New Forest

 We had our first trip away since lockdown restrictions have eased, our Cotswolds trip went for a burton two months ago so we were really pleased we could do this alternative trip. The weather has been hot. Stiflingly hot, until a couple of days ago of course! Now its a usual wet August, normal Cropredy Festival weather in fact, though of course that too was cancelled this year. 

As it happens the weather was ok driving down. Didn't stop and arrived in two hours so pretty good to be honest. Couldn't get into our Airbnb until 3pm so decided to have lunch at the local pub in Redlynch, the Kings Head. A restricted menu but plenty there though sadly no Sunday Roast. Ah well!

After a good feed and a walk we got into our accommodation. Its an annex to a farm house. Not very big but big enough, enclosed garden for Ida and on the very northern edge of the New Forest. In fact we're about eight miles from Salisbury. I took Ida for a walk a little later down into a village called Lover and back. Very peaceful and relaxing . Just what we need. 

A visit to our ancestral homes of Shaftesbury and Fontmell Magna on our first full day here and a very nice cream tea at the top of Gold Hill. Visited Mum & Dad's grave as well. After all this time I still feel very sombre after a visit. Maybe I always will. Depending on which date you go by (16th or 18th August) was my Mum's Birthday, she would have been 91.  

We went onto Fontmell Magna where some of Tara's ancestors  are from and found the cottage where her Grt Grt Grandmother grew up (Plum Cottage) to be up for sale!  (£320k no less!). Then we went on to a church near Hambleton Hill. It's an Iron Age Hill Fort that I was going to walk with Ida but it would have taken hours and though Tara had said go I didn't really feel right leaving her just sat in the car so instead we went to St Marys Church, Shroton that has an interesting connection with Hambleton Hill.

During the English Civil War a group of locals from the Wessex area got fed up with being pulled from pillar to post by either Parliamentary or Royalist forces as they came and went , so much so they formed the Dorset Clubmen (there was others, it wasn't just Dorset) to more govern themselves. Lord Fairfax got to hear of several thousand Clubmen meeting and sent Oliver Cromwell with a 1000 Dragoons to sort it out. Which he did after first capturing some of the ringleaders in Shaftesbury. The New Model Army was no match for  farmers, labourers and others so he soon had the upper hand. He imprisoned around 300 of them in St Marys overnight and next morning gave them a lecture on the error of their ways and sent them home. The church itself was rebuilt like so many others in Victorian times so the only remains from the 17th Century is the screens which is what I think I've photo'd!     

17th Century screens

Took Ida for a walk on the heathland of the New Forest. We were near a WW2 bombing range that Paul & Kate told us about so I wanted to have a look at it. I didn't find the concrete markers but I did find one or two bomb craters now just deep holes, ponds when there's been enough rain! Many types of ordnance was tested here including the RAF's earthquake bombs the  Tallboy and Grand Slam. At one time there was a mock up ship and various  walls to test  the destruction of these bombs. Barnes Wallis himself witnessed tests of the 'Highball' bouncing bomb, a smaller version of the 'Upkeep' bouncing bomb used on the Rhur Dams though 'Highball' was never used. It was nonetheless an interesting walk only spoilt by the fact the heavens opened and I got soaked to the skin!   

      

We went to Old Sarum Castle which was interesting. It started as an Iron Age Hill Fort before being made into a stone castle by the Normans. Next to it is the foot print of the original Salisbury Cathedral. Also went to Romsey though too late for the market. I looked round Romsey Abbey (couldn't take Ida in so T stayed outside with her). Stood in front of the tomb of Earl Mountbatten of Burma assassinated in 1979. Funnily enough I'd stood there 41 years before, the day after Mountbatten was buried there (5th Sept 1979). My family & I had watched his Ceremonial Funeral Procession in The Mall. What a grand yet sombre event it was. His coffin on a Gun Carriage drawn by 112 sailors. Mountbatten was quoted as saying the finest fighting troops also had the best ceremonial drill. In that case the Gurkhas, Royal Marines, Life Guards and many others did not let him down. Infact he'd  apparently written his own funeral years before! It was a spectacular procession to watch, all the more so as it was such a rarity as Royals don't  snuff it that often! When the Scots Guards officer near us shouted the order  'Rest on your arms reversed' to the troops lining the route there was a palpable thrill though the crowds. I have always liked a parade, I love the history and tradition of it, but most ceremonies  have lost their means over the years. Trooping the Colour for instance, at one time all the troops would have needed to know what their Colour looked like to use as a rallying point in battle. Changing the Guard is just for show but a funeral is something that's real & more pertinent particularly as Mountbatten was murdered. I'm actually no supporter of the Royal Family but murder is wrong whatever your opinion. It was however a splendid but solemn occasion that I have remembered down the years.  

Wednesday a complete wash out! Re booked Hurst castle for Friday and spent the rest of the day trying to   avoid the rain. Bugger! However a first class meal (our third) at The Kings Head (only a two minute walks from where we're staying)brightened the whole day considerably.      

  

  Thursday weather was much better. Ida and I went on a walk starting from where we are staying. My route went a little astray. Should have gone over the path near the bombing range I went to earlier on but somehow went in a semi circle! I was looking for a car park and sure enough there was one, only when we got closer did I recognise it from parking there yesterday! Bugger! Anyway a slight change of route and ended up back on track. Heathland is a bit boring to walk I prefer woods. Walked through a lovely one called Franchises Wood. Part is now an RSPB reserve and partly off limits, though the path we were on was quite beautiful. On we went, stopping part way for lunch. Took a few treats for Ida but she inevitably  got a small piece of my pork pie!! We stopped just off the path. We'd not seen anyone in the wood so I was surprised that a couple of cyclists and a farm truck thing passed us in the twenty minutes or so that we'd stopped! That aside it was a perfect spot.  Didn't see anything in they way of nature  but heard a raptor of some kind and saw some dragonflies that are always fascinating to watch.

Lunch finished we plodded on leaving the forest and going onto quiet lanes. Not sure how old my OS map is but it had a pub marked in the village of Lover which I thought we may avail ourselves of.......except now its a private house. Bugger! Our walk was nearly done, we were both knackered but happy. 9.2 miles in about 4 hours walking at 2.2 miles an hour which seemed pretty good! There was a book the boys liked when they were little about a girl who liked the colour red. She said it made her heart sing. I think that it's a great way to describe  our walk today. It made my heart sing.      

We went to Hurst Castle today, originally a Henrician fort it was added to by  the ever industrious Victorians and was used for coastal defence during World War Two. Surprisingly it never fired its guns in anger so well defended was this area.

It's a great trip to get to the castle. It involves either a two mile walk along a shingle spit or a ferry across the estuary to the castle. We chose the latter  which was a bit of fun, quite choppy though, especially on the trip out as we had the tail end of Hurricane Elenore  blowing and gusting away.   In alot of ways we have visited similar forts and they do of course have the same things. Safety procedures from when they used gunpowder for instance  so as not to make any sparks, so you can get a feel for the layout. No audio tours of course, Tara looked to see whether there was any thing to download to a phone but there wasn't. This fort also had a lighthouse so there was exhibitions and artefacts about that as well. The wind was really whipping up the sea and we could watch great rollers crashing onto the shore of the Isle of Wight, could also see the Needles from here as well.  Though to be honest the sea was actually being blown over the fort, thought it was raining a couple of times!  I'd really recommend a visit here, with the ferry as well it makes the trip abit different. Once we headed back we both felt pretty knackered to be honest so stopped off for pizzas etc and ate in. Tomorrow is our last full day sadly so no doubt we'll eat out then. 

Went to Old Wardour Castle, inbetween the showers!  It was getting quite crowded so I decided to walk Ida first as in the castle its lead walks only. Had a lovely walk all round the perimeter grounds of the castle. When we got back to the car park it as even busier so decided not to go in but drove on to  Donhead St Marys, another village where my ancestors are from.  My Great Grandfather George Morgan was born there in 1859, though my ancestors from the Brockway family would appear to go back to late 16th Century. Unfortunately the church was locked so we walked round the graveyard. I found one Brockway but  not sure whether she's from my line. It has enthused me (and Tara) to get back onto the family tree research, you soon forget links etc if you don't keep doing it!

Pottered about for the rest of the day and had a very good meal in the Wooden Spoon at nearby Downton. Five Bean Chilli for Tara & Belly Pork for me. Delicious. So ends our last day. We've had a great time. It was a real tonic just to get away from it all.