Fritham

24th June 2009

I followed an AA Walk out from Fritham with a slight detour which was at first a little disappointing as the path I chose to revisit was not as lovely as I thought I remembered it. It may be one of those places that looks best in the rain, the sunlight made it look rather insipid. It was the ford in Amberwood, the subject of my previous post "Sweet Woods". Not so sweet today. The river was barely a trickle and the path not so "clean" as I had thought.

However, I was soon glad I did go that way and into Sloden Inclosure because I got my best deer photos yet!


I was looking towards a possible greenway left when they appeared, just standing there as they do with their inquisi-scared faces and silly ears. And very obligingly they posed (or froze) for a couple of carefully taken taken photos before it proved too much for them and they bounced away.

I also came across a doe and a half-grown youngster in Holly Hatch, and a small group peering out at me from a clump of trees on the path up to Fritham later on. It was too dark for photographs and flash would have scared them. They are so funny, so nervous and yet so curious.

The AA guide proved a bit vage in places. Up past Eyeworth Lodge and the cottage beyond, the directions tell you to bear right and then go left and follow the fence round, then when it goes further left go along a grass track, etc. I started up a right hand track, found I was getting further away from the fence and cut back through the trees to find the path I wanted. Then I had to choose between two paths that no clear path led to (bear with me!). Finally I picked the likeliest one and found myself where I needed to be. At least they were right about the single conifer - wait till someone cuts it down!

My advice is to keep along the path (albeit a bit muddy) over the wooden barrier and follow the fence around until it begins to bear away left, then look for a green path going down through trees to the right.

In Holly Hatch, I had to use my compass and double back to find the correct path after the AA guide defined the path required as a major junction. It isn't a major junction, it's a grass path and one of several. Why they can't say, take the wide grass path heading north-east I don't know! They do state "within 400 yards" from the previous junction but I have no idea what that looks like on the ground - it isn't very far, and I didn't have my pedometer.

In South Bentley Inclosure, yes the path becomes indistinct and I "forded" the (dried up) stream; but what is the term "half-left" supposed to convey? Half of what? I consulted my compass, checked the map, found out where I needed to be, had a scout around and saw a gate through some trees. I headed for the gate and there - ta-da! - was a clear path running north to south. I headed north, the way I wanted, and came to the lawn with the river and footbridge, as required.

Over the footbridge and up the path, past the outlying cottages and church (and deer) of Fritham, and back to the car park 1/2 an hour ahead of schedule. The walk was supposed to be 3 hours and took 2 1/2 including an extended diversion, photo-taking, doubling back and scouting around.

It was fun, the late afternoon sunshine was wonderful and I am very proud of my deer pictures.