Date: Location: Walk Leader: Participants: Distance: Parking: Lunch: | 1st July 2015 New Forest, Deer Sanctuary Peter Peter, Ray, Rob 6 miles Deer Sanctuary Car Park Queens Head, Burley ★★ |
We parked at the Deer Sanctuary car park because we know that there is likely to be an ice cream van there when we get back - another accurate prediction.
The walk follows a number of small footpaths through the forest but they are not easy to spot at times. It was one of those times when modern technology is a real advantage. The paths sometimes vanish among the trees or thick stands of ferns appearing later as clear routes and leaving you to wonder why they are so patchy.
There are some areas of Inclosures that have changed one of the most obvious being at Wooson's Hill where the path on the map goes straight through a six foot high fence!
There were a few places where we had to walk out in the open and they made us realise what a difference the trees made. It would have been very uncomfortable without the shade for most of the time. Even then we made a few extra stops on the way. This included a pleasant interlude at the Reptile Centre where we saw - you guessed - a few reptiles and sat and had our soup, coffee, chocolate, biscuits and a rest.
After a well earned ice cream we headed off to Burley and the Queens Head for lunch. The two meals for £10.99 was a great bargain even after adding an extra £1 for the gammon that Rob and I had.