9.98 miles from Ivy Wood carpark Brockenhurst, The New Forest on 28 Jan 2014
The New Forest was declared a new hunting 'Forêt', meaning 'reserve', by William the Conquerer in the late 11th century. It had been a Saxon royal hunting ground for many years before that, and some of the Saxon King Canute's charters were carried forward by the Normans.
The route walked, clockwise from the little blue flag.
An old trackway leading from Brockenhurst Park towards Lyndhurst.....
..... and a far more modern trackway from London towards the West.
Standing Hat car park and Balmer Lawn (I wish my lawns looked so healthy!).
When the sun shines it catches the lovely Autumn/Winter yellow/russet tones of the beech foliage and bracken.
The stop for morning coffee at Park Hill Inclosure.
This shows how much water there is in what has been the wettest January since records began, over 100 years ago!
Park Pale
Park Pale - built it is thought in the late 11th century by the Norman King, William II (Rufus). The deer were herded by beaters into the wide entrance to the trap through Park Ground Inclosure, funneled through between the earth banks topped with wooden pales (Park Pale), and into the narrow trap where they were shot by archers and carted away. This was seen as an early conservation measure to maintain deer populations to reasonable proportions, as well as providing sport for the Norman Kings and their retinue.
All that remains of the 800 year old earth bank and ditch topped with wooden pales, "Park Pale", here at Park Hill.
I couldn't resist these two little ponies showing off their warm winter coats.
Victims of previous high winds.