The A31 speeds past Ringwood as a dual carriage way. At the end of part 6 of this ever growing epic, I got back to my parked car, just by the side of said A31. This time I start walking from just the other side of it. For those who may walk the whole trail in just a day or two, there is a safe path, under the road. Within a few steps, although one can still hear traffic, it’s noise is damped by the trees, and I’m back in tree cover!
As this part of the trail follows quite closely the actual track bed of the railway, it’s not long before the hints of a railway present themselves through time. First a bent bit of railing from a bridge above, then a small rail workers hut below!
The blackberries are out and ready for picking already in these parts – a sure sign that autumn is on the way. Before too long the straight and flat path meets a road. It’s a straight road, as it runs from Ringwood it’s known as the Horton Road, however if you are in Horton heading the other way it’s known as the Ringwood Road! As far as I can make out, the place that it changes it’s name is Ashley Heath. A little closer to Ringwood than Horton, the path crosses it and a few steps the other side is a pretty well preserved platform.
This part of the walk is a some 2.8 miles, absolutely straight! It passes close to an area known as Lions Hill, then a small, and obvious railway bridge takes the walker over the Moors River.
Close by I pass through an MOD (Ministry of Defence) oil depot. Then rather abruptly the path leads into a housing estate of the outskirts of the village of West Moors, but that as they say – is another story!
Chatter: Pentax Spotmatic SP, with the 50mm and mostly 35mm Takumar’s, on the old movie Ilford FP4 stock, I’m bulk loading my way through. Processed in Ilfosol 3.
S.H.O.U.T. 