Your+Dog++May+2019

t he New Forest

A dog lover’s

guide to:

BLACKWATER

ARBORETUM

BY DAWN RAYMENT

Start/Finish

Blackwater car park,

between Brockenhurst

and Lyndhurst.

Grid ref: SU 268047.

Distance

Under two miles.

Duration

Under one hour.

The New Forest National Park

website features lots of dog

walks on its site; check them

out at routes.newforestnpa.gov.

uk With its remarkable range

of plants and animals, varied

history and distinctive local

communities, the New Forest

National Park is unique and

a wonderful place to explore

with your dog.

We asked ranger Dawn

to recommend a walk she

particularly enjoyed and

she suggested Blackwater

Arboretum.

Back in Victorian times, it

was fashionable to plant exotic

trees. The Blackwater Arboretum

consists of a beautiful collection

from many diff erent countries.

This area of the New Forest was

selected specifi cally to grow the

American giant redwood and

the Douglas fi r, and contains

two of the tallest trees in the

National Park.

“Blackwater Arboretum is

a great place to walk your dog,”

said Dawn, “taking in spectacular

views of ornamental trees and

some lovely new sculptures. The

trail is easy to follow with

a surface suitable for all abilities.

I love that all people, including

those with assistance dogs, are

able to get into the heart of the

Forest and enjoy it. Although this

is a popular destination, there is

something very calming here

— I think the impressive trees

give it a sense of tranquillity. For

me there is the added bonus that

it’s relatively easy to keep Cooper

clean on the gravel paths!

“From the car park, you’ll

need to start the walk on the

lead, as it requires you to cross

the road. Head up the gravel

path, and this route takes you

straight through the arboretum

on a circular walk.”

You can extend the walk by

continuing out onto forestry

tracks or joining up with the

Tall Trees Trail, although do be

mindful of the road.

Dawn advised: “Many people

assume walking a dog should

be as long and far as possible to

wear their dog out, with plenty

of space for long off -lead runs.

But I make sure that every walk

is about the quality time I spend

with Cooper, and the New Forest

is an ideal place to do it.”

ENJOYING THE

NEW FOREST

WITH YOUR DOG

Dawn Rayment works for

the New Forest National

Park as a people and

wildlife ranger, which she

describes as “the greatest

job in the world”.

“The New Forest is a world

capital for wildlife, with a huge

diversity of rare plants and animals,” she

explained. “The unique landscape is

shaped by the grazing of ponies and cattle

that roam freely and is one of the last

places in southern England to off er

a sense of wilderness and tranquillity.

“It’s a wonderful place to explore

with your dog, whether you like to walk

through woodland trails, along streams

and rivers, over heathland, or down by the

coast; the New Forest has it all.

“My dog, Cooper, loves the days

when he joins me, but it’s

a huge responsibility for

me to make sure he can

enjoy his walks without

harming the precious

and rare wildlife that

we’re working to protect.

“Ground nesting birds

are the toughest challenge

for us. As a spaniel, Cooper

would like nothing better than

to fl ush them out and give chase. But

every time a bird is disturbed, they

waste precious energy, nests become

vulnerable to predation, and many will be

abandoned altogether.

“I do lots of activities to focus his

attention on me and keep him walking on

the main tracks away from the birds.

I always carry a lead so I can pop him on it

whenever I need to.

“There can be ponies or cattle just

about anywhere in the Forest, so it’s

essential he has a good recall and I can

steer him safely around them.

“It’s also important that his bouncy

enthusiasm doesn’t cause issues for other

users, so I don’t allow him to approach

other dogs (especially dogs on leads and

assistance dogs), cyclists, other walkers, or

horse riders.

“I carry a Dicky Bag as products like

these are an easy and hygienic way to

carry his poo bags, until I reach a bin

or return home. Every year ponies die

from ingesting discarded poo bags left

on the Forest, so it’s essential they are

always removed.

“The hard work is all worthwhile though

as Cooper is a great companion and is

the New Forest’s doggy ambassador for

following the New Forest Dog Code. We

call him our ‘bark ranger’.

● For details on enjoying the New

Forest with your dog, visit http://www.

newforestnpa.gov.uk/dogwalking.

The New Forest is a stimulating

environment for dogs.

▼

My favourite walk

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Dawn and Cooper.

Dawn and Cooper at

Blackwater Arboretum.

Images: Copyright New Forest National Park Authority.

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