place. What was I to reply? So I said, "There are some ponies over there". Apparently, the ones she was looking for weren't any of those. And so we parted.

I cam to another stream, got more water in my boots (grrr! beginning to curse my gaiters!) and dropped my map in the water. What with that and the holes and tears already formed through much use, I really must buy another one - maybe one of those nice all-weather ones.

And I must learn to trust my compass! I was not supposed to end up on the track through the caravan site, even though it was easy enough to find my way into Aldridge Hill Inclosure from there, because it's Aldridge Hill Caravan Park. I should have turned immediately right after the bridge before the stream I dropped my map into and got my feet wet in, and headed due south to pass the cottage that way. Heigh ho!

The walk through the Inclosure was pleasant and even the side path down to Ober Water was good underfoot. As I was not quite finished with my walk yet (I could have gone over the bridge and straight up back to the car park) I decided to follow the lovely, purposely-laid walk around Ober Water. By this time the clouds had scattered and a lovely warm late afternoon sunshine was gleaming through the trees.

At the end of the walk, I crossed over Puttles Bridge and walked up the gravel path winding up to Whitefield car park from the west. To my left the ground was heather-thick and there amid the heather was a female roe deer in her winter grey. She was hard to spot, only her white rump gave her away. Even harder to spot was the male, a young buck with new velvet antlers, standing in front of a grey-barked tree, watching me as I walked up the path. Him I only spotted by his white muzzle and black nose.

And so back to the car, where I fiddled around with the gaiter stirrups until I had a good fit that pulled the bottoms of the gaiters right down to the heels, instead of sitting on the top edge of my boots where the water got in.

Then boots off and another cup of tea with a satisfied sigh and a Mars bar.

Winter Days Diary - My Back Yard

Winter Days Diary - Telegraph Woods in White

10 January 2009

I have written about this lovely woodland previously (please click on the label at the bottom of the page for more about Telegraph Woods) so I thought I would simply upload some pictures. It was a little milder, by about a degree, and the heavy frost made the whole world look absolutely stunning.

Winter Days Diary - ... it is (still) very cold

7th January 2009

And out again! Greyer than yesterday, apparently a degree or two above freezing but felt colder, yet the day had a good feel to it. I'd actually planned a different kind of day, although those former plans had included a walk. Instead, I phoned my parents and invited them out which they accepted.

First of all into town again to get Dad some new walking shoes while Mum phoned the local council to sort them out ... again.

After a bite of warm lunch and armed with a flask of coffee and gingersnap biscuits, we set off.

All the walks I'd tried to plan were all about 5 or 6 miles, a little too much for someone who's still convalescing after heart surgery so in the end I decided the Tall Trees Trail (aborted from yesterday) would be ideal, with a look-in at the Blackwater Arboretum.

We parked at Blackwater Car Park, where you are encouraged to make a donation (£2 is suggested). There was no wind under the trees and despite the sharp air it was a lovely walk through towering conifers with their branches drooping under the weight of their dark green "skirts". There is a bomb crater towards the end of the first part of the walk (assuming the start north from the car park). During WWII this part of the Forest was used as a munitions store. Presumably it was a small bomb or grenade that blew accidentally rather than the result of a bomb dropped from the air as it is not a terribly big crater. There are also great bushes of rhododendrons along the path.

Just after this, you cross the road for the return path. The trees are closer here and the Forest beyond the Trail to the right is more densly packed with fewer paths leading off. The Trail winds along a narrower way with a hedge of dark-leaved rhododendrons shielding the path from the road. It is quite a romantic walk, and I am looking forward to seeing it in the spring when the rhododendrons are in full flower.

About half way along this part of the Trail, a wide ride heads off on the right and is flanked on either side by two giant sequioas with huge red trunks and tops tapering into the sky high above anything else near them. They are not the tallest tree on the Trail, however. There is a redwood a little further on which is as tall as two Nelson Columns.

The path winds on to a pretty wooden bridge and bends around and out through wooden railings. Here, you can turn left back across the road to the car park, or turn right up to the Arboretum which is accessed from this side by a beautifully constructed wooden gateway. The Arboretum contains many different trees and is a sensory garden. That is, you are encouraged to touch and smell the trees as well as look at them. I have seen the Arboretum in all its summer glory, and although it seemed a little sad under the cold grey sky with leaves strewn on the ground, it is still my ideal for my own private garden with a little cottage attached that has dog-roses growing around the door, and numerous cats running about the place.

My Dad saw a sign by one tree with a hand-sign and the word "Bark" - so he did ... *sigh!* Can't take him anywhere.

As Dad was now starting to get tired, we left the Arboretum and returned to the car for coffee and biscuits. Mum and I went down to the little river, either Black Water or Fletchers Water, and took pictures of the ice-lined water with ferns and Forest beyond on both sides.

After which we headed for home and I made a mental note that for my next excursion I would come out to White Moor and go exploring over that intriguing bit of countryside the very next opportunity I get.

Winter Days Diary - A New Forest Walk

6th January 2009

It was a beautiful sunny day and cold. Yesterday, I went into town shopping for more warm winter walking gear and thanks to the sales found some excellent bargains. Today was a day for trying some of them out. Therefore I dressed appropriately, chose a walk and off I went.

My destination was Anderwood, approximately mid-way between the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary to the north and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive to the south. My aim was to walk first to the Deer Sanctuary and then down along Bolderwood Ornamental Drive into Rhinefield OD and around the Tall Trees walk with a quick visit to Blackwater Arboretum. This would have taken the best part of a day.

I was late leaving home ...

Anderwood itself is a pleasant place for picnicking and ambling around pine trees. There is a picnic and barbecue area, and a public convenience. Being the middle of winter and temperature around 0 degrees C, however, the only people were hardy walkers and cyclists.

The walk began promisingly enough, up through the trees beyond a gate to the north. Before reaching the cycle track further on there was an interesting path (aren't they all?) going down through the trees to the cycle track visible below. A Forest stream, Blackensford Brook, crosses the path and is easily forded which is always more fun than being provided with a bridge, although I am partial to bridges over water as well.

I turned right along the cycle track intent on getting to the Deer Sanctuary.

I hesitate to describe any part of the New Forest as dull, but if there is such a place this is it. The track is dead straight through a pine inclosure with little relief except perhaps the promise of more interesting things along paths to right and left. On closer inspection it would seem that the side paths promise wading of near knee-deep proportions. I don't mind a bit of mud, it can be a lot of fun these were clearly more bridlepath than footpath. To my disgrace, I turned around back the way I had come and returned to Anderwood Car Park. I'd walked three miles judging by my watch and it seemed like barely one.

Nothing daunted, I decided to stop for a cup of tea at the car and try again. Fortified by this and a biscuit, I ventured across the road to another gate heading south. Apart from another wide mud-river that led to a wire fence, presumably to keep people from crossing the A35 at this point, this was quite a pleasant walk around Dames Slough Inclosure. (By the way, I fell over jumping a ditch off the afore-mentioned mud river - that is, I fell up the side of the ditch. The mud missed my gaiters completely and covered the knees of my trousers ...) There was another stream, Black Water, to ford which I managed without falling over, getting wet or in any other way mucking it up.

I didn't attain either of my goals - the Deer Sanctuary or the Tall Trees Walk -but I did get two hours walking out of the afternoon and a successful test of my new winter wear.

Winter Days Diary - The air bites shrewdly ...

5th January 2009

A grey day with a bitter north-easterly wind. I'd promised Dad a walk in the New Forest and he chose Hatchett Pond with a walk around the disused airfield on Beaulieu Heath. Hatchett Pond was QI being partially frozen with ducks and sea-birds stood on the ice all looking cold and disgruntled. A pair of swans were making "feed me" gestures at a chap who was just getting out of his car. Swans are huge beasties when they stretch up their necks - they were nearly as tall as the man.

We set off along the B3055 (to Brockenhurst) for about 3/4 mile to the entrance to the concrete flattened diamond path which is now used by walkers, horse-riders and cyclists. Faced with a choice, we turned right.

Note to self: when in doubt choose the rule of the labyrinth - always turn left!

It was very open and very raw, and unfortunately further than we had both thought. Had we turned left, the way would have been shorter with the wind more behind us.

It was when we turned along the south path of the walk that the wind in all its unpleasant strength and chill factor did for Dad's stamina. He decided to park himself in the lee of some thick gorse while I as the stronger walker went hotfoot (that's a laugh!) back up the B3054 to fetch the car from Hatchett Pond car park.

After much cursing the wind, my recalcitrant legs that wouldn't walk fast enough (I don't do the "r" word) and ponies in the path alongside the pond that looked rather mournfully at me, I got to the car, at last. In two minutes I had picked up Dad, who had been cheerfully watching bunnies playing in and out of the gorse, and we sat and drank hot coffee and munched on caramel snack bars before heading for home.