Days Out During Winter

February Snowdrops

Our city of Southampton in Hampshire, is famous for many wonderful and interesting things. A quick dip into the roiling waters of the web will bring out the obvious things like its two Universities or the Football Club. The Titanic gets a mention or two as does the Mayflower and the Spitfire. However, this area has been occupied since the Stone Age and still boasts substantial medieval walls, so there is a far greater depth to its history.

Jane Austen's Plaque

My wife is a big fan of Jane Austen, one of England’s most celebrated and greatest novelists and she has insisted that we visit her house. The house has been preserved as a museum and is relatively nearby, in the Hampshire village of Chawton. At times like this I enjoy wandering around saying (in an unnecessarily loud voice) things like, “Oh darling, isn’t it amazing to think that Jane Eyre actually lived here?” We once visited Agatha Christie’s house in Devon, which was fun but the children and I quickly became more interested in the Mulberry tree, covered in ripe fruit, that we discovered in the garden.

Jane Austen's Cat?

The fascinating house of the naturalist Gilbert White (1720 – 1793) is very close by, in the village of Selbourne and this has also been converted into a museum. Slightly incongruously but interesting none the less, this place also includes a display telling the heroic (completely awful) tale of Captain Oates (“I am just going outside and may be some time”) and the ill-fated expedition to the South Pole led by Scott of the Antarctic.

Heather and Reindeer Lichen

Jane Austen did spend a lot of time living in Southampton. The city was once a very fashionable Georgian spa town, back in the days when taking the waters was popular. However, these and other historical details are now lost to many folk that live here. For instance, plenty of people who live here do not realise that we also have an effective geothermal energy plant – right next door to their favourite shopping centre (West Quay). Perhaps they ought to rebuild the Lido that used to exist there and heat it for free from the subterranean hot rocks.

Catkin Season

Being on the coast, Southampton has always been known as a nautical city. Vast container ships, carrying all manner of household goods across the oceans, mix with famous fleets of liners, hovercrafts, ferries and pleasure boats. Our city is bounded by three beautiful rivers; the Test and the Itchen are chalk-rivers, rightly famous for their wildlife and trout fisheries. The Hamble on the other hand is better known as a yacht haven. All three rivers empty into Southampton Water (the Solent), which flows around the Isle of Wight and out into the English Channel.

Across the Solent from Southampton, lies the New Forest, where we frequently visit for walks, picnics, adventures and camping trips. Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s last resting place is in Minstead church cemetery. His grave is easy to find, it is the one with a pair of pipes propped against it. According to somebody I spoke to there, the pipes occasionally get stolen but adoring fans of his writing always replace them. Conveniently, Rufus Stone, my daughter’s favourite spot, is also not far away.

Beautiful Moss

Solent Storm Warning

We popped down to Leap Beach, in the New Forest to check out the weather in the Solent. The wind was savage and it was difficult to walk into it due to flying sand stinging our faces. The vista was slate grey, the foam streaked sea was whipped into an angry rage. We ate our picnic lunch from the safety of the car, before venturing out into the howling wind.

Every now and then the low, thin sun came slanting out from beneath the clouds. This contrast gave us some respite from the persistent weather and the lovely shearing light created long shadows off the beach groins and scuttling sea-birds.

Despite the havoc wreaked by the relentless storms that have lashed the South of the UK, the jewel-like crocuses continue to spring from the sodden turf; brightening my cycle ride to and from work. I have even spotted plum blossom buds, preparing to burst open.

Speaking of work, my lunch box is still packed with healthy nuts and apples that we picked last Summer/Autumn. The apples have been tucked away in our shed for the last 5 months and they are still crisp and tasty.

Apple from the Common

Walnuts and Hazelnuts will keep for ages; I keep ours in wicker baskets in the house and they are lasting very well this year. I spend 20 minutes cracking the shells off and then chuck a few raisins into the mix.

We still have some Poached Pears, preserved in syrup. I bottled these last year and they make a delicious evening treat for a stormy night. I love them heated up and served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream…

Leap Loop & Dark Water

January, February, what’s a family meant to do?

Cold winds bluster, wet rain tumbles from the doom laden skies, reedy sunshine fails to warm the sodden ground. We decided a day at the seaside would be perfect.

Leap beach is always a favourite and so we headed off down through the New Forest to see if the Isle of Wight had blown away yet.

Fortunately, the Island was still visible through the mist and thin sun; talk  camping there in the Summer helped to warm our chilled hearts. As the tide was high, we wandered Westward along the beach, spotting boats, sea birds, shells and various interesting stones.

Behind Leap beach there is a tidal, saltwater marsh ominously named Dark Water. Despite its unpromising name Dark Water is actually a beautiful nature reserve, many interesting birds and wildlife can be seen here. Children can also be entertained by catching crabs near the entrance.

A quick visit to the shop/café by the car park will furnish you with a guided walk around the 5 mile Leap Loop. Of course, the more adventurous among might want to wander off piste, just be sure to wear your wellies.

Alternatively, you can walk along the beach in an Easterly direction, where you eventually end up on Calshot Spit. This strip along the edge of the Solent can be a bracing walk, all of its own, if you are feeling energetic.

There is also a suitably challenging children’s adventure playground on top of the bluffs by the café – just in case anyone has any residual energy left, before heading for home.

Spitting into the Wind at Hurst

Brent Geese Flying South, Possibly to Avoid Becoming Xmas Lunch

Well folks, for me personally 2013 has, so far, proved a long way off satisfactory. Hopefully things will begin to improve, as time goes by. But enough of my woes, I have a popular blog to maintain. Winter/Spring is always a lean period for foraging but we still love to get out amongst nature, and hope to inspire you to get outdoors, for a walk with your family.

Hurst Spit and Keyhaven Salt Water Lagoon

Much to the children's disappointment, it has not yet snowed where we are. Mind you, we rarely get snow settling in Southampton, even when it is forecast for the area. I always blame this deficit on the hot rocks that lie beneath the city; they are used as a source of geothermal energy to heat part of the city. People never believe me when I say that Southampton used to be a Spa town, but it was.

The Needles, off the West of the Isle of Wight

We have managed to get out and about a bit though, and we had a very exciting and stormy walk on Hurst Spit. Hurst Spit is a massive shingle bank that has been thrown up by the constant action of the elements. It is the closest part of the mainland to the Isle of Wight and has long been a strategic military point for the defence of the Solent seaways to Southampton and Portsmouth. The castle at the end of the spit was built by King Henry the 8th in 1544 and King Charles 1 was imprisoned there in 1648 before being executed. 

Hmmmm!

More important these days are the large tidal lagoons of Keyhaven, behind the spit, a refuge and harbour for  many small boats and also an important nature reserve and bird sanctuary.

In the Shade (and Lee) of the Spit

When we arrived the Spring Tide and wind had caused the road to flood but we chugged through and found somewhere dry to park. The fist thing that was apparent was the force of the wind, the car was being buffeted all the time.

Some Would Say We Are Crazy - We Would Disagree!

We donned our wet weather gear to shield us from the storm and set off to test ourselves against its power, it was incredible. The waves were smashing into the shore and several times spray and spume breached the vast barrier to soak the few brave walkers. 

Milford, Battered by the Storm

We decided that it would be too exposed to trek to the fort and lighthouse, and chose instead to go the other direction toward Milford. We saw many flocking birds including Fieldfares (I think) in the corn fields where we parked. I could watch birds doing this all day, it is just fascinating how they all change direction at the same time. 

The Brilliant Brent Geese Treat us to Another Honking Fly Past

The highlight for me though was when a vast flock of Brent Geese, that had been grazing on a field, took off as one and wheeled around honking, doing a few laps of  the lagoons, before settling in a different part.