Weekend before last we visited the New Forest, which is a National Park in southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. In 1079 William I designated the area as a royal forest.
We visited Beaulieu which is pronounced BEWley, and then rode our bike to Bucklers Hard and back.
I forgot my camera in the car when we set off on bicycles. It is freeing to not have a camera to capture every moment. This is the Palace House, which began life in the 13th century as the great gate house of Beaulieu Abbey. The Montagu family bought it from the crown in 1538 following the dissolution of the monasteries by big fat Enrique el octavo. And it is still theirs!
This photo is Beaulieu Abbey. Ghostly monks have been reported in the abbey ruins and in the parish church Gregorian chants and ghostly footsteps are said to have been heard. The smell of incense has been reported in rooms of Palace House once used as chapels in the Middle Ages. According to legend, this manifestation signals tragedy for the people of the abbey or Beaulieu village. The abbey is also said to have a post-Reformation ghost, a grey lady who is seen in Palace House. She is said to be the shade of an 18th-century inhabitant of the house, Lady Isabella. (Wikipedia)
One of my favorite things about the New Forest is the ponies! They roam freely and are everywhere. There were two in the parking lot where we left our car, and there were several standing in the road on our bike ride. We came upon a fuzzy colt having num nums in the middle of a road, showing no sign of concern for traffic.
Beaulieu is beautiful and charming. We loved it.
There is a forest path that runs along the edge of the Beaulieu River connecting Beaulieu and Bucklers Hard. Just follow the hand shaped signs. Beaulieu River flows out to the Solent, which is the strait separating the mainland from the Isle of Wight.
We had a relaxing picnic on a manicured lawn looking out on the Beaulieu River in Bucklers Hard, while the boys ran in and out of a nearby woodland.
This bath house is on the path leaving Bucklers Hard.
View of the path.
On this day a miracle occurred. Mike managed to tuck our three bicyles and a trailer bike into the back of our Touran. Take that athiest family members!
We passed on paying to see any tourist sights. If you want to see the Abbey or the Palace house, it costs £48 for a family of four. And there is also a charge to visit most every place in the village Bucklers Hard. It is definitely worth it to bring a picnic lunch and soak in the views.
Something I want to remember from this day is the heat wave! We had a few days at the end of September/early October that got up to 80 degrees. Our neighbor was surprised that Mike would go out for a run in such hot weather. I also want to remember the crazy traffic because in this very crowded small country, when the weather is nice, many many many people head off in the same direction to enjoy the day. And lastly, I want to remember our very first impression of the New Forest as looking just like Crowthorne. All that driving in traffic to arrive in a place that looks just like home!
We visited Beaulieu which is pronounced BEWley, and then rode our bike to Bucklers Hard and back.
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| Photo from Wikimedia |
I forgot my camera in the car when we set off on bicycles. It is freeing to not have a camera to capture every moment. This is the Palace House, which began life in the 13th century as the great gate house of Beaulieu Abbey. The Montagu family bought it from the crown in 1538 following the dissolution of the monasteries by big fat Enrique el octavo. And it is still theirs!
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| Photo from Wikimedia |
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| Ponies on the Heath, New Forest Copyright, Jim Champion, licensed to reuse under this Creative Commons Licence |
One of my favorite things about the New Forest is the ponies! They roam freely and are everywhere. There were two in the parking lot where we left our car, and there were several standing in the road on our bike ride. We came upon a fuzzy colt having num nums in the middle of a road, showing no sign of concern for traffic.
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| Alder trees in the Beaulieu River Copyright, Jim Champion, licensed to reuse under this Creative Commons Licence |
Beaulieu is beautiful and charming. We loved it.
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| Photo by jakill from blog Jean's Musings |
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| Bucklers Hard Photo by Charles Drake |
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| Photo by Gillian Moy |
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| Photo by Angus Kirk |
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| Photo Credit |
Aerial view.
On this day a miracle occurred. Mike managed to tuck our three bicyles and a trailer bike into the back of our Touran. Take that athiest family members!
We passed on paying to see any tourist sights. If you want to see the Abbey or the Palace house, it costs £48 for a family of four. And there is also a charge to visit most every place in the village Bucklers Hard. It is definitely worth it to bring a picnic lunch and soak in the views.
Something I want to remember from this day is the heat wave! We had a few days at the end of September/early October that got up to 80 degrees. Our neighbor was surprised that Mike would go out for a run in such hot weather. I also want to remember the crazy traffic because in this very crowded small country, when the weather is nice, many many many people head off in the same direction to enjoy the day. And lastly, I want to remember our very first impression of the New Forest as looking just like Crowthorne. All that driving in traffic to arrive in a place that looks just like home!
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