RICHARD WILLIAMSON Country Walk...Rake Hanger

Here is an unusual walk with glimpses of emus and wild boars, tall pine trees and one of the finest sessile oak forests in southern England.

Small sunken car park south side of minor road between Rogate and Liss at SU791260.

Walk left, NW, out of car park then soon right down road for 350m into deep gulley of sand to gate right, into FC plantations.

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Recently cleared and replanted, the hillside will be habitat for woodlark and nightjar perhaps this summer. In any case, good place for redpolls and siskins as you come to the tall pines.

A mountain bike track to left under the Douglas pines. These trees are identifiable by the triple, trident bracts on cones.

After one km turn left on to public road for 30m then sharp right back into wood on Serpent Trail.

Going downhill you will pass a thick young larch plantation then at bottom leave the Serpent Trail and turn left (no arrows) passing a large multi-stemmed beech and a tiny pond with dense clumps of tufted hair grass and soft rush around its margins.

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Soon reach the crossroads so take the northern route sign-posted to Rake and Liphook. Note wildlife verge on left of road.

At Brick Kiln Copse Farm on left you should pass a pen of wild boars and also some emus which will probably view you with interest.

Geese cackle in the distance, too.

Opposite Beech Lodge on right, look for hard rush in meadows to left.

Climbing up the road past sign for ‘Coloured Ponds’ look for stile in hedge on yellow arrow to left. This path is a bit boggy and passes these five ponds. Note large wooden carp carving and nest boxes for mandarin and wood ducks.

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Your path continues straight across a field with newly planted hedge of native species.

At horse paddocks ignore the stile in the fence but keep a little left through a metal gate into Rake Hanger wood.

Turn left onto Serpent Trail along bottom slope of Rake Hanger, passing old English Nature (now Natural England) sign.

Sessile oaks have longer leaf stalks, shorter acorn cup stalks than the commoner oaks. They normally grow on more acid soils.

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This wood contains a few old trees but most have been coppiced about 80 years ago.

I saw tree creepers, coal tits, great spotted woodpeckers and redpolls. There might be marsh and willow tits in alders along bottom of slope.

In the past the two rarities here were pied flycatchers and redstarts, which bred in the holes in the old oaks. Possibility now so keep those eyes and ears open for the songs.

The ground flora apart from bracken has quite a lot of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtilis).

On reaching the road, turn right back to the Alvis and to my amazement at least, yet another Morris Traveller looking for its old chum which is now in new ownership.

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