| Date: Location: Walk Leader: Participants: Distance: Parking: Lunch: | 19th February 2014 Arne Clive Clive, Peter, Ray, Rob 5.2 miles Arne RSPB car park The Castle Inn Corfe ★★★ |
An amble around Arne in Three Parts.
We started from the RSPB car Park at Arne which cost £4.
The first part of the walk took us across the field to the south west of the car park and on a track that leads towards Middlebere Lake from where you can look across the lake to Middlebere Farm. Our leader had thought it might be possible to walk across Coombe Heath to join up with the tracks there. Unfortunately the ground was too wet for this and after stepping very carefully over some pretty boggy ground we meandered our way back to the point at which we first left the field.
We then set off on fairly well drained tracks to do the circuit around Coombe Heath. We visited one of the bird hides that was very busy but did not stay long as we would have found it difficult to comply with the "Quite Please" signs. There was nobody else at the Screen so we sat there and had our refreshments including some very nice cakes from Pam.
We walked back to the car park and set off on the third leg which took us through the woods and then along the beach to Shipstal Point. We then returned via Big Wood.
There were a few deer wandering around and they took fairly little notice of us until we got quite close. There was also a good variety of birds on the feeders by the information centre.
This is a good area for a walk at any time being a mixture of open heathland and ancient oak woods with a variety of other trees and as you might expect lots of birds. A good day was had by all and it seemed longer than the record shows, perhaps due to the boggy ground on the first stage.
Lunch at the Castle Inn was very good. Steak and Ale pie was not that cheap at £10.95 but the meat was very tender and the puff pastry top much better than most similar tops. It was served with some nice chips and a good selection of vegetables. We were offered not only hot water for our tea but also two extra tea bags.
We started from the RSPB car Park at Arne which cost £4.
The first part of the walk took us across the field to the south west of the car park and on a track that leads towards Middlebere Lake from where you can look across the lake to Middlebere Farm. Our leader had thought it might be possible to walk across Coombe Heath to join up with the tracks there. Unfortunately the ground was too wet for this and after stepping very carefully over some pretty boggy ground we meandered our way back to the point at which we first left the field.
We then set off on fairly well drained tracks to do the circuit around Coombe Heath. We visited one of the bird hides that was very busy but did not stay long as we would have found it difficult to comply with the "Quite Please" signs. There was nobody else at the Screen so we sat there and had our refreshments including some very nice cakes from Pam.
We walked back to the car park and set off on the third leg which took us through the woods and then along the beach to Shipstal Point. We then returned via Big Wood.
There were a few deer wandering around and they took fairly little notice of us until we got quite close. There was also a good variety of birds on the feeders by the information centre.
This is a good area for a walk at any time being a mixture of open heathland and ancient oak woods with a variety of other trees and as you might expect lots of birds. A good day was had by all and it seemed longer than the record shows, perhaps due to the boggy ground on the first stage.
Lunch at the Castle Inn was very good. Steak and Ale pie was not that cheap at £10.95 but the meat was very tender and the puff pastry top much better than most similar tops. It was served with some nice chips and a good selection of vegetables. We were offered not only hot water for our tea but also two extra tea bags.
 They thought we were lost |  A Bird's Eye View |  Sika Deer |
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