A Great Week In The South Of England

Already late with another post!  I just don’t know where the time goes.  I certainly haven’t got time to work at this rate.  I have already written about 1800 words into the captions (well I did copy/paste some of it) so I will try to keep the rest brief.  So here is a quick rundown.

On Monday  I went for a photo walk along the Solent River.  After watching for a while and taking some photos of birds near the town slipway I got talking to a guy who was feeding swans and ducks.  One thing led to another and next thing I am back at his house for a coffee.  Only just behind the apartments along the river he showed me his amazing third of an acre garden full of fruit trees, berries, veges of all sorts.  We ended up having dinner with Marc and Lesley later in the week.

Tuesday was a quiet day –  windy, cold, overcast with spots of rain in the morning.  The news warned of heavy rain and road problems in this area so we cancelled our plans to go up in to the New Forest.  We wandered up to the high street and found the 99p store . Our car has not been washed for nine months so I bought a bottle of car wash and wax – I am hoping it works as well as the WD-40 did for the indicators and that the car gets clean without me even opening the bottle.  It hasn’t worked yet but that could be because it is in the house and not in the car like the WD-40 was.  I’ll move it soon.   The brand name is ‘Astonish’ so my hopes are high that some morning when I walk outside the car will be shiny and clean.

It was raining again on Wednesday morning but it did clear in the afternoon to we took advantage and went for a walk even though it was very windy.

Thursday was an epic day out and good weather.  We took the road through the New Forest and spent the day in Salisbury.  Once again we used the park and ride and found this service to be excellent – £3.50 for the day including the bus to and from town for both of us.  You can’t buy much parking in these old towns for that money.  In the evening we met Ray and Kathy at the East End Inn for dinner which is about 5km from the Sail Loft.  they are just starting their holiday over here and we shared some notes.

Friday was another big day with good weather – we left the Sail Loft about 09h00 and didn’t get back till 21h45.  In that time we went to Old Sarum, Stockbridge, Silbury Hill, Avebury Henge, West Kennet Long Barrow, Lacock and Stonehenge.  Makes me tired thinking about it again!

Saturday is market day in Lymington so we had a wander and a coffee before heading out for a drive around the local area.  We ended up at Keyhaven late in the day and walked out to Hurst Castle.

We started a bit later on Sunday and visited Mottisfont, near Romsey.  After that we swung home via Southampton.

So it was a busy week and we are now in recharge mode – the weather is a bit dodgy today anyway.  Now on with the photos…

The Ship Inn beside the slipway in Lymington. A nice place for a pint and a meal.

Some children were feeding them and this guy was doing a helicopter impression waiting for the next throw. This is one of a sequence of seven shots. BTW, these gulls are the standard issue around here, more or less the same as the NZ gull except for the chocolate brown (black) head. Hence their name ‘black-headed gull’.

This is ‘The Cobbles’ in Lymington. At the end and left is The Sail Loft; at the end to the right is Town Quay.

My 99p car wash and wax.

After a few days of inclement weather we had to go for a walk. In the other direction, this path led out of town and along the sea wall around the salt marshes.

The ferry company plying the route to Isle of Wight has three vessels. They have awfully corny names – Wight Sun, Wight Sky and Wight Light.

The view from the top balcony of the Sail Loft across the boat yard and to the Solent.

Leanne was showing off her new iPhone cover – and taking photos.

Roof in the process of being re-thatched. Most of them seem to have chicken wire over them as can just be seen on the old face to the left.

I saw them running towards the road as we drove through The New Forest so I pulled over just in time to see them pause and check for cars (seriously, they did!) and then cross the road, posing for this shot on the way.

It is that time of year – foals everywhere. Plenty of gorse too!

Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, and is considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body was completed in only 38 years, from 1220 to 1258. The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close in Britain (80 acres (32ha)). The cathedral contains the world’s oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has the best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Cathedral#Chapter_house_and_the_Magna_Carta

For a cathedral it is quite light inside and definitely on the big side.

This water feature is right in the centre of the main aisle.

The Salisbury Cathedral clock is a large iron-framed clock without a dial located in the aisle of Salisbury Cathedral. Supposedly dating from about 1386, it is claimed to be the oldest working clock in the world. The clock has no face because all clocks of that date rang out the hours on a bell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_cathedral_clock

One of four surviving copies of the 1215 Magna Carta. This copy is one of two held at the British Library. It came from the collection of Sir Robert Cotton, who died in 1631. In 1731, a fire at Ashburnam House in Westminster, where his library was then housed, destroyed or damaged many of the rare manuscripts, which is why this copy is burnt. The copy we saw in the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral was firstly in portrait format and secondly was in much better condition with finer, tidier writing than this version.

The close around Salisbury Cathedral is about 80 acres (32Ha) and includes a perimeter of houses.

A little cluttered with modern junk but this is one of the four gates to The Close surrounding Salisbury Cathedral.

Crane Bridge was built at the end of the 15th century and has been extended since its original construction but retains most of its original features

It is always a pleasant challenge to find an old pub and then sample the ale on tap. To quote from the plaque outside…”Known in 1756 as the Red Lion and Cross Keys, the inn was famous for a regular daily stage coach service. It is a fine example of an 18th century coaching inn with the high arch and spacious courtyard. The southern medieval wing was built between 1280-1320 as a hostel for draughtsmen constructing the cathedral.”

I don’t know anything about this building in Salisbury but it looked the part!

The market square is flanked by some very nice buildings.

The modern bridge across the ancient defensive ditch leading to Old Sarum. William The Conqueror erected a fort and palace here also but there are only foundations remaining.

Old Sarum was the precursor to Salisbury, the site being occupied from 300BC until early in the 13th century. It was eventually abandoned due to a lack of space. The former cathedral was partially demolished by a storm soon after it was built in the 1090s. Some storm!

Salisbury seen from Old Sarum.

A field of Rapeseed (Brassica napus) in flower. Apparently 80% of the EU crop is used for bio-diesel. The solid byproduct becomes a protein rich cattle feed.

Stockbridge was a lunch stop town that was recommended to us. It sits on the River Test and has trout stocked streams crossing the high street. And this couple on a horse-drawn carriage.

Silbury Hill is a man-made hill from the neolithic period. From Wikipedia, “Composed mainly of chalk and clay excavated from the surrounding area, the mound stands 40 metres (131 ft) high and covers about 5 acres (2 ha). It is a display of immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources. Archaeologists calculate that Silbury Hill was built about 4,750 years ago and that it took 18 million man-hours, or 500 men working for 15 years (Atkinson 1974:128) to deposit and shape 248,000 cubic metres (324,000 cu yd) of earth and fill on top of a natural hill.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silbury_Hill

The main reason for visiting Avebury was to see the henge but this National Trust house was in the village.

Walled gardens attached to the house.

This is an unusual NT property. It was renovated by the BBC as part of a documentary. Each room is in a different period style and visitors are encouraged to try the beds, sit on chairs & couches and handle the paraphernalia in the kitchen.

There was some heavy duty topiary in the grounds.

The Avebury stone circles.

The village church at Avebury.

Do I need a reason?

Still in the vicinity of Avebury Henge and Silbury Hill is the West Kennet Long Barrow. The path leads up through a farmer’s crop to the top of the ridge. The barrow is just over the summit.

Looking back to Silbury Hill from the track up to the West Kennet Long Barrow.

At the front approach to the West Kennet Long Barrow. The construction of the West Kennet Long Barrow commenced about 3600 BC, which is some 400 years before the first stage of Stonehenge, and it was in use until around 2500 BC. The mound has been damaged by indiscriminate digging, but archaeological excavations in 1859 and 1955-56 found at least 46 burials, ranging from babies to elderly persons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Kennet_Long_Barrow

The large stones are 2m high and were used to close the entrance.

Looking in from behind the entrance stones. It has two pairs of opposing transept chambers and a single terminal chamber used for burial. The stone burial chambers are located at one end of one of the longest barrows in Britain at 100 m: in total it is estimated that 15,700 man-hours were expended in its construction.

And looking out again.

View towards to entrance. It is thought that this tomb was in use for as long as 1,000 years and at the end of this period the passage and chamber were filled to the roof by the Beaker people with earth and stones, among which were found pieces of Grooved ware, Peterborough ware and Beaker pottery,[1] charcoal, bone tools, and beads.

The whole village of Lacock is under the management of the National Trust who own almost the entire village. Most of the surviving houses are 18th-century or earlier in construction. There is a 14th-century tithe barn, a medieval church, and an inn dating from the 15th century and an 18th-century lock-up.

Lacock

Lacock

Lacock

Lacock

Lacock

The George Inn, established in 1361.

Should be ‘no introduction needed’ except to note that these photos were taken between 7:55pm and 8:15pm. Hence the warm glow!

Stonehenge

Stonehenge

After leaving Stonehenge we spotted this large field with the sun quickly disappearing behind it. I only just caught it. This was taken at 20h40m48s, handheld, ISO400, 35mm, f/8, 1/80th-second with a medium graduated ND filter. Post processing in Aperture.

Hurst Castle is on a spit 2.5km walk long. This view shows Isle of Wight in the background, the castle in the mid-ground and boats in the channel to Keyhaven in the foreground.

Closer to the castle which was used as a military defence facility during WWII with the addition of huge gun emplacements.

Just because I was there!

As we walked back at least 10 guys loaded with fishing gear trudged past us. These ones were already set up for the evening. It was already 6:20pm and the wind off the sea was pretty cold. We never spotted anyone with a fish, the fishermen we saw returning seemed to be only carrying large chunks of driftwood.

People have lived here for 800 years, from the Augustinian Canons in 1201 to sparkling 20th-century society hostess Maud Russell. The house contains several rooms of contemporary art.

The Mottisfont grounds were also splendid with blossom still around. But we were a couple of weeks too early for their huge collections of roses – they were heavily budded and not too far off opening.

These Wagtails were feeding over a stream in the gardens at Mottisfont. I was trying to get them on the wing but they were too fast for me. They fly much like a fantail with constant direction changes.

This one has lunch already.

We stopped to ‘stand upon Southampton dock 
With our handkerchief 
And summer frock’ (with apologies to Roger Waters) but we couldn’t access anywhere with iconic value. So we resorted to a pub and you will just have to take my word that it was in Southampton.