| Date: Location: Distance: Parking: Lunch: | 25 October 2018 Ferndown Forest 5.7 miles Golf Club car park Forest Inn |
 Tangled Webs | We started from the golf club car park again but this time headed north on there Ferndown, Stour and Forest Trail. It was a bit cooler than most of our recent walks had been and the dew was clearly visible on the numerous webs on the gorse bushes. |
We planned to follow the track that takes a dog leg across the heath and joins Newman’s Lane beside Newman’s Farm South. We could see no sign of this path but spotted quite a decent track under the pylons so we followed this. Unfortunately this ran out and the ground became very uneven and quite boggy, what you might describe as “tussocky lumps”. We decided to cut across to Newman’s Lane but this was easier said than done. We eventually fought our way through and came out on the lane where the path should have been but again could find no sign of its existence.
After another three hundred yards or so the made up track finished and we went through a gate onto a smaller track. On our left we found a nice looking boardwalk and decided to try that. It ran out just as we reached the pylons but there was a nice dry sandy track to follow all the way across the heath to the road just east of the Cross Keys pub.
After another three hundred yards or so the made up track finished and we went through a gate onto a smaller track. On our left we found a nice looking boardwalk and decided to try that. It ran out just as we reached the pylons but there was a nice dry sandy track to follow all the way across the heath to the road just east of the Cross Keys pub.
 View Acrosss The Heath |  Ray On The Boardwalk |
 Impressive |  Another Good Track |
We carried on past the fishing lake which is closed at the moment and climbed up to the trig point on Bull Barrow before continuing across another area of open heath. Just after crossing the road we managed to find a log which provided just enough seating for two at a convenient spot for a break.
After a further stretch on the open heath we entered White Sheet Plantation and walked along some very easy paths back to the car park. Ray spotted a rather unusually coloured stem on a blackberry bush and then we had to stop for a few minutes in Hamwood Copse as there were some rather nice examples of fly agaric which had to be photographed.
After a further stretch on the open heath we entered White Sheet Plantation and walked along some very easy paths back to the car park. Ray spotted a rather unusually coloured stem on a blackberry bush and then we had to stop for a few minutes in Hamwood Copse as there were some rather nice examples of fly agaric which had to be photographed.
 Colourful Blackberry Leaves |  Fly Agaric |
We enjoyed another all day breakfast and an accompanying pot of tea at the Forest Inn. The only downside was the golfers who either could not read or felt the large sign saying “Please Use The Main Door did not apply to them. This made a seat near the door rather too drafty.
On the way home we dropped in to pick up some carpet being edge bound by Kristina at “Quick Bind Carpet Binding” in Ferndown and can highly recommend her service!
On the way home we dropped in to pick up some carpet being edge bound by Kristina at “Quick Bind Carpet Binding” in Ferndown and can highly recommend her service!
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