| Date: Location: Distance: Parking: Lunch: | 11 October 2018 Ferndown Forest 5.6 miles Ferndown Golf Club The Forest Inn, at there golf club |
It’s hard to believe that any ardent walker would prioritise a haircut over a walk but it happened today. This meant that we started a bit later than usual and so sought out somewhere near to home. As it turned out this actually worked to our advantage.
We have walked in this area before but not for some considerable time and not from this starting point. The people at the Forest Inn at Ferndown Golf Club were very amenable to our parking there, going for our walk and then joining them for lunch which they serve until 17:30.
Walking back along the approach road to the club there is a good clear sign to the Castleman Trailway. The right turn after 1 mile, which passes between banks of solar panels, is not quite so obvious and we missed it on our first attempt. After a pleasant stroll through the woods we emerged onto the road, which later turns into a broad unmade track, and followed this up to White Sheet Plantation. On the way we passed two splendid but quite different properties, first the relatively modern Red Bridge and then the more traditional Gardens.
We took off onto one of the smaller tracks running through the plantation and stopped for drinks bananas and biscuits on a side track with some inviting logs to sit on. It is interesting to see how much open land there is in this area, so close to the main conurbations, and so few people out enjoying it. At the White Sheet Hill car park we had to track back a short way to get onto the correct path and then had a very pleasant and breezy walk across the heathland.
We have walked in this area before but not for some considerable time and not from this starting point. The people at the Forest Inn at Ferndown Golf Club were very amenable to our parking there, going for our walk and then joining them for lunch which they serve until 17:30.
Walking back along the approach road to the club there is a good clear sign to the Castleman Trailway. The right turn after 1 mile, which passes between banks of solar panels, is not quite so obvious and we missed it on our first attempt. After a pleasant stroll through the woods we emerged onto the road, which later turns into a broad unmade track, and followed this up to White Sheet Plantation. On the way we passed two splendid but quite different properties, first the relatively modern Red Bridge and then the more traditional Gardens.
We took off onto one of the smaller tracks running through the plantation and stopped for drinks bananas and biscuits on a side track with some inviting logs to sit on. It is interesting to see how much open land there is in this area, so close to the main conurbations, and so few people out enjoying it. At the White Sheet Hill car park we had to track back a short way to get onto the correct path and then had a very pleasant and breezy walk across the heathland.
 Suitable Seating |  Ready For Action |  Not A Soul In Sight |
 Autumn Colour | Looking from Holt Heath back towards the plantation we could see the autumn colours really starting to show along the edge of the woods. The wind was starting to build up by now and the leaves were having a hard time staying on the trees. |
Blowing In The Wind
Rather than going right through the plantation we decided to turn right along an earlier track. This was not a good decision as the track became very muddy and uneven. Marked with a x so we remember it next time. At the end of this track we turned right onto the Ferndown Stour and Forest Trail and had an easy journey back to the car park where a small entrance brought us out just a few yards from the car.
We both enjoyed the all day breakfast at the Forest Inn. It iwas good value for money, nicely presented and the staff were all very pleasant. A good area for some other fairly local walks in the winter especially as apart from the one muddy track the paths are well made up and mostly sandy.
We both enjoyed the all day breakfast at the Forest Inn. It iwas good value for money, nicely presented and the staff were all very pleasant. A good area for some other fairly local walks in the winter especially as apart from the one muddy track the paths are well made up and mostly sandy.
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