This
morning we had a sightseeing trip to Salisbury and Stone
Henge. It was quite interesting, but I prefer the walks
in the New Forest!
Salisbury Cathedral
Stone
Henge is most impressive, but it's a shame about the visitor
facilities. They must give an appalling impression the
the many foreign visitors that come to this "World
Heritage Site".
|
Salisbury Cathedral
|
Stone Henge
|
Path through the rhododendrons heading for Hatchet Green
From
the car park we walked northwards along the road for about
300m and turned left along a track through the rhododendrons
at map ref. SU190180.
|
When
we got back to our holiday cottage I just had to have
an evening walk in the woods, so we drove a couple of
miles to the car park near Hale at map ref. SU189177.
Path through the rhododendrons heading for Hatchet Green
|
Millennium sculpture at Hatchet Green
On
the village green is one of the many millennium sculptures
that sprang up to celebrate that year. This one is in
the form of a seat and is alleged to represent the rear
end of a couple of forest ponies - I kid you not!
|
We
followed the path for about 1 km to the road at map ref.
SU194189. At the road we turned left for about 100m and
then took the path on our left which led us up to the
village green at map ref. SU193191.
Path from Hatchet Green towards Hale Park
|
Diana's Barn at Hale Farm
We
followed the road to the very impressive avenue of limes
that leads to Hale House. At the main drive to the house
there is a public footpath just to the side of the lime
tree avenue.
|
From
the village green we took the path to Hale Farm, about
600m away. The path by-passed the farm and took us to
the road at map ref. SU187186
Path down to the road near Hale Farm
|
Avenue of limes leading to Hale House
|
We
took this path towards the house. On our right we passed
an ancient oak tree that seemed to me to be the same pollarded
form and just as old as the Knightwood Oak that we saw
yesterday.
Ancient oak in the grounds of Hale House
|
Hale House
Impressive
cedar in the grounds of Hale House
|
Church in the grounds of Hale House
|
Swans on the River Avon
We
passed the church and dropped down to the river. We stood
on the footbridge over the river foe a while watching
the swans and admiring the autumn colours in the trees.
|
The
path led us to the right of Hale House and down to the
church in the grounds of the house, just above the River
Avon.
Swans on the River Avon
|
Ponies on the lane at Woodgreen
We
followed this route for about 600m to the edge of Woodgreen
and at map ref. SU175176 we turned left to take a path
across the fields to Higherend Farm.
|
We continued around the road for about 400m
and took the path on the right, part of the "Avon
Valley Path", at map ref. SU175182.
Ponies on the lane at Woodgreen
|
Distant fallow deer as we climbed up from Higherend Farm
From
the farm we walked up the lane to the road at map ref.
SU187174 and we were lucky enough to see some fallow deer
(again first spotted by my wife - she insisted on an acknowledgement)
a few fields away to our left. At the road we turned left
and walked the remaining 250m back to the car park. It
had been a very pleasant 6km walk in the evening sunshine.
|
Near
the stile out of one field lay the remains of a Roe deer.
The head was completely in tact and undamaged. The spine
was complete and attached to the head and one side of
the rib cage was attached to the spine. All the bones
had been picked clean except for the bloodstains that
were still red. There was no sign of the rest of the carcass.
I have no idea what happened to the deer, whether it was
killed and eaten by a predator or whether it simply died
and was cleaned up by a series of scavengers.
The
path up from Woodgreen
|
Evening sunlight through the trees as we returned to the
car park
This
walk was taken from a leaflet we obtained from the Tourist
Information Office in Ringwood. It is one of a series
published by Ringwood & Fordingbridge Footpath Society.
It is Walk 10 Hale & Woodgreen and costs 20p.
|