. 
Thursday 19th April 2001
Weather: Sunny spells but cold with snow flurries
Today's walk: Dalby Forest
(10 miles)
.
Dalby Forest lies in the south-eastern corner of the
North York Moors National Park in an area once covered
by the long gone Royal Hunting Forest of Pickering.
Dalby Forest has
now become a popular place for all the family as well as
providing a varied wildlife habitat
and producing valuable timber - it is one of the first areas in
our National Park to ease walking and access restrictions
since the start of the current Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic
although we still had to 'dip our feet' in disinfectant
Today's walk begins at the Dalby Forest Visitor's Centre (Grid Ref: 858 874)
. 
A couple wood engravings remind us of what the forest enterprise is all about
We follow the road south from the Visitor's Centre passing the few houses of Low Dalby village
. 
The road soon becomes a forest track where we come across these recently felled, long, colourful and attractive tree trunks
Nearby are signs of
a bygone industry - I'm afraid at this moment I know nothing
about it - do you?
- perhaps it is the bricked-up entrance to a drift mine
I suspect this pond close by was once a reservoir associated with the industry
There are still severe restrictions anywhere near farmland . . .
. . . but fortunately, there are few farms in Dalby Forest and so we were able to wander fairly freely
After the frustration of the past few weeks we were just glad to be able to enjoy the fresh air and the peace and quiet
The freshly cut pine logs smelt lovely
. 
Just past this
look-out tower we joined part of the 9 miles of Forest Drive
(small toll charge) which normally provides
easy access to picnic places, play equipment, walking and cycle
trails and other facilities
. 
Can't go left here, but it's OK right
. 
The Jubilee Plantation sign . . . and after 32 years of growth
The one advantage of today's walk - Luke was never short of a stick to fetch . . .
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