Plumley Wood, Ringwood Forest circular walk

I know it was rather dull today but the walking was lovely anyway. Out in Ringwood forest for 3 and a half hours. Coffee and a short picnic stops included. From village centre up beside Stephens castle(barrows lane) then right up the hill and into the forest. Stay on the main track past the telegraph mast and along the ridge to the electricity pylons and turn left. Follow this track to the end. You will pass a small pond on your left. 

When you get to the place where the track splits at a rise you can either go left to walk beside farmland or right to continue on the stony path. If you go left you will come back to the small pond to the right makes a circle in the other direction. Having taken the left hand route myself and coming back to the pond I then crossed the main track and took the one opposite beside the conservation woodland and then back to the far track near Somerley. 

I like to return via the track past the barrows and this makes a great place for lunch. Once you regain the main track take the second track on the right to Stephens castle and go across the heathland back to the village centre. Very pretty out at the moment with golden gorse everywhere and watch out for some lovely birds; buzzards on the Mount Ararat, pheasants in the long creamy grass and song birds in the conservation woodland.