Border patrol DISTANCE: 9 miles MAP: OS Landranger 184, Salisbury & The Plain   START: In the Nature Reserve car park at Garston Wood at 003194. The car park is on the minor road which connects Sixpenny Handley to Bowerchalke and is frequently busy during the weekends especially when volunteers gather to work in the woods to maintain its standing as a fine nature reserve for all to enjoy. A map showing the start point is available here.   THE WALK: Leaving the car park, pass through the gate opposite the road entrance to enter the nature reserve and proceed westwards uphill. The path leads you through the woods to exit via a gate at its west side. Cross the field beyond on the path that fortunately remains unploughed and starts to descend on the left side of the field. When the path meets two fields, enter the left-hand one and continue downhill next to the hedge on the right. Pass through the gate at the bottom of the slope and emerge onto a track and continue down to a minor lane.   Turn right and follow the lane until you reach its end where you continue ahead and very slightly left along the track before you. Now in Wiltshire, follow this shaded track through the valley until you reach a gateway about a mile or so later. Pass through the left-hand gate and follow the track uphill, quite steeply in places, but affording fine views to the left and right. Eventually the track reaches the top of the hill next to a large barn which was being renovated as we passed it.   Turn right onto the Ox Drove to walk eastwards with views to the left towards Alvediston and Ebbesbourne Wake in the Ebble valley below. Continue ahead when you join a road and follow this to a T-junction. Again, continue ahead, now along a deeply rutted track, very popular for four-wheel drive users. (We saw about twenty during our walk, all taking part in a local organised tournament, but still nevertheless made the going a bit difficult in the wet conditions). After a mile or so along this track, emerge onto a minor road.   Turn right along the road until it soon veers round a right-hand bend at which you turn left along a track into woods. After 50 yards, turn right along a way marked path and cross the border back into Dorset. The path leads you gently down through the woods to emerge over a stile into a field. Bear left and walk down the left-hand side to reach a gate which you pass through to take the track beyond. After a while, you your path ends, pass through a way marked gate on the left and walk along the right-hand edge of the field to pass through two gates onto a minor lane.   Cross the road, turn right and very soon pass through a gate on the left into a field. Continue down its left-hand side to reach the buildings of West Woodyates Manor. Veer slightly right to continue in the same direction passing the cottages on the left as you ascend slightly and continue along a track. Pass very high deer fencing on the right and as the track passes a narrow band of woodland, turn right just beyond. Walk up the right-hand side of the field with the woodland band on your right until your path leads you down to reach a minor lane. Turn left and continue the short distance back to your car. Home / Salisbury & Wessex / New Forest / Guestbook / Links / Your page / Other Interests