We parked in the pay and display car park attached to the Queens Head.  £5 for 24 hours and you get your money back if you have lunch at the pub.

We all agreed it had been a thoroughly enjoyable walk, with good company on a beautiful day.

The forecast promised quite a decent day but unfortunately as the pictures show it remained damp, overcast and drizzly for most of the day.  Perhaps Clive was right when he claimed that Blandford has a micro climate and it is always wet!  It was however quite a nice temperature for walking and we were pleased to be out.  It was good to see the first few wild bluebells of the year.
The small car park by Nutcombe Wood was packed last time we drove by but today we were on our own.  We took the middle path between the two that are marked Private Woodland and descended towards the River Stour.  It was a bit of a squelchy track but not too bad continuing like this alongside the river.
We turned west where the track meets the road beside Stourpaine Village Hall and playing fields where there is a fairly large car park that may be handy for another walk in the area.  ​

Having chickened out on Wednesday when the forecast looked dire we woke up to lots of mist in Westbourne this Friday.  Magically it vanished as we approached Wareham and the day brightened up considerably.  It wasn't sunny but very pleasant for walking.
Leaving the Sika Trail car park we walked along the road towards Wareham, crossed over and joined the track taking us back towards our starting point but inside the fence line.  We need not have bothered because there is an entrance right opposite the car park!
The path across Cold Harbour Heath started very well, with a large solar farm on our right, became a bit boggy and then we found an excellent boardwalk across the next wet patch before turning left at the junction.  We soon reached the road which was very quiet but it was nice to turn back again onto the Wareham Forest Way.  At Ferncroft Farm we found it a bit of a struggle to see exactly where the path was supposed to be.  There may have been some recent re-routing but we managed reasonably well.  Although it looked very muddy the surface was hard underfoot and it was not a problem.  

After a fairly easy walk back to the car we drove to the Baker's Arms where we had a very good lunch.  Peter and Ray splashed out on two nice rump steaks but only because a voucher could be used to pay the difference between that and chicken pie.  Thank you Vintage Inns!
A good walk with a lot of variety including fields, country lanes, a high street with shops, a housing estate and some open heath and forest.

This week the map has a few points marked with a camera to show roughly where the pictures were taken.

We were then having such an interesting discussion that we deviated from the footpath at Cutler's Farm inadvertently taking the main track down to the road.  It was only a short walk past the school and then onto the clearly marked footpath leading up someone's drive.  Alas the path then came to an abrupt end where the style was completely overgrown.  ​

As Clive and Ray had both brought mince pies we were forced to eat two each!  From here the paths were much easier to find.  The seating arrangements around Uppington Farm deserve special mention as they provide excellent views across the valley and Hinton Martell.  They may prove very welcome as it is a bit of a climb before reaching the attractive All Saints' Church at Chalbury.  We then had a fairly easy walk back to the car though the path across the field and just west of the pond before reaching the eastern edge of Dukes Copse does not seem to be marked anywhere.
​It was a good walking day, dry and just the right temperature.  Clive did rather well to find several tracks that we had never been on before.  In fact 3.6 miles of the 6.8 were on new territory.

This was a very good walk on a bright and pleasant day even though we were all feeling very heavyhearted as a result of Rob's death.  The next post will be a reflection of the happy times we had with a really true friend.
We had hoped to get back to the Black Dog in time for lunch but they stop serving at 2:30 and we were too late!  There car park was however very large and in just the right place
After a short walk along the surprisingly busy road we turned south and out across the fields.  Clive said the first half was the more hilly part of this walk and he was quite right.  

The weather was kind.  It was a lovely bright day and not too warm so we managed pretty well.  It was good to see that from the park at Powell the route dropped down to Moigns Barn Down.  Though this is a rather wet area with some tumbledown buildings.
As with last week it seemed that appropriate seating was in very short supply but we eventually found an open barn with a well placed straw bale where we could have a well earned rest.
The path around Misery Farm no longer crosses in from of the property but goes around to the west of the small lake.  This is a very pleasant spot and why anyone would give it such a name is a bit of a mystery.  It seems to have now had a name change and is known as Lower Watercombe Farm, but not on the OS map.  It sleeps 14  and is available to rent by the week http://www.classic.co.uk/holiday-cottage/desc-3001.html.  It's worth taking a look.
Shortly after reaching the end of the road from Misery Farm we joined the Jubilee Trail for a short time, leaving it at Fryer Mayne Wood.  By now the wind had started to strengthen quite considerably bringing the leaves down from the trees.  Just before this track joins the A352 into Broadmayne there is another little mystery and abandoned corrugated iron building that may have been an old methodist chapel, but possibly not.  There is nothing to give away its original use.
Lunch at the Red Lion, another all day food pub, was all right but it will not become a favourite.

The New Forest was an inspired choice for today.  The weather was perfect for a stroll around the heathland and the autumn colours were just starting to show through.
​After crossing the ford we were faced with quite a steep climb unto the "Pillow Mounds" and the ridge across Rockford Common but this provided some lovely views across the valley towards Digden Bottom.  The early morning mist made it quite atmospheric but faded quite quickly

There were quite a lot of crab apples particularly as we dropped down towards Appleslade Bottom.  Crossing the road we followed a narrow track alongside a private drive, crossing some very muddy ground and turning onto the road at Toms Farm.  We crossed Dockens Water at the ford and headed out onto the open heathland stopping at the top for refreshments and took the opportunity to send Rob a picture of the view to aid his recovery.   

We then took a fairly direct route back to Moyles Court as a birthday party was beckoning our walk leader!

For lunch we revisited The Horns and had some very acceptable sausage and mash.  £11.49 for two meals seemed most reasonable although Clive's bowl of soup was a little meagre.

An excellent walk, slightly shorter walk than normal but most enjoyable with a few hills to get the pulse rate up a bit.

It took a few minutes to orientate ourselves and find the path we wanted out of the car park.  There are so many options here.  There is a tricky little "u" turn just before Drivers Plantation to find the gate that then leads to the path that runs around the edge of the plantation.  After a while you come across a stile that seems to lead on to another path but the path soon vanishes and you find yourself having to tread very carefully through boggy ground while ducking beneath fallen trees.  The assault course is not recommended (see map).  It is better to take the southerly track that rejoins the Ferndown Stour and Forest Trail.  After this point the route was much simpler.
We had a coffee break in Uddens Plantation followed by another short stop to admire the view from Cannon Hill.
This was a very pleasant walk on a bright sunny day following parts of The Castlemain Trailway as well as the Ferndown Stour and Forest Trail.
​Lunch was at The Horns Ferndown.  They are open for food all day and two meals can be bought for £11.49.  Ray and I had Hunter's Chicken which was very good value for the price.  Service was good and prompt.

Although it looks like a backwater the road where we parked is actually quite busy so some care is needed getting onto the track leading down towards Winterbourne Stickland.  This is a nice easy track along the edge of the fields.  A short stroll through the village took us to another track and on our way to Houghton Spring Farm where the fish farm can be seen on the left.  We went through the gate and turned right then headed up the hill.  When we reached the top we realised our error!  There was no way out and we should have been on the other side of the fence.  So we had to retrace our steps and then climb this quite steep hill all over again.  The path along here was quite overgrown and we were lucky that a group of eight or so walkers had just come along in the opposite direction and cleared the way a bit.  We eventually stopped for refreshments on the ridge where there is a broad track leading to Hedge End Farm.
After our break we dropped down into the valley and onto the road for a short while towards Turnworth before turning right towards Shepherd's Corner Farm.  Near here we found another of Dorset's contributions to the NHS supply chain.  Another right turn took us into Field Grove where we came across a charcoal burning operation that looked very efficient.  At the end of the woods the path became a bit more impenetrable.  We tried the field edge for a while but ended up with boots full of sharp seeds that forced us to spend a good ten minutes trying to pick our socks clean when we finally reached the road.  We were feeling the distance by then and so took the shortest route we could find through Broadley Wood and back to the car.
Rob joined us for lunch again at the Lambs Green Inn at a somewhat later than normal time for "lunch".