Test Way - Romsey

Tuesday 15th April 2014

We had just over a three mile walk this morning along a small section of the Test Way.  We parked (eventually) in Romsey, I have no idea what was going on there this morning but it seemed everyone and their dog had turned out!  We had to walk along the main road to get to the Test Way, then we looked for and found a geocache at the start of the footpath.  This section of the Test Way crosses the Broadlands Estate and after a short distance of footpath you get a great view of Broadlands House, which looked good against the blue sky, it's just a shame the sky looks washed out in the photo.

Broadlands House.

Up in the tree line you can see a haze of bluebells.. 

Along the footpath we saw a few buzzards soaring up high, above 

these cattle, who were all quite inquisitive.

Some young calves.

More blossom.

Then back along the footpath to Romsey and home for lunch, I was starving!

Michelmersh Near Romsey

Monday 14th April 2014

We decided to make the most of the sunny dry weather and get out for a bit of geocaching, well that was the plan anyway, it turned out to be more like a failing to find geocaches sort of morning!  We had to look for a few clues in Michelmersh church yard, these we easily found but the co-ordinates took us elsewhere and despite much searching and head scratching we had to put this down as a 'did not find' - not something we like doing!  

The blossom was keeping the bees busy, we stood under one tree and the sound of bees buzzing was unbelievable.

St Mary's Church, Michelmersh. with it's wooden tower.

From the church we walked through Agincourt Field, and I found the following info on it;

To the south east of the church can be found Agincourt Field where in 1415 600 knights and Archers assembled prior to leaving for the battle of Agincourt. They stayed here for two nights before marching to join ships in Southampton, that would take them to join Henry V's army in France, they were reviewed by the Duke of Gloucester.  Five hundred and twenty nine years later troops once more camped in this same field, ready for the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944. 

We then tried to find the second geocache of the day, only to be stumped by that one too, but on the plus side the location of the cache was in an old bluebell wood, and it did look magnificent in the sunshine.

The bluebell wood with an animal track passing through.

Yellow fields of rape stand out in the far distance.

Just before this point we found a geocache hanging in a tree, success at last, although stealth was required  because ........

........the footpath took us through the middle of a very large field where a tractor was spraying crops at speed.

A pleasant spot. and the end of another nice wander.

Early Evening at Calshot

Saturday 12th April 2014

After tea this evening we drove to Calshot and had a nice walk along the beach to Calshot Castle and back.  We were surprised by the number of people that had decided to do the same, well, most didn't stray far from their cars, if they got out at all, but there were plenty of cars about.

There are lots of colourful beach huts along the beach.

Very colour co-ordinated.

The Red Funnel ferry arriving at Cowes on the Isle of Wight from Southampton.

Looking along the beach towards Southampton Water.

Long shadows.

There were plenty of comings and goings in the Solent this evening.

Groynes.

Calshot Castle.

The power station and oil refinery at Fawley.

The lifeboat station and coastguard tower.

Just before we left as it got darker, looking towards Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Near Lyndhurst and Return of the Swallows

Friday 11th April 2014

It was obviously the school Easter Holidays, as we queued into Lyndhurst for quite a distance on the main road from Ashurst this afternoon  We turned left by Boltons Bench and parked up along the road to Beaulieu for a walk across the heath to look for a geocache.  The first point of interest was this sign,

We did as advised and kept off of the danger zone, the same can't be said for the ponies and cattle, but then we didn't see any get blown up so they must have been ok!!!

The no go area is marked off with posts like this, anything to the right of them is in the danger zone.

Here we go again!  

At least the mud is getting a bit more solid now that it hasn't rained for a while, but it was tricky choosing the best route and we probably walked twice as far zig zagging along the track.

A bridge over the Beaulieu River - we had to answer a few questions here to give us the final co-ordinates for the geocache, which it turned out was not much further on.

The Beaulieu River, very brown and peaty.

We easily found the cache then negotiated the mud back to the car.  

This traffic light is at the top of a slip road off of the M27 at a very busy roundabout.  Last year, despite it's busy noisy location,  blue tits nested in it and this year they are back!  Last week I noticed one of the birds coming out of the little hole and one came out today shortly after I took these photos - shame I didn't get an action shot!

The birds are nesting in the little hole in the pole next to the red light - very cosy but obviously ideal as they are back for a second year.

Today's other big news was that I saw a swallow in the forest. This was the first swallow I have seen this year and there was just the one, but it was good to see it - summer's coming!  (Last year we saw the first swallow in Padstow on April 13th). 

Romsey

Wednesday 9th April 2014

After an appointment with the chiropractor early this morning I had a walk around Romsey, taking in these sights;

The gardens of King John's House, beginning to look colourful with spring flowers and ....

... blossom.  (with Romsey Abbey in the background).

The bluebells are just coming out, ours in the garden started blooming earlier this week too.

The River Test.

Romsey Abbey.

Inside the Abbey, Lord Mountbatten's grave.

I had a very pleasant walk this morning , by the end of just over two miles I was very warm and had met some very friendly people, what a nice place Romsey is.

Hasley Enclosure

Thursday 3rd April 2014

We parked near the High Corner Inn for a 3.5 mile walk around Hasley Enclosure this afternoon to look for a geocache.   It was very dull and hazy, I think it's the air pollution again!

We had hardly walked any distance at all when we noticed we were being watched.

This ford across the river came in useful on the way back for cleaning off very muddy walking boots!  Part of the walk was across a very boggy muddy bit, not good without wellies.

A woodpecker woz 'ere!  (on a rotten silver birch tree trunk)

I'm assuming a badger lives here, look at the colour of that soil, deep red, amazing.

Swanage & Part of Priest's Way

Wednesday 2nd April 2014

We visited my mother in law today in Swanage.  We always like to get out for a bit of a walk and we decided today to walk a little section of the Priest's Way, a footpath that passes close to my mother in law's house.  This footpath gives excellent views of Swanage and across to Ballard Down, although today it was quite hazy - I wonder if it's the air pollution that's in the news at the moment, covering most of the country?

In this little patch on the right there were lots of primroses, a few grape hyacinths and there was a large swathe of bluebells (not yet in flower).

You see some strange sights in the country, and I have no idea what this huge rope is used for!

I thought for one minute that this gorgeous woolly number was coming over to see us, but no, it wanted a drink, I should have known!  I love sheep.

We saw a few of these beetles (possibly a mint leaf beetle but I'm not big on beetles)  in amongst the undergrowth.

The hedgerows now have a hint of fresh green about them and the hawthorn is in full blossom, at this spot there is a bit of bird watching going on!

We left Swanage just as it was beginning to get dark and as usual we had a quick stop off at the beach, I only wish it stayed like this all year, quiet, with very few people about.

By the time we got to the village of Corfe Castle, it was really quite dark, although it doesn't look like it in this photo - an owl was hooting as we took these photos, very atmospheric.

I took this photo on the way back to the car, again, this was a dark sky even though it doesn't look it, the moon is a waxing crescent apparently.  Then we headed on home.