Monday 29 April 2019

Springtime in Surrey and Dorset

Greetings, readers, from the ever-changing weather of south-east England.


View over Seatown in Dorset, towards Golden Cap


Having had a week of summer in February, and then being plunged back into winter temperatures (including sleet just a couple of weeks ago), over Easter we had summer back again. Most people were delighted with this, and even I'm not complaining too loudly as we only hit 26ºC as a maximum, and I can tolerate that in short bursts.

Lucky Kevin had more than three weeks of school holidays over this period so in early April I took a day of leave, giving me a four-day weekend, and we tripped down to Dorset for a few days.

We took our time driving down to Lyme Regis. About 25 years ago I had a friend living in Christchurch so we had a passing familiarity with the town, but we wanted to reacquaint ourselves. Our route took us through the New Forest, and as usual it was lovely to see the wild ponies contentedly grazing on the heathland. 

First stop in Christchurch was Highcliffe Castle, which we vaguely recalled having viewed from behind scaffolding back in 1993. At that time it had recently been purchased by the local council after many years of lying empty following two damaging fires, but they didn't have the funding to start repairs until 1994. 


The impressive front entrance to Highcliffe Castle in Christchurch, Dorset

Some window inside the castle! (I can't remember which room - ha!)

Happily, the castle has had quite a lot of money poured into it since then and now is a wedding venue as well as welcoming visitors as a local attraction. If you're a stickler for preservation you will hate Highcliffe - from necessity (ie the fires) it has been stripped right back, and rather than attempt to restore the building it's a mostly modern and functional interior, with sections of the original building displayed as part of the décor. 

Despite its interior modernisation, Highcliffe is still considered an important surviving example of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture (constructed between 1831-1836) and is a grade 1 listed building. A bit of trivia for those who enjoyed the Mr Selfridge television series - the real Mr Selfridge leased and resided in the Castle between 1916 and 1922, and he is buried with his wife and mother at St Mark’s churchyard just across the road from the Castle. I was also interested to discover that Nancy Mitford spent time at Highcliffe as a guest. I have devoured every single one of her witty novels, which were penned throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. 

Fortified by a quick cuppa and a slice of cake, we braved the hurricane force winds to climb down to the beach for a brief look, and then continued westwards towards our destination.



View from the rear of the property.
The garden is nothing special at this time, though perhaps there are plans
to develop it


Ooh, we had gusty, rainy weather for our visit to Highcliffe Castle.
We braved a walk down to the seafront, through a forest of twisted, wind-battered trees

(this looking back up to the top of the stairway)

Looking east towards Christchurch Harbour. 
The opposite direction gives views of the Isle of Wight on a clear day

Side entrance to the Great Hall

Selfie with Highcliffe Castle

A short drive away was the town of Christchurch itself, which has some very historic ruins and an impressive abbey. It seems a prosperous town, with lots of eateries and nice shops. We spent about an hour wandering around, before stopping for lunch at a pub.



The ruins of Constable's House, a Grade I listed Norman building, dating from 1160
- in Christchurch's town centre


The ruins of Christchurch Castle, also dating from around 1160


Modern housing along the Christchurch waterfront (the River Stour)

A further two hours of driving west brought us at last to Lyme Regis. 

We'd passed through this picturesque town a few years ago, returning from Sidmouth (East Devon) a bit further along the coast. However I'd long wanted to return, partly to further explore this beautiful part of England's southern coastline, but also to tick off the list yet another Jane Austen connection.


The seafront on a windy day in Lyme Regis




Lyme Regis Museum




A damp, dark day in Lyme Regis


A touch of pirate humour from this shop
(arrrrrr, me hearties!)


The Guildhall in Lyme Regis



Our lodgings were an Air BnB self-contained studio, a few minutes' drive out of town. The property was perched in woodland, high up above Lyme Regis, with sea views from the property but not from our studio itself. En route we were delighted to discover the address was Cathole Lane, which made us titter in a very immature way - wondering if it was Cat-Hole or Cath-ole. Our host assured us it was the former, but didn't seem to find anything amusing in the name... she must be more mature than us! In fact the road sign splits the two words - see photo below, so there can be no doubt that this lane was named after a cat's hole. 

Tee-hee.


Our AirBnB accommodation was located on Cat Hole Lane :-)


Our AirBnB accommodation - we had a small studio in the far right of the photo


Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and we firmly decided to make the most of the fine weather while it lasted, with a strenuous walk to the summit of Golden Cap. The guide books told us to allow two to three hours.

We passed through beautiful farmland with the yellow gorse in full flower, spring lambs gambolling under the watchful eyes of their mothers, and trees and hedges in blossom. Green sweeping hills competed with ocean vistas for our attention. Lyme Regis is part of The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, which stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset. A very popular pastime is searching for Jurassic era fossils (200 million years old!), which apparently are in abundance.

This truly was a gorgeous walk, despite the fact that it had some super-duper steep hills - most particularly the summit of Golden Cap which is a strenuous climb indeed, this being the highest point on the English southern coast. However we were rewarded with the most spectacular views - it was worth the effort.

The rest of the loop back to the car was almost as challenging as the climb up - there were several sections of steep descent and we definitely earned the reward of a fantastic pub lunch in nearby Seatown. We were fortunate enough to score one of the outside tables at The Anchor, on what was a very crowded day.



Yellow gorse in flower across the Dorset landscape


Thirty minutes into our hike to Golden Cap. Still looking fresh and enthusiastic!


Lambies! ♥️
(unhappy about those spray-painted symbols, which I'm sure don't auger well for the sheep)


What a climb! The view from the top of Golden Cap, the highest point on England's southern coast


Yessireebob! That 3-hour walk included the equivalent of climbing *95* flights of stairs


Cute little cottages with thatched porticos - in Seatown, Dorset

We made time on our second afternoon in Lyme Regis to stroll along The Cobb. This manmade harbour wall was reconstructed in 1820, previous versions having stood here since 1328 but subject to destruction from storms through the centuries. The Cobb featured in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion and Jane herself spent time in the town in 1803 and 1804. Those of you who have seen the 1995 Roger Michell film adaptation (starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds) will recall the moment where Louisa insists on jumping from a steep and narrow set of steps, into the arms of Captain Wentworth on the promenade below. I have now stood on those steps, being buffeted by the constant gale. There's no way I'd be jumping off those steps. Well - maybe if the dashing Ciaran Hinds was waiting to catch me!


Walking The Cobb, which actually has quite a slant on it and you feel very exposed.
There are signs up warning 'No access in high winds' - with good reason, and we felt

the words or under the influence of alcohol should be added!


The steps made famous in Jane Austen's novel, Persuasion


A second Jane Austen landmark in Lyme Regis .
Although not conclusively proven, it is thought this humble dwelling is where 
Jane stayed on a visit to the town
(this photo and the one below)





Lyme Regis is renowned for its Jurassic period fossils, and lots of houses
incorporate finds from their beach meanderings into their house and garden design


This pretty pink house - Harville Cottage - is right on the seafront at Lyme Regis, just opposite The Cobb.
(I'm assuming it's named for the characters of Captain and Mrs Harville in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion)


Sailboats making the most of a breezy day on Lyme Regis Harbour


Another characterful seafront house, with fossils embedded in the stonework.
This building - The Sundial - is self-catering accommodation, available for rent


I loved this seafront house in Lyme Regis, with its soft blue palette and shingled upper storey


Kevin strolling along the promenade on Lyme Regis' seafront.
All the street lamps in the town have that Jurassic fossil motif


We've been making the most of spring with our continued determination to explore every corner of Surrey and Hampshire. A couple of weeks ago, on the way back from picking up our latest second-hand purchase (via Facebook Marketplace) from Basingstoke, we ended up driving through the most adorable little hamlet - I'd never been through it previously, despite it only being 15 minutes away from Frensham. 

Yes, thanks - any one of the dwellings in Isington will do nicely!


I loved this little piece of rooftop whimsy in Isington


The Miller's Cottage on the River Wey, in Isington (Hampshire)




Isington Mill


The Miller's House Cottage, Isington



This gorgeous home is closer to us, just below Frensham


Incredible 'fields of gold' near Bentley, just a few minutes' drive from home
(rape - known as canola in Canada and Australia)

This glorious cherry tree is just near our house at Frensham


Most weekends we drive to a location within 45 minutes of home, and then set out in our walking boots, usually on the recommendation of users of a walking app we've discovered, or one that has been published in our local council newsletter.

A few weeks ago we enjoyed a varied walk from Hartley Wintney, just over the border in Hampshire. It had all the things that make an ideal walk for me - houses to admire, secluded woodland, views, adorable critters and the promise of a delicious meal and a glass of wine at the end of it.


Lovely cottage in Hartley Wintney


Um... this was a bit disconcerting as we began our walk!


The bluebells are out!


This lovely house was once a pub




West Green Common


Ah, not even horsey people are immune from the social disease of our age.
This lass was exercising her horse... with her face glued to her phone the whole way!
(Surely that's illegal? Like using a phone whilst driving?)


Kevin making friends with one of Hartley Wintney's locals


Kitty in the window



Pond in the centre of Hartley Wintney village


The Easter weekend's first walk covered some familiar ground, in that the walk started and ended at The White Horse pub in Hascombe, which I've visited previously with my friend Lesley.

This was a particularly satisfying jaunt, with spring supplying rolling fields of bluebells and vistas of farmland and woods with more varying shades of green than you'd think possible. It was a bonus that the weather was perfection for walking - about 23ºC with a cool breeze. 


St Peter's Church, Hascombe


Setting off on our 9km walk from Hascombe




We like these landowners!


Our walk took us through several stretches of bluebell woods


A landscape with more shades of green than you could possibly name!


Our lunch venue once we'd completed the walk



Kevin enjoying a crisp glass of Italian rosé in the garden of The White Horse, Hascombe


Two days later we drove to Grayswood, near Haslemere, for yet another hike that had everything I enjoy - cottages, woodland, animals. A highlight was the discovery of a field containing adorable alpacas. The bluebells were in particular profusion along this route, making the walk well worth the exercise.



All Saints Church in Grayswood, built in 1902.
It was designed by the Swedish architect Axel Herman Haig






Our route took us past a field with these gorgeous and friendly alpacas


How adorable is this one?! Looks like a giant fluffy toy


An endless carpet of bluebells in Grayswood - the perfume!


Kevin at Imbhams Farm, Graywood - this farm dates from the 16th century


There have been 500 years of farming on this site!
- Imbhams Farm, Grayswood




We've just said goodbye to the first of our annual visitors from Australia - Ed and Karen, who visited us the last time we lived in Frensham (over ten years ago), and a few years ago when we were living in Epsom as well. It's been a delight entertaining them at Hamilton Court, and sharing with them all the beauties of our environment. There was much political discourse, comparing notes on travel, music and film, and enjoyment of good food and wine, as well as a visit to the lovely nearby city of Guildford and a great Sunday pub lunch. 

We do miss our long terms friends in Australia and only wish the distance was not quite so vast, so that we could see each other more frequently.



The beautiful clock tower of Guildford's Guildhall


The gardens were in full bloom around Guildford Castle


In honour of Ed & Karen's visit, we cracked open this superb bottle
of Italian red, which we picked up from a vineyard tour in Chianti, Italy, a few years ago


A brief interlude of sunshine whilst out walking with Ed & Karen in Lower Froyle, Hampshire


Finally, I'll share with you the latest development in our garden. We're both loving having our own outside space after four years of apartment living.

With more than three weeks of holiday stretching ahead of him, last month I assigned Kevin a little project to install a seating area in the far corner of the garden. It's a spot where we can admire our million-dollar view in the company of visiting pheasants and the occasional deer. We've also been told by our neighbours a little further along that they have a regular visiting badger, who doesn't seem bothered by humans in any way. We plan to sit out there late one night and await his arrival.


Kevin laying the first paver in our new seating area





Job completed - the new seating area in the far corner of our garden




Sadly the variable spring weather didn't allow us to make use of the new seating area while Ed and Karen were here, but we hope our next visitors will have that privilege. 



Meanwhile, we're revelling in the final throes of spring - hayfever notwithstanding - and every day I thank my lucky stars for being able to live in this beautiful place.

Kevin is off to France for a school trip this weekend, but I'm still waiting for my biometric residency pass to be replaced (after I was pickpocketed in Lisbon in March, losing the BRP and my Australian passport). So I couldn't leave these shores even if I wanted to - without a grilling from immigration upon re-entering the UK. 

We are, however, making plans for a summer trip to Norway in August - our first summer trip there for quite some years, as we usually go for Christmas these days.

A final couple of photos from Lyme Regis...



The Umbrella House - a local landmark in Lyme Regis



Sherborne House in Broad Street, Lyme Regis - a late 16th century townhouse


Until next time,
- Maree  xo