Acres Down to Bolderwood

15 october 2008
Distance: 6/4 miles
Parking: New Forest Acres Down Car Park
Map: Explorer OL22 New Forest
Map ref for car park: SU268097

Go back towards the car park entrance and turn left through beside a gate and past a signpost reading "Bolderwood 2.3 miles" on one side, and "Minstead 1.5 miles on the other". This easy to follow cycle track wanders through Highland Water Inclosure, passing over Bagshot Gutter and later, Highland Water itself. Ignore all turnings to left and right, including cycle trails coming down from the left in two places - keep right. Being autumn, the trees at this time are just beginning to show their Autumn colours.

Bolderwood Walk in the latter stages of the first part of this walk leads up to a gate beyond which is the Forest Road. Just before the gate look left over the tops of young Scandinavian pine trees for views beyond, southward over the Forest.

Once through the gate, turn left to see the Canadian Memorial. There is a small gate into the enclosure.

Cross the road to a gravel track with a signpost reading "Burley 5 miles" and a warning sticker of a steep hill ahead for cyclists. Pass beside a gate and head down this track which passes along the back of the Deer Sanctuary. Keep dogs on leads and pay attention to Deer Sanctuary notices along the way.

The Deer fields are to the left. At this time of year, the stags are in rut and if you are lucky, as I was, you may hear the stags roaring.

Through a gate, take the first turning to the left along a grass track to another cycle trail. At a junction, take the left hand track, and at a subsequent junction bear left again. This path winds up through the trees to the platform at the top of the Deer Sanctuary.

When you have finished taking photographs turn uphill to the road, Bolderwood Ornamental Drive and cross over to the car park. Pass through the car park (there is an information centre - open during peak times - and a toilet facility) and cross over the next road to a gate. Go through the gate entering Highland Water Inclosure once more.

Head straight down this cycle track and follow its course sharp right to turn back parallel to itself. Continue along this track ignoring all paths to right and left. At a five-way junction of paths, keep to the cycle track bearing right and ahead. Where a later cycle path comes down to form a Y-junction, keep straight ahead through Holmhill Inclosure. This is an area of fenced off trees to right and left. From the Y-junction just encountered, ignore the first crossroads and look for the second, clearly defined crossroads as marked on the map. There is an apparent crossroads where paths seem to run right and left beside inclosure fences; ignore this. The path required is beyond the end of the fences to the right. With a bridge in sight about 100 yards ahead, turn left up the grass path.

In about 200 yards, come to a small gate with a path beyond. The path at first seems indistinct; just keep walking straight ahead from the gate, bearing neither right nor left.

This path is muddy in places at all times. With the use of a long stick or walking pole, test the ground through the muddy parts to find the firmer ground. In places, small branches have been cast on the ground to give a foothold. In many places there are ways around the mud.

Later, where the path seems to split in two, bear left and follow the clearer way. Pass across a footbridge over a stream and keep ahead now until a small barrier of uprights appears and then the cycle track which, bearing right, returns to Acres Down car park.

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