The Southwood Estate Coast to Coast walk

Today we spent the morning flying kites, playing beach cricket and swimming at the beach before a brief but heavy rain shower meant we beat a wet but hasty retreat back to our cottage.

Later on my parents, me and P went on a walk round a  a 2.5 mile circular route between Maidenhall car park and Pinch Hill, Newgale. We started from Maidenhall car park (Ordnance Survey Landranger 157 map, SM 857 202), crossed over the road and turned left through the field gate, following the edge of the field where crops where growing.

Then we ccontinued through the metal inset gate and along the edge of the next field, following the way markers. We found a wooden hand gate at the bottom of the field which we passed and followed the edge of the lower field round to the left.

Then we went through a wooden hand gate in the fence descending down the bank of bracken to reach a perfect pooh-stick bridge across the stream at the bottom.  

We followed the way markers up a field and then down before entering the woodland and crossing a stream.  Beside the stream crossing was a magnificent ash tree, coated with moss, ferns and lichens.  

 We continued to follow the waymarkers across the field beyond the woodland, we crossed a third stream  before climbing to a marshy area to reach a metal inset gate in the field boundary. The path then became a fenced corridor where we saw a mouse.

Then we came to a small quarry site and followed the path north, to the right, descending the coastal slope to walk up the beach (and play in the surf!).

We then walked along the road home (although you could follow the coastal path).