Tag Archives: hampshire

Winnall Moors Nature Reserve

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The move to Winchester had me initially staying in an Airbnb in the town while we made the full transition from the Pacific Northwest. The first place I stayed was very close to a nature reserve called Winnall Moors. It is not a huge area but it is a protected space amongst the larger park area and along the water that is the result of the many paths the Itchen takes through the area. I have taken a few strolls through since arriving and will, no doubt, be there a lot more in due course. Here are just a few shots of the place. Some of the wildlife encounters will have their own posts of course.

Hinton Ampner

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During our trip to the UK, we met up with our friends Mark and Rosemary. They suggested we meet at Hinton Ampner in Hampshire. Being sensible people, we started out at the local pub for lunch before heading into the grounds of the estate. I didn’t know anything about Hinton Ampner but it was a delightful spot to explore. The grounds were really lovely to wander around. There were the more ornamental gardens near the house but there were paths around the estate which showed off just how lovely the rolling hills of Hampshire can be.

The house also has a café – of course it does – so we stopped off there to sample the goodies after strolling around the grounds. It was spring so the flowers were out in parts of the garden. There was also a local church in the estate since you wouldn’t want to have to go far if you are the local landowner!! What a lovely spot to spend some time and always great to catch up with good friends.

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.