On the first Sunday of August, fourteen of us met up on a warm but slightly cloudy day at the car park near St Mary's Church, Eversley. We set off, following the Three Castles Path into Heath Warren Wood. On entering the wood, we left left it to follow some substantial forest tracks.
These track were also being used for a local rally of horses and carts. The carts ranged from basic traps to fancy carriages, which were pulled by single or teams of horses, or in some cases, miniature ponies.
When we came to cross the road into Bramshill Plantation, we were greeted by a couple of marshals in high visibility jackets who were waiting for the horses and carts. With nothing to do at the time, they stopped the traffic for us so that we could cross the road, which was nice.
Making our way through Bramshill Plantation, we came across more horse and cart traffic. Stopping by some of the lakes, we were able to see all sorts of wildlife, including various types of dragon fly, a few pond skaters and a heron.
We stopped for a picnic by one of the lakes, which was very pleasant until the inevitable dog walker decided to get her dog to play fetch in and out of the water, frequently shaking itself dry right next to us. I like dogs, but am less fond of them when they douse my sandwiches in pond water.
Leaving Bramshill Plantation, we followed the Blackwater Valley Path back into Eversley, where we stopped for a drink in the garden of The White Hart pub. Heading back to the car park, we passed near Warbrook House, then passed through a small farm with some tiny goats, Egyptian geese and alpacas. Finally emerging behind the church, we crossed through the grounds and we were back. See our route on Google Maps.
Thank you to Denise for leading the walk and providing the photos.
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