Station Walk to Peartree Green

I'm pleased to report that our train station based walk was a complete success. The idea was to collaborate with my friend Clare Diaper who had written a book on local station walks. Clare planned the walk route and I pointed out fruit and nut trees along the way.

As we arrived at out start point, Woolston station, I immediately pointed out the Pear tree in the station grounds. To be fair, I had an advantage here as my train broken down there two days before. 

There was a good number of interested people who had bowled along for the walk; the weather was just about perfect apart from one quick squally shower. We began at Itchen Ferry Village, or where it used to be anyway and mused over the building of the great ships and Spitfires that were built around this area in the past; hovercrafts are actually still manufactured nearby. From there we set off up onto Pertree Green - and here my job was going to get much more interesting.

We admired the Mayors Pear tree, a regular stop for the children and I about this time of year, then we walked down into the main body of the green. On the way many people paused to gather Blackberries or Elderberries, which were growing wherever you looked. It was not long before I started to spot Apple trees (there are loads hidden around the Green). The first few trees were fairly inaccessible and seemed not to have much fruit but we soon began to spot trees truly laden with Apples. We had bought a small picker with us to help gather fruit and my son was soon clambering up among the branches, as he always will.

By the end of the walk we must have seen over a dozen different Apple trees and everyone had filled their bags and boxes with enough fruit to keep them in Blackberry and Apple crumble and pies for quite a while. Everyone was enthused and happy and hopefully we will see a lot of them again soon - perhaps at the Mansbridge Apple Day (Sunday 11th October Octavia Rd Open Space).

N.B. Apple Day at Mansbridge Community Orchard 

The event will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday October 11th. If you have any spare apples, bring them along for crushing into juice. Octavia Road Open Space is basically a field and wilderness area, so wear suitably robust clothing, wellies etc. This is a free community event, run by volunteers and all are welcome but everyone one is responsible for their own (and their children's) health & safety.

Summertime Foraging Fun

Summer is finally establishing itself in Southampton. We went for a meandering walk with friends along the river beautiful Itchen. I was pleased to spot a nice looking apple tree by a car park in Shawford before we set off; I duly added this to the Falling Fruit map. The atmosphere was heady and the smell of Elderflowers hung heavily in the air.

The route took us up-river past Compton Lock, which is always a fabulous place for a fun swim. We used to cycle to this spot during teenage summer holidays. 

We passed under the M3 motorway and watched swooping swallows catching bugs under the bridge. Despite the wonderful countryside surrounding us, the kids seemed to enjoy being under the massive bridge and hung around here for some time. 

Then it was a short but extremely steep climb up the ancient hill fort of St Catherine’s with the sunshine hammering down from above. The view over Winchester and the water-meadows is truly spectacular. 

We saw several Walnut trees, some of which seem to have had the ends of the branches somehow damaged. People had been having fires on top of the hill amongst the beeches, which must be nice, but some idiots had been setting a fire in the bowl of one of the largest trees – It is difficult to believe the stupidity of this action.

I also noticed a couple of Juniper bushes clinging to the steep ramparts. I have seen Junipers at Figsbury, Danbury and Winchester Hill forts. We found Walnut trees at Badbury Rings as well as here. Walnut (and Apple) trees were introduced to Britain by the Romans and Juniper is thought to be the only native fir tree in the UK. These are curious connections, well worth wondering about.

After a picnic and a run around the mysterious Mismaze atop the hill, we set off back down the Itchen. After a sweltering ramble in the Summer sun, Compton Lock always seems an impossibly perfect place to cool your jets. Wild Swimming is all the rage now and the water is deep enough in places to invite leaping into the cold river for a frolic with the fishes.

The shock of the chilly water will certainly refresh you after a long hot walk but the children were soon shivering like leaves in the wind. We dried them off and set off for home, pausing only to grab a bag-full of Elderflower heads to create thirst quenching Cordial and Champagne on our return. 

We also spotted that cherries are ripening. At last, after all the stress of finishing the book, the free fruit foraging fun finally begins...

By Bike to Mansbridge Community Orchard

During the summer holidays, I had been looking after the children and they wanted to go on a bike ride. I needed to visit the Post Office and do one or two chores, so I decided on a suitable route and set off. During the trip I decided to teach the kids how to perform the classic cyclist’s “Scoot Start” and the reverse action “Side Dismount”. Easier said than done but they began to pick it up eventually.

After a full mornings riding we returned for lunch but the kids insisted on going out on bikes again as soon as we had finished. I hadn’t visited the Mansbridge Community Orchard for a while, so I thought we would zoom down and check it out.

We took a route through Riverside Park, then on through Woodmill and along the banks of Itchen past the Pitch & Putt course up to the old stone bridge that gives Mansbridge its name.

After this it was on foot through the meadow and into the trees to explore. As we worked our way through this beautiful place, we did remove some brambles and ivy, in amongst the apple trees. Stinging nettles are growing strongly there too, so shorts and sandals were not ideal but we did our best with what we had with us.

Some of the trees have obviously suffered badly with the poor weather this Spring but several are looking as if they will have a very healthy crop. There are so many trees in the site, that even if some fail, others will make up for it. 

One visit was not enough to account for all the trees and we didn’t really get much of a look along the Monk’s Path, so we need to get down there again soon to see if there is any fruit ripening alongside the houses. We did pick and eat copious amounts of Blackberries though...

Itchen River Trip

Living in the middle of the city it is sometimes easy to forget that Southampton has grown up around the estuaries of two gorgeous rivers, the Test and the Itchen (unless you happen to be stuck in a rush-hour bottleneck, crossing one of them).

Both of these chalk bedded rivers are famous for their trout and salmon fisheries and carefully managed natural surroundings.

A walk along either of these waterways is always a rewarding and relaxing experience but more often than not I find it even finer to row or paddle about in them.

Both our children can paddle a kayak reasonably competently and I am a member of St Deny’s Sailing and Rowing Club. It was a sunny day, so I took my daughter out in a kayak for a sunlit paddle up to Woodmill, which gave her an opportunity to practice her skills.

Walking back over Cobden Free Bridge we spotted a vast shoal of sullen Mullet cruising just under the glittering surface of the river. On occasional days you can see hundreds of these fish from the arch as well as swift, shimmering Sea Bass stalking their smaller, slower prey.

When I feel minded to, I have fished for and caught one or two of these tasty predators and taken the big enough ones for supper. I'm not a fisherman, I'm a rower who sometimes trails a line & lure and very rarely catches a fish to take home and eat.

Urbane Forager Podcast

The local news and information websites, Bitterne Park Info and Portswood Info, have kindly placed links to the Urbane Forager Community Website and this blog.

A podcast interview about our agenda and activities has been recorded on the sites and you can listen to this at your leisure.

Interestingly, the website also reported (01/04/12) on the impending implementation of the Woodmill Hydroelectric Scheme and the New Southampton Partnership, both of which could significantly effect the lives of those who inhabit the proud city of Southampton...

The Coincidence on St Catherine’s

 

A Small Walnut Tree Atop The Hill

We had heard reports of walnut trees on St Catherine’s Hill near Winchester and our nut gathering had been met with some serious competition from the local kids on the town trees. So, on an unseasonably hot October day, we set off to explore the ancient hill fort and see if we could find a new supply.

A Good Day For a Stroll In - Plague Pits Valley!

The first obstacle to our expedition was that the small car park by the river Itchen was full – I have heard rumours about plans by Sustrans (the cycle network) to reopen the Victorian viaduct for bikes. This would be a massively ambitious project but could create a fantastic cycle track down the old railway route.

The Steep Embankments Can Be Quite Challenging

In the event we managed to squeeze in via the tradesman’s entrance and walk up past the Donga’s traveller camp, which is next to the reservoirs at the back of the hill. Their tarpaulin/tent dwellings and old vans with wood-burning stoves are a window into a very different way of living; it does not look at all comfortable to me but they do have a very big garden, even if it is called Plague Pits Valley. I am pretty sure that they don’t have to pay council tax or have a mortgage to worry about though.

Crowning Glory of Beech

On a hot day the walk up St. Catherine’s can be hard work but all the effort is always well rewarded when you reach the summit.

Children Marching the Mysterious Mismaze

Once you get to the top of the hill, stunning views over Winchester open up. The brow of the hill is crowned with a circular clump of glorious beech trees. There is also an ancient turf labyrinthine pattern carved into the hilltop called the Mismaze.

I Spy Apple Pie!

While the children zoomed about the Mismaze – I scuttled off to examine a couple of suspiciously walnut-like trees I had seen. They were indeed walnuts but they had been picked dry, presumably by the travellers – no nuts, never mind!

One of the Large Walnut Trees on St Catherine's Hill

However, it didn't take long before my Fruit Radar picked up tasty looking red apples on a small briar covered tree; if only I had brought my fruit picker with me. I got stung and prickled a fair bit but managed to get a few apples into my bag and they were lovely to eat with the blackberries.

Ready to Run Downhill...

Then, in a weird moment of synchronicity (strange things often occur atop prehistoric hillforts), we chanced upon someone I had worked with by email but not met in person. Chris is a freelance designer who was employed on my latest martial art book project Wing Chun: the Works.

Cooling Our Jets In The Itchen River

On the way down the hill we crunched on the foraged apples and found several more large walnut trees, all of them with no trace of nuts but definitely worth remembering for visiting (earlier) next year. Finally we cooled our hot feet in the soothing waters of the river Itchen before grabbing a few hazelnuts on the way back to the Dongas.

Ooh! That's Better.

Pear Pirates

As I mentioned in my Summer Summary, due to the warm spring this year Apples and Pears are ripening early. I recently tested this theory out by checking out the pear tree on the river Itchen. As I rowed up to it, a dark squadron of the avian enemy (starlings) broke cover from the ivy and fluttered off laughing as they winged it down-river. I realised then that despite the awkward location of the tree, I still faced formidable competition. The pears though were crunchy, crisp, sweet and ready to eat…

Ahoy Shipmates

I quickly press ganged the Urbane Forager rapid response pirate boarding party, fully equipped with two able bodied seamen, one mermaid, suitable sun protection, two builder’s buckets, a fruit picker, lifejackets all round and a very fashionable hat.

I Swam To Panama To Get That Hat

In a trice we jogged down the road and soon had the good ship Tern (a stalwart of the remarkable St. Deny’s Sailing and Rowing Club) launched and alongside the pontoon, ready for boarding. The tide was high; the sun was over the yard-arm and visibility was very good.

The Good Ship Tern And Her Crew of Salty Sea-Dogs

As we propelled our vessel under the Cobden Bridge and manoeuvred her alongside the pear tree, the shadowy host of shrieking airborne fiends materialized once more from within their leafy camouflage.

Broadside! - This Could So Easily Go Pear Shaped

Undeterred we prepared for boarding and the children enthusiastically engaged the tree, using small arms we rapidly picked off the lower fruits while keeping a sharp lookout for Whoppers further up the rigging.

Picking Pears

Once we had secured the lower levels it was time to deploy the extendable fruit picker (the weapon of choice for the Urbane Forager).

Deploy the Pear Picker!

As the brave children grappled with the branches to hold the boat steady, they were somewhat at risk of friendly fire by way of falling pears, and I’m sorry to report that there was some (fortunately limited) collateral damage.

We filled both buckets over half way with our pear based plunder, making the boat a heavy beast to row back to port.

Mermaid Spotted by Cobden Bridge

We pillaged about 26 Kgs of delicious pears on this short voyage and there are still plenty left for the birds and fishes.

You Can Just Spy The Lookout, Perched In The Bow

Some of the higher branches were still loaded with Whoppers but they remained out of reach from our unstable platform; even I am a stickler for H & S when at sea. However, I do have a longer picker and may return soon to hoover up the survivors.

A Celebratory Sponge Hornpipe

After the initial celebrations however, I spotted a potential flaw in my plot. We had walked down with all our equipment, so how on earth were we going to get all the treasure back home? I emptied half of one bucket into the other, left the heavy one at the rowing club and hefted the lighter one back up the road. The effort required to achieve this, very nearly exhausted my enjoyment of the whole jaunt.

Looking Nice But Very Heavy

Fortunately, when we were halfway home, my old shipmate Pete hoved into view and offered to collect heavy remaining bucket in his car and drive it round. We all enjoyed our buccaneering exploits. The children’s swashbuckling determination and bravery under fire was rewarded later with cold lemonade, a paddling pool/water fight in the garden and pears! 

Rowing On the Itchen River - Under Cobden Free Bridge

The adventure was over – everyone had done their duty and no one was made to walk the plank. I honestly believe that Admiral Nelson could not have done any better and besides, the Victory would never fit under Cobden Bridge...

Related Articles...
Pudding
Chutney
Perry (Pear Cider)
Peartree Green
and Sadly No More Pear Pirates and More pear Tree Destruction