Misty Sway and the Railway

30 December 2008

For route details click here

There have been few chances to get out over the Yuletide what with family and work. Today was my day off and earmarked for a good tramp around the countryside to walk off some of the effects of the Greedy Guts Season.

The morning didn't look all that promising - just grey and cold, no fog, no frost, not a glimmer of sunlight. I went anyway, determined on a walk gleaned from the December issue of Country Walking although I deviated a little from the text, choosing to park at Longslade Bottom Car Park (which is not where it says on the map!) rather than at Sway train station and following the route from there.

The route follows part of a disused railway which begins between Burley and Bransgore in the west and ends at Brockenhurst in the east and cuts through some of the loveliest area of the New Forest.

The sun did manage a gleam or two and occasionally the high mist cleared to show blue sky. The air was very cold but I was wrapped in thermals, two layers of socks, sweatshirt, fleece and all-weather overtop, beanie and baseball cap, and neck gaiter to cover my nose when necessary. After about 10 minutes walking along the disused railway my circulation was pumping and my poor fingers had finally warmed up.

The path across the higher moor coming down into Sway looked muddy in places but the overnight frost had hardened much of the ground and there was always a way around. Sway itself is a pleasant village. The Hare and Hounds pub is pretty especially with the Christmas lights twinkling around the windows. The village is one that has been visibly expanded over the years with pretty little character cottages side-by-side with modern brick houses of large and rather square proportions.

I met lots of nice people again. Several horseriders and among the many dogs out and about was one crazy lurcher-cross which apparently was incapable of moving around at less than top speed unless it was dancing around a person. It was never still and must be one of the happiest dogs I've ever come across. Yet for all its liveliness it was incredibly obedient; in complete contrast to the border collie that was not ready to go home yet and was chasing about the lawns near the car park, deaf to all entreaties to "come on" from the various members of its rather frustrated family.

Ahhh, it's good to be out again. Now, where to next time ... ?

Winter Days Diary - Clean Boots & Christmas Daffodils

19 December 2008

I need some fresh air before a busy shift at work so I thought I'd take a quick walk "round the block". It's all rather chilly and grey, but pretty where the Christmas lights are twinkling. What I did not expect was to see daffodil shoots poking through the soil as I walked under the trees along a rather nice street near the local park.

As for the clean boots - mine had got rather muddy (!) on Wednesday after the bog-hopping and I haven't got around to cleaning them yet. I knew the efficacy of beach shingle for removing caked-in mud from the deep treads of boots. It seems that some long, wet grass and a good, rough gravel path will also do the worst part of the job for you. All I need now is to wipe off the remainder and rub in some waterproofing. Excellent!

Deerleap and Fulliford Bog-hopping

17 December 2008

For route details click here

Clouds, fog, rawness and rain all fled and winter-brilliant sunlight poured down from the sky. What more encouragement could any walker want to get those boots on and get out?

I chose this location because it's just beyond the city and I had other places to be later in the day, and I've been meaning to try it out for ages. Incessant roadworks and traffic tailbacks stopped me before; but the roadworks like the gloomy weather had desisted for a day.

Once at the Deerleap Car Park it was evident that the beautiful weather had enticed everyone else and their dog or pony out as well. And the lawns and heathlands were dotted with the commoners' ponies and cattle.

The terrain varies from close-cropped lawns to inclosures of pine and more ancient woodland, heathland and bog. The walk from the car park to the railway crossing was pleasant on the lawn, and there is also a cycle path along it. There was a girl on a grey pony having a fabulous time cantering around, until the young rider had to rein the pony in to pass people and dogs, at which the pony protested vociferously and shrilly. It was a small pony but it had a very loud opinion!

Over the railway bridge and the river beyond to Fulliford Bog. There is a clear footpath which runs through the heathland and the surrounding squelchy bits and where I wanted to go off to the right, well, I could see the line of the path ahead. Some way ahead. Beyond an obstacle course. I have now been bog-hopping and it's actually quite fun. Somewhere under all the water and mud was part of the path ... I made it and now know that I can actually jump quite far when I need to.

The drier bit of the path formed a sort of gully for a short distance and then branched off to a small earthwork of what I presume to have been an ancient and very small settlement. There is a tumulus not far away. The earthwork itself is now marked by a line of bracken.

Ahead is a wooden bridge over a Forest stream. To the right, land belonging to Ashurst Lodge and to the right were deer grazing in the distance.

Beyond the bridge the terrain is more lawn-like for a while but wet, although firm, underfoot and a winding way needs to be taken around the deeper muddy bits to regain the path, which again disappears into mud and water. So another diversion needs to be found. This is not in the nature of complaining. It's lots of fun! For me.

Around the tall, pale wooden fencing that surrounds Ashurst Lodge so no one can see it and then to the drive and the trees begin to close in. Over the drive and down to the next railway bridge which has a pretty feature of pale blue iron work. Beyond the bridge is the gate into the Inclosure. I chose the cycle track up to the gate that leads out on to the lawn avenue between Deerleap and Longdown Inclosures as before, as I'd had enough of mud and heavy going. The cycle lane through Deerleap Inclosure runs quite close to the railway and it was fun to see a train racing through the trees.

By the time I was coming back to the car park, someone had been out with the hay truck and ponies and cattle had appeared in herds in the shadow of Longdown Inclosure to eat at and argue over the hay piles.

It was a beautiful, clear day, chilly but not raw and the light was perfect for taking photographs. And I was glad to get back to two hours tramping around the New Forest to really get the legs and lungs working. This will be my last long-ish walk before Christmas. I'm looking forward to new horizons in the New Year.

Winter Days Diary - Local Park

13 December 2008

Not a terribly adventurous walk but it got me "out of the house" and into some fresh air. It was grey, damp, a little bit boringly milder than it has been recently and all the fun of sheeting rain and howling gales had blown itself out sometime during the morning.

The River Itchen was in spate full to overflowing and was in a tearing hurry to get somewhere; probably away from the slightly sewerish scent that wafted across the footpath now and then. I'm quite sure that wasn't coming from the River though. The land about gets waterlogged and some of the more permanent pools of standing water have an oily look about them sometimes.

A couple of moorhens stood looking rather glumly at the water until a human got a bit close and then the water obviously seemed a better option than the footpath. Of ducks and swans I saw not a one. They had more sense than did I and the plethora of dog walkers who'd been waiting for the weather to clear before doing their duty.

From the park, I came back round a steep crescent which every year puts on a fabulous Christmas light show. This year, the show is a bit later but from the unlit evidence it looks like they could light up our post-Christmas dinner stroll again this year.

Oh well, not a very bright or inspired walk but it cleared the airways and stretched my legs for half an hour. I even took some photos. I'll be glad when the afternoons start stretching out again...

Winter Days Diary - Frosty Day

7th December 2008

At last, whiteness! There was but one place I could go to catch the last of the sun. I went back to Telegraph Woods. Had lots of fun playing in the mud again. This time I was on a mission to get photographs of the views from the edges of the woods and of the main features - the beacon, the earthwork, the lake and the clearings. Fortunately, the frost was still lying on the sheltered open ground around the lake and in the foresty clearing a little further on, and also on the golf course and the open spaces around the Rose Bowl.

I met a mad boxer dog that seemed intent on getting this one branch detached from its tree; apparently this was no youngster. This hooligan is 10 years old. The chap and his daughter with the boxer also had a dear little wiry terrier which came and sat at my feet, gazing up at me with one paw lifted. What could I do? She was very happy to be fussed.

Later on, I met a young black labrador. As I said "Hello dog" to it (as you do), around a clump of shrub and trees I came upon the owner in jeans and white shoes staring rather forlornly at the thick, black mud. I advised him that the way improves uphill. That didn't help his present predicament but he thanked me anyway and began to rather gingerly pick his way around the goo. I had thick boots on (no gaiters - hurry up, Santa!) so I just waded through.

It was a lovely, cold walk with a dusting of frost to make a pleasant change to the usual drabness of the damp and the sun golden and heatless sinking into the west.

Winter Days Diary - Telegraph Woods

6th December 2008

For a sunny late afternoon I chose a lovely muddy tramp through one of my favourite places locally. Telegraph Woods is beautiful at any time of year. In the winter it has a sparse beauty with a forest of pale beeches facing tall dark pine trees across the wide main path through the woodland.

I chose to follow one of the more indistinct paths which winds through pine trees into more ancient woodland of beech and oak. The trail is one of the type that is not clearly marked and often looks as if it's coming to a dead end, but is always there and the apparent dead end is a tight corner in the narrow path leading you on.

It was very muddy and so, of course, great fun. The path ran down behind a small woodland lake and up again to emerge beside a fence that separates the woodland from the Rose Bowl Cricket Ground. However, as you come down to the radar gate on to the footpath that runs down beside the golf course, there is a clear view down into the cricket ground and then a fabulous view out over the countryside to the north.

I came back to the main path and soon diverged off it to descend a stepway to a lower path which runs around the base of the ancient earthworks and rises again to a fork. I took the right-hand fork back to the main path. I only cleaned my boots a couple of days ago; they're covered in mud again!

Near the main entrance to the woodland from Telegraph Road there is a perfect circle of open space which has a low wooden barrier running around it to mark the position of an ancient Beacon, one of a chain fired to raise the alarm that the Spanish Armada was approaching the coast of Britain, during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Just inside this entrance, nailed to a tree, is a sign: No fires are to be lit in these woods ...

Winter Days Diary - Walking and shopping

4 December 2008

I was out for an hour and a half today. I needed some more fountain pen ink and another extension lead. Some of the time was admittedly taken up with looking around but it was a fair couple of miles on a late winter afternoon, a cloud-and-sun day with a sharp breeze blowing.

To the local Hobbycraft for the ink, the trail goes along a quiet lane between the edge of an estate on one side and school grounds on the other, both sides screened from the lane by trees and high brambles (good blackberrying in September). From Hobbycraft (eventually), the way goes alongside a busy road with views out over watermeadows to the north and into wet woodlands on the south side, and into Riverside Park. At the two-way traffic bridge at Woodmill, I turn right along the narrow pavement and over the railway bridge, then left and come to the local B&Q store for the extension lead.

The way home is back over the railway bridge and back through Riverside Park.

Winter Days Diary - A walk around the block

2nd December 2008

I managed to get in two short walks today, one in the afternoon for a photoshoot; one this morning just to get out - itchy feet!

There is an open common space nearby called Frogs Copse and has recently been signposted as an area managed to encourage wildlife, which is excellent news. This has become quite a major project in this city. There are four such sites near me.

From Frogs Copse through the quieter back streets, across the main road and along the path beside the river through Riverside Park, then back along the cycle track and up round Broadwater.

This rather nice area has been a Christmas treat for several years, with nearly all the houses being done up with lights and seasonal ornamentation; it has become quite a tourist attraction! My family always takes a walk round there after Christmas dinner.

With the current environmental situation, however, I'm not sure that this pretty tradition will be repeated this year. It could be that the residents might leave putting up the display until nearer the time.

It was a cloud-and-sun morning and quite cold, but with thermals and a good fleece jacket and hat, it was very pleasant.

Winter Days Diary - Photoshoot at Itchen Valley Country Park

2nd December 2008

I'm not giving away too much yet, but some interest has been expressed in a small article I put on a walkers' forum about my first time walking. However, the "interested party" wanted a photograph (oh lor'). So my Dad being a photographer and the Itchen Valley Country Park being the starting point for the whole thing, we set off to get some shots.

It was a pleasant, if cold, afternoon. We got a pleasant walk around the Forest Trail and some decent pictures out of the excursion. I sent one of the pictures to the "interested party" and as I haven't heard anything back, I'm hoping it's OK.