Walk OF THE WEEK HALE PURLIEU COMMON, NEW FOREST; Going out Staying in Ultimate home comforts PAGE 39; Making the most of your free time V Fat Friends: The Musical.

This figure of eight walk crosses streams and takes in great views across the valleys and mires. Difficulty: Moderate Length: 60-90 minutes / 3 miles

1 Head north-east on to the common from the National Trust car park. Pick up a gravel path through the gorse bushes and head downhill. Keep right.

2 Reach the valley bottom, cross over the stream and continue uphill towards a patch of woodland.

3 When the ground levels, you reach a crossroads. Go straight on and follow a path that hugs the edge of the purlieu, eventually passing under powerlines.

4 You will meet another crossroads with a gravel cairn. Again, carry straight on, ignoring another crossroads soon afterwards. Before you reach the northern edge of the purlieu, marked by a thick treeline, you will meet a third crossroads. Turn left to hug the common.

5 The ground will flatten out. Turn left when you reach the edge of the common. Keep left as the path seems to fork, heading south into the middle of the common, downhill to a ford.

6 Cross the ford. Go straight uphill towards a distant clump of trees as the ground levels out. Head under the powerlines once more.

7 You have been here before - this marks the centre of the figure of eight. Carry straight on at the crossroads, heading south, keeping right as you hug the edge of the common.

8 Cross over the ford at the bottom of the valley and head back uphill. Bear right back up towards the car park to finish the walk.

Map at nationaltrust.org.uk