Tag Archives: hampshire

Blackwood Forest Stroll

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If you live in the UK, you probably aren’t aware of how fortunate you are to have the variety of places to walk that you do.  Public rights of way are a feature of the UK that are not necessarily replicated in other countries.  They provide the chance to walk in many places that would otherwise be out of bounds.  Also, the woodlands that are accessible are a treat.  We took a wander through Blackwood Forest while we were in the UK and Sam and Chris introduced it to us.  We weren’t going to be taking a major hike based on time available and other things, but we did have a relaxing wander through the trees.  We also had time to stop at the café in the forest, too, which may have eaten up some time while we ate up some good food!

Stockbridge High Street

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For one of our recent stays in the UK, we rented an AirBnB in the Hampshire town of Stockbridge.  I had driven through (or by) Stockbridge on countless occasions over the years but had never stopped to explore it.  Turns out that was an oversight on my part as it is a really delightful little town.  Plenty of interesting shops and eateries to explore.  Also, doesn’t hurt to have a few pubs that are worth a visit too.  We had an excellent time while staying there and here are a sample of some images of the town from our time there.

The Gnarliest Tree

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The Pacific Northwest is not short of trees (and many of those trees are not short!) but they are often pretty regular looking trees.  We do have some more twisted looking specimens for sure, but the UK does seem to provide a selection of aged trees that have developed some amazing shapes to them.  One such tree was in the grounds at Hinton Ampner.  I have no idea how old it is and whether this is the norm for this type of tree, but I thought it looked fantastic so here it is getting its own post.

Repairing the Beach

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There had been some pretty stormy weather shortly before we got to the UK.  When we went to Southsea to pick up mum from the hovercraft, there was some work underway on the beach that sits below the terminal.  By the look of things, the storm had moved the shingle around quite a bit and they needed to regrade the shoreline.  Someone was busy working on it while the hovercraft was on its way over.  They had to get out of the way before it arrived, of course, but they seemed to have done a decent job of it in plenty of time.  I wonder how often they need to rework the shore to keep things where they need to be for the service.

River Test at a High Level

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The River Test really should be considered multiple rivers because it splits and rejoins as it moves across the Hampshire countryside.  You can cross all sorts of minor streams, but you do also get some larger crossings where the river is well defined.  One of these is the road to Longstock.  There is a weir across the river just upstream of the bridge and it seemed to be flowing pretty well when we were there.  We had experienced lovely weather, but I guess quite a bit of rain had preceded our arrival.  There was a single swan on the river, and it seemed to be making some effort to move upstream.

Another Robin Comes Out to Play

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We had the robins visiting the garden when we stayed in Stockbridge, but they were rather reticent about being around when we were there.  They tended to disappear whenever they realized we were watching them.  During our visit to Hinton Ampner, we came across a rather more bold member of the family.  This one was sitting in a hedge right next to us when I realized it was there.  I got a shot before it moved but it only repositioned to a perch close to us.  A brave little fella and very cute.

Family of Blackbirds Out for a Meal

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A family of blackbirds was a regular sight in the front garden of the place we rented in Stockbridge.  They were happily finding whatever they could eat in the grass.  There appeared to be two parents with some youngsters in tow.  The chicks were now pretty fully grown and seemed to have their feathers, but they were less interested in finding food than they were in having their parents do the work.  I will let those of you with children make your own comments.  The chicks actually looked a little larger than their parents, so they are probably eating well.

A Shield Bug – Looks Like a Stinkbug

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I was out in the garden of our place in Stockbridge and was surprised by how many ladybirds and flies I saw on the leaves.  Then I saw something a bit different.  I reminded me of the stink bugs we see in Washington.  According to Ian, who was in the yard shortly afterwards, it is a shield bug.  In all my years in the UK, I had never heard of or seen one of these.  Now I have.

Another Chance to Photograph the Hovercraft

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During our trip to the UK, my mum came across to spend some time with the family.  She used the hovercraft to make the crossing and we went to Southsea to pick her up.  Regular readers will know that I love hovercraft so it would have been churlish not to get some shots of its arriving – I mean her arriving!  I skipped the long lens shots and instead focused on the approach and arrival.  Here are those shots.  Her return journey was frustrated by high winds, so we didn’t get a second chance to photograph the hovercraft when taking her back.