NEW FOREST WALK at BANK (& GRITNAM) (NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK)

This is another video in my series “New Forest Walks” accompanied by my Whippet (Logan). In this episode I take a 4.5 mile circular route from the small village of Bank which is located to the South West of Lyndhurst in Hampshire (just off the A35).
My walk starts with a wander through the village, passing the pub and some very pretty cottages, many of which are thatched. My route then takes me in to some wonderful woodland at the Brick Kiln Inclosure where I get to enjoy the stunning purple colour of the heather.
After a short detour to try and find the “Whitely Oak”(which sadly I couldn't locate!), I continue through the Hursthill Inclosure (which had a huge number of magnificent Ants nests) and then follow the Highland Water stream for a while, heading North.
I then head East, passing through the tiny hamlet of Gritnam before returning back to my original starting point at Bank.
A very peaceful walk in perfect weather conditions.
Map courtesy of Google Maps.
For further videos in the series, please go to: / @daveford or my website at daveford5966.w...
My Facebook page is: / davescountrysidewalks
I use a GOPRO HERO 7 Black Action Camera (and a Gimbal) together with a Canon SX 400IS.

[@wiseowl6354]

We enjoyed our walk with you and Logan. Looking forward to the next one...

[@DaveFord]

Many thanks.:)

[@ianluke3326]

Beautiful walk Dave and Logan! Thanks for taking us with you - so long to visit the Forest for a walk again soon.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Ian. With the current lockdown, we haven't been able to do any new filming but it has given plenty of time for research! Looking forward to the Spring!

[@tomtaylor5577]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Lucky u!! Wish I was their....

[@DaveFord]

Cheers :)

[@newforestexplorer]

Love those dead looking trees , very atmospheric and make for some great photos 👍🏻

[@DaveFord]

Yes they are quite "mysterious - looking"!

[@danielbarfield5881]

Love the channel Dave followed my ww2 little lockdown hobby of your videos keep up good work mate see you in Lymington for a beer one day

[@DaveFord]

Thanks for your kind comments Daniel and indeed thank you for watching.

[@nwae8812]

Another beautiful walk. Can’t visit the old country, so this is a good substitute. Covid be gone!

[@DaveFord]

I certainly echo your thoughts about Covid! Thanks for watching.

[@peterfrost5475]

Hello Dave, nice walk, Gritnam is quite interesting, apparently a wealthy old lady left all the cottages to the Forestry commission for forest workers but the FC sold most of them off. I think there is still one occupied by a forest worker. I enjoyed the walk.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Peter. Interesting information about the cottages.

[@henriettalondon6141]

What a beautiful place! Logan is so nice and kind.

[@DaveFord]

It is a lovely part of the world. Logan is a good boy.

[@highlandexplorer990]

Nice video. You seem to get great weather. Logan didn't seem so keen on the water today.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks. Yes.... I did a lot of filming during the Summer (I had a slight feeling that there might be another lockdown in the Winter!). I think Logan prefers either the sea or clear chalk streams rather than the "darker" New Forest streams!

[@jonathanmonteith8968]

Yet another beautiful walk and a lovely reminder of what we are all missing at the moment. Dave have you ever ventured in to Cranborne Chase? I wonder if you'd be interested in creating something with us at the AONB.

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Jonathan. I have just finished doing some research for a walk from Pentridge (inc Blagdon Hill & Penbury Knoll) which I plan to do in the Spring - when the Covid travel restrictions are relaxed a little! I also hope to one from Cranborne as well. I have published walks at Martin & Rockbourne in the past (part of the "Walks in Hampshire" plsylist on the channel). I would certainly be interested in doing something with your AONB. Do check out my Facebook page ("Dave's Countryside Walks") and "PM" me through that - if you would like to take this further. Thank you for watching.

[@lionelmarytravels6003]

Good morning Dave. I’m not at all familiar with Bank or Gritnam, although Bank was very pretty. Those dead trees you came across! I could see one group was Silver Birch, but what were the taller trees in the clearing. Do you have any idea why they died? Charming walk through the woods and by the stream. Thanks once again.

[@DaveFord]

I am not sure how the trees met their demise ... I suspect it may have been due to the waterlogged ground but I am not sure. It certainly looked very atmospheric.

[@GolsanScruggsVideo]

Traveling from Oregon to see the New Forest! What might Mr. Ford say are the five most beautiful New Forest circular walks?

[@DaveFord]

You could try these: Frogham kzbin.info/www/bejne/sF6vnol9m5J5i5Y Eyeworth kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4XPaXybqtaUpKc Lepe Beach kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYazeaVuq7Ocd5I Burley kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5O7oK2uedx3gKs and Brockenhurst kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKGTenegnLtofsk I hope that you have a great trip.

[@GolsanScruggsVideo]

Thank you, Mr. Ford!

[@davidkeel]

Another nice video Dave. I got to watch it twice. That area of dead trees had a kind of eery feel to them. Very interesting to see and would make good photos.... but do you think that place could just be demolished ? I once found a really fabulous forest like that in Scotland. I went back a few years later to spend half a day there with the camera but the whole area had been demolished... I was gutted to say the least. Lovely houses in this video of yours.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks David. I would have thought that those "dead trees" may well be there for some time yet. They certainly had an atmospheric feel about them!

[@davidkeel]

ah nice one. That's good.

[@rockyrowe5970]

Hi Dave another great video. I've eaten at the pub at Bank a few times generally out of season as its very popular. You mention a listing of celebrity oaks but when i use Google to search the only thing remotely close is a New Forest Explorers Guide but you need to download software to get it which i don't much like doing as it just forces you to use add-ons. Any suggestion would be appreciated.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Rocky. Chris Read wrote an article called "Ancient New Forest trees" for the Hampshire Field archeology Society in 1999 that lists the main Oaks & Beeches in the Forest (including their grid reference). Try this link: www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1990s/vol54/Read.pdf

[@rockyrowe5970]

@@DaveFord many thanks just what I was looking for.

[@dianehall597]

Hi Dave. I love seeing your walks and have tried to copy some of them, often failing! Would you consider adding the route as a map to your info under the video? I don’t know if you are familiar with Strava as an awesome app to track your route, time, distance etc. Keep walking and sharing ☺️

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Diane. Alas I don't have a smartphone or ipad so unfortunately I do not use apps (!). I try and include of map at the start of the video (freeze the screen & print?) - the early ones were just an aerial google map but more recent ones have been OS maps. I did start & include a written route in the details but it took so long! I will start to include a map as one of the pictures on the post that I do for the walk on my Facebook page - "Dave's Countryside Walks" - (I have done it on this walk today) so that might be a way forward? Thanks for watching.

[@dianehall597]

@@DaveFord No smart phone!!! How do you manage hahaha!! That sounds like a great idea. I will follow you on fb. I was out walking Bank/Gritnam way recently but managed to go off route and end up in deep mud! Thank you for your walks :)