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.