15th March - Lyndhurst to Buckler's Hard - 12.4 miles

Directly opposite the Stag Hotel is Meridien Modena a Ferrari showroom and my room looks directly out over their compound. Imagine all those objects of desire...so close!!!. 


From 8 o clock in the morning they'd been starting them all and re-parking them on the forecourt - a low rumbling noise with the occasional high pitched whizz! How much better it could have been if it'd been a Maserati garage. Next time....!?!?

I chose the wrong route out of the town and walked around the one-way system but at least I did pass the Verderers offices. 
Apparently, The Verderers were set up after 1066 to administer 'Forest Law' - to provide for the deer and boar in the forest and for the protection of their habitat. Whether that explains the chap in the car park in hunting greens and shiny leather boots, I don't know!!!

The trail through the forest made for
easy walking on gravel and hoggin.
with the occasional pony.

I'd heard an item on R4 this morning encouraging us all to listen to the sounds of the country and particularly their context with background sounds. So I stopped and listened to the tinkling sound of a brook and the wonderful repetitive chatter of coal tits in a tree nearby.



I then heard a jet overhead, so by use of a clever app, I  found out that it was VirginAtlantic VS138 at 12000 feet from JFK to LHR. A minute later, at 39000 feet there was Norwegian Airlines from Helsinki to Gran Canaria.

Meanwhile, periodically both yesterday and today, I've heard the 'crump' of big guns on the artillery ranges, 20 miles away on Salisbury Plain. 
My thoughts go to people in Ukraine.

Back to the coal tits!!
And then to cheer up my day even more, there's the gorse
After yesterday's preponderence of tarmac, I'd planned to walk all day today on footpaths. At Furzey Lodge, I looked for the start of the next footpath only to find it gated off, padlocked and a sign reading 'Private Land. No public access'  In hindsight this was probably done to prevent the public wandering on to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum. Without signs or suggested alternative routes, as a consequence I had to walk 2 Km on the busy B3054 with no pavements.

Finally, a 2 mile footpath along the sheltered estuary from pretty Beaulieu to Buckler's Hard.
Later at the bar - a very drinkable Razor Back from local Ringwood Brewery.

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