Bojingles
Well-Known Member
Bit of a long shot, but can anyone tell me how to get to any canter tracks. I know they're there somewhere but each time I explore on foot I end up on rocks or in mud. Any help much appreciated!
Primrose Wood Kelsall
- Thread starter Bojingles
- Start date
DressageCob
Well-Known Member
To be honest, most of the canter tracks have eroded, subsided or become overgrown.
I'll do my best to give some directions to some ok ones.
Starting from the car park
- down the main track into the forest. At the bottom of the hill there's a track left (too stoney), the main track right and a track straight ahead. The track straight ahead is a nice canter, but really you can only go up and turn around these days.
- Continuing right along the main track, you go down the hill and on the left is Urchin's kitchen. The track on your right is a nice little canter. At the top of it you can either go right, through the trees and back to the car park, or left. Left is stony in places but perfectly passable. If you continue along there you will see a sandy track on your left. If you go down there it takes you back to the main track. If you continue on a little further there's another little track left. It's narrow but a cool Narnia-like track. Not suitable for 16hh+
- Back on the main track again. If you don't take that track head along the main track. You will get to a junction. On the left is a turning to Kelsall Hill EC (accessible through the gate the forest btw, if you want to double up your outing). On the right is the sandy track I mentioned in the paragraph above. That track is nice once you get beyond the boulders at the bottom. At the top you can go left to Narnia or right towards the car park.
- If you don't go down towards Kelsall Hill you can continue along the main track. It goes up a slight hill and then back down again. Once you are down the hill you will see a wire fence on your right with young trees behind it. There's a little cut through in the verge to get you onto a track by the fence. If you turn left as you do onto the track, so heading back the way you came but on the sand, then turn left when you get to the corner of the fence, ahead is where the Narnia track comes out. Follow the fence around, so you do 3 sides of the square. When you get to the fourth side that's a nice canter.
- Once you've done that canter, turn right up the hill. When you get to the top of the hill follow the fence line briefly, but as soon as you can go to the track to the left of the fence track. That's a nice canter up the hill, with a field on your left and the trees on your right. It's a bit muddy at the top, but not deep. There may be some brambles, but they are dying back again now. Once you're at the top there will be fields in front of you. Turn left. Follow the fence along. There are a few tracks left, but the one you want is just before a giant hole. Turn left on the track before the hole and you'll be back on the main track. If you turn right you will leave the forest.
-Let's pretend you didn't do that route and you're back on the main track, having gone down the hill having not taken the turning to Kelsall. Follow the main track along and you'll get to another concrete track on your left. If you go down there you'll get to the Kelsall Hill gate again. There is a nice wide verge on the left which you can canter up. It's a soil/leaf verge rather than grass so it's not great if there's been lots of rain but definitely canter-able at the moment. At the top right takes you to the car park, left is back the way you came, and straight on is the sandy track with the boulders.
- If you don't take that track to Kelsall and keep following the main track, it goes down the hill and round some bends. There are a few tracks on the right which used to be good for a canter but are a bit rutted these days. The one which looks passable isn't- there's a fallen tree at the top. But you can turn around if you want to.
- When you've followed the main track it has a sharp bend back on itself. In the summer there is a nice verge to canter up there.
- at the top of that hill is a cross roads. Left is a nice canter, or walk down and canter back. There is a right turn, which is passable but quite rutted and down hill. Right is a little canter with a nice fallen log jump, but there is a second log quite close which can be jumped as a bounce but isn't for the faint hearted. If you do the jump, follow the track along and with some fancy footwork around a couple of fallen trees you will end up back at the canter I mentioned before, with the field on the left and the trees on the right. Or you can go straight on down the main track.
- Going down the main track you will get to a right hand bend where to the right is a metal gate. To the left there is a dirt track. In the summer that is a nice canter. Unfortunately the forestry commission has churned it up a bit but it is passable. If you take the rutted track I mentioned before and turn right you can canter up this dirt track.
- Continuing on the main track past the metal gate you have a few uphill tracks through the trees on your right. The first is passable, but with a fallen tree to jump. The second is no good. The third is passable. I have cantered it recently. At the top of the tracks turn right. Follow the track along with the fence on your left and when you get to the gate/slip rails for the next field turn right. Pick your way through the mud and you'll get to the canter track I mentioned before with the trees and the field, this time field on your right and trees on your left. At the bottom of that track turn left, through the trees and you're back on the main track. Turn left to go back to the car park.
- If you don't take those tracks, you're stuck with the main track which will take you up to the road at the Utkinton end. Just before the right hand bend there is a track on the left which was a lovely canter, but is very overgrown now. It will be good if it gets trimmed back again.
And there ends our tour
I'll do my best to give some directions to some ok ones.
Starting from the car park
- down the main track into the forest. At the bottom of the hill there's a track left (too stoney), the main track right and a track straight ahead. The track straight ahead is a nice canter, but really you can only go up and turn around these days.
- Continuing right along the main track, you go down the hill and on the left is Urchin's kitchen. The track on your right is a nice little canter. At the top of it you can either go right, through the trees and back to the car park, or left. Left is stony in places but perfectly passable. If you continue along there you will see a sandy track on your left. If you go down there it takes you back to the main track. If you continue on a little further there's another little track left. It's narrow but a cool Narnia-like track. Not suitable for 16hh+
- Back on the main track again. If you don't take that track head along the main track. You will get to a junction. On the left is a turning to Kelsall Hill EC (accessible through the gate the forest btw, if you want to double up your outing). On the right is the sandy track I mentioned in the paragraph above. That track is nice once you get beyond the boulders at the bottom. At the top you can go left to Narnia or right towards the car park.
- If you don't go down towards Kelsall Hill you can continue along the main track. It goes up a slight hill and then back down again. Once you are down the hill you will see a wire fence on your right with young trees behind it. There's a little cut through in the verge to get you onto a track by the fence. If you turn left as you do onto the track, so heading back the way you came but on the sand, then turn left when you get to the corner of the fence, ahead is where the Narnia track comes out. Follow the fence around, so you do 3 sides of the square. When you get to the fourth side that's a nice canter.
- Once you've done that canter, turn right up the hill. When you get to the top of the hill follow the fence line briefly, but as soon as you can go to the track to the left of the fence track. That's a nice canter up the hill, with a field on your left and the trees on your right. It's a bit muddy at the top, but not deep. There may be some brambles, but they are dying back again now. Once you're at the top there will be fields in front of you. Turn left. Follow the fence along. There are a few tracks left, but the one you want is just before a giant hole. Turn left on the track before the hole and you'll be back on the main track. If you turn right you will leave the forest.
-Let's pretend you didn't do that route and you're back on the main track, having gone down the hill having not taken the turning to Kelsall. Follow the main track along and you'll get to another concrete track on your left. If you go down there you'll get to the Kelsall Hill gate again. There is a nice wide verge on the left which you can canter up. It's a soil/leaf verge rather than grass so it's not great if there's been lots of rain but definitely canter-able at the moment. At the top right takes you to the car park, left is back the way you came, and straight on is the sandy track with the boulders.
- If you don't take that track to Kelsall and keep following the main track, it goes down the hill and round some bends. There are a few tracks on the right which used to be good for a canter but are a bit rutted these days. The one which looks passable isn't- there's a fallen tree at the top. But you can turn around if you want to.
- When you've followed the main track it has a sharp bend back on itself. In the summer there is a nice verge to canter up there.
- at the top of that hill is a cross roads. Left is a nice canter, or walk down and canter back. There is a right turn, which is passable but quite rutted and down hill. Right is a little canter with a nice fallen log jump, but there is a second log quite close which can be jumped as a bounce but isn't for the faint hearted. If you do the jump, follow the track along and with some fancy footwork around a couple of fallen trees you will end up back at the canter I mentioned before, with the field on the left and the trees on the right. Or you can go straight on down the main track.
- Going down the main track you will get to a right hand bend where to the right is a metal gate. To the left there is a dirt track. In the summer that is a nice canter. Unfortunately the forestry commission has churned it up a bit but it is passable. If you take the rutted track I mentioned before and turn right you can canter up this dirt track.
- Continuing on the main track past the metal gate you have a few uphill tracks through the trees on your right. The first is passable, but with a fallen tree to jump. The second is no good. The third is passable. I have cantered it recently. At the top of the tracks turn right. Follow the track along with the fence on your left and when you get to the gate/slip rails for the next field turn right. Pick your way through the mud and you'll get to the canter track I mentioned before with the trees and the field, this time field on your right and trees on your left. At the bottom of that track turn left, through the trees and you're back on the main track. Turn left to go back to the car park.
- If you don't take those tracks, you're stuck with the main track which will take you up to the road at the Utkinton end. Just before the right hand bend there is a track on the left which was a lovely canter, but is very overgrown now. It will be good if it gets trimmed back again.
And there ends our tour
Bojingles
Well-Known Member
Oh wow, thank you so much for your reply Dressage Cob! I'd stopped checking the thread as I hadn't had any replies. I really appreciate the time you've taken, thank you. I'll explore tomorrow with the dogs and then load the pony up. Thanks