Compton & Shawford Walkers’ Group: St. David’s Day Walk

After seemingly endless days of rain, St. David’s Day dawned dry and bright on ten members of the walking group, plus mascot dog, for their walk in the New Forest led by Ian and Pat Acton.

Looking at the map afterwards, one wonders how some of the places on the route acquired their names.

Green Ford might seem obvious, but what of High Corner, our starting point, which is actually down a hill.

Others such as Milkham and Pinnick remain more problematical.

Coffee was taken in an area known as King’s Garden. There’s no garden here, so we sat on concrete blocks probably left from a Second World War installation.

The surroundings are gradually being reclaimed for nature by hawthorn and gorse bushes. Some of the gorse was in flower in spite of the weather.

This brings an old country saying to mind: ‘When the gorse is not in flower, kissing is not in season’.

Diligent searching usually finds at least the odd flower on gorse bushes, whatever the time of year. Need anything more be said?

Over lunch at the High Corner Inn, one of the editors of the Parish Magazine who has a passion for electronic toys announced that we had walked exactly 7.84 miles to that point; not a yard more and not a yard less. Who would have dared upset his calculations by venturing to the loo right now?

Five stalwarts, plus mascot dog, continued with a further circuit of Broomy Inclosure after lunch. In the absence of accompanying technology, we estimated the distance, using old fashioned and time honoured methods, as having been about three miles.

Ian & Pat Acton