Brockenhurst is the New Forest setting for Don Challenor and Blake’s visit to Furzelands, Holly Walsh’s home. Its modern suburban edge contrasts with the picturesque country-cottage image Blake had expected, while the surrounding heathland provides the landscape for the pair’s appointment with Anna Marchant.

Setting and arrival

The journey into the New Forest unfolds on busy roads shared by cars towing caravans and horseboxes. On a warm, sunny Sunday, the woods are in full leaf, the heathland is purple with heather, and ponies and cattle wander among picnickers and hikers. The landscape feels softer and sleeker than Cornwall, marking a distinct change of setting before Don Challenor and Blake reach Brockenhurst.

Furzelands and the meeting

Furzelands is not the thatched, flower-framed cottage Blake imagines: it is a modern bungalow in a cul-de-sac of similar homes on the outskirts of Brockenhurst. Its large garden and abundant flowers are carefully maintained. The house becomes the setting for Blake and Don’s meeting with Anna Marchant, Holly Walsh’s partner and carer. Anna greets them with friendly words, though Blake senses a brittleness and wonders whether she fears that their visit might upset Holly or stir up trouble.

The surrounding heathland also frames the appointment’s next meeting. Don and Blake arrive early at a nearly full parking area popular with walkers and dog owners. Anna arrives in a mint-green Fiat, allowing the conversation with Holly’s partner to continue away from the house. Brockenhurst thus serves both as the homeward destination of their journey and as the backdrop to an encounter shaped by Blake’s uncertainty about the welcome they will receive.