I switched down to first gear as I trundled the uneven, pot-hole ridden woodland track to the car-park, which even at 8.30am was starting to get full. I took the above photo for the blog, and set-off down a long track through the heart of the woods. I’ve seen lots of animals here before, including a heard of deer, and a swooping owl, but today I saw birds and butterflies.
I wasn’t sure if I was still on the main track, as I knew from maps that I’d seen before that it should continue straight, yet the woods were clearly behind me as I strode along a field edge into a second area of woodland. I was about to turn around, when I found a crude map with a red arrow to tell me where I was, and using the photo I’d taken earlier, was able to cross-check and confirm where I was.
I decided to turn down a smaller track and followed it past a few horse riders. I wanted to stay aware of where I was so I could turn around if need be, but when I reached the end of the track, I turned left into thick woodland and tried to navigate myself back around in a loop to where I’d come from. The crude map wasn’t much help as I kept coming across paths that weren’t shown, and each time I past one I had to remember the route back. “Straight over cross-roads, left at the big tree, follow it round to the main track.” It was a little scary, yet had my adrenaline going; a true adventure!
I saw a clearing through thick trees, and ventured off the path to have a look. I was overlooking the field I’d passed earlier, and knew that if I kept going left I would eventually find the path. I set-off, and after a few moments of wondering if I could even remember the route if I had to turn around, I was back at a familiar bench with a dried banana skin (a unique thing to help me remember!).
Most people would be content with having completed a small circuit and be heading back on the path that they knew for sure led back to their car, but not me. I came across a path on the left that my crude map (which I was checking on my camera) indicated would, after a few twists and turns, lead me back. I followed it into true woodland, where nothing but a small slip of light peeked through the still leaves. I hit a road, so turned around and found the footpath I was looking for; a narrow path through thicker woods. I knelt down to get some shots of the moss and a few close-ups, confident I was heading the right way.
Until my straight path became a cross-roads, and I had to guess, taking a path that hit one of the main tracks sooner than I would’ve imagined. I figured I must have gone wrong, and had no way of telling for sure which part of the woods I was in. I made a guess and followed a route, which luckily led me back to an area I recognised, but I could just have easily have taken the wrong path
I took a small track into Geoff’s Copse and found a bench with a stone monument set behind it in a clearing of grass, both dedicated to Geoff Parfitt, a forester and countryman. It was quite magical, with butterflies dotted around it; if a sword had been poking out of it I would’ve have accepted I was in a fairy-tale. I continued, stopping to take a few photos of the butterflies, when I saw the edge of a car-park and hoped it was where I had parked.
When I caught sight of my car, I realised what a different walk this had been. Of course, it’s a good idea to have a map and know your route, especially when walking on your own, but perhaps in small, enclosed spaces, it’s okay to rely on more basic maps and crude navigation. It certainly adds to the fun, allowing you to make random discoveries, which is very satisfying when you reach the end.
Bentley Wood is located between the villages of Pitton and Farley, Wiltshire, with the car park I used today off Scout's Lane, 51.060993, -1.633190.
You can read more about upcoming events in Bentley Wood on the Pitton and Farley website.
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