Beautiful Beeches



Beautiful Beeches in the New Forest

 

As I mentioned in the Autumn Abridged entry, Rufus Stone is one of my favourite New Forest destinations around this time of year.



A Fallen Beech



This time we were surprised by how many green leaves and beech-masts were still clinging to the majestic trees but this only increased their splendour.

Beech Masts Drop Their Nuts In Autumn

You can eat beech nuts or use them to make oil but they are damn fiddly.

Many of the Trees Have Names and Messages Carved

A great many people have left their own marks on these great trees; almost every large trunk was festooned with names and dates. Traditional tagging I gues you could call it.



It's a Jungle Out There. Well, a Forest Anyway



It’s one of those places where you can choose to follow the tracks and paths. Or you can go off Piste a bit if you prefer, although you might find yourself trapped in a holly thicket or a boggy mire.



All Ready for Xmas

 The greeny gold of the beech was set off very nicely by the holly, which was loaded with berries, another potential sign of an impending cold winter. We had lunch at the Sir Walter Tyrrel (he who shot Rufus) pub and could have easily eaten outdoors it was so warm.

Feed Me Now!

My daughter makes friends easily (with animals) and was going around recruiting other children to help feed her Donkey.

Very Prickly

I wandered off and found a tangled thicket of prickly crab apple trees on the common opposite the pub.

Crab Apples

Then we wandered back and I set off to photograph my favourite trees in the fading light, whilst the kids continued with various climbing and balancing challenges.

Steady On

I like it when the late afternoon shallow sun, filters through the the trees creating contrasting shades.

The Shard

There are a lot of fallen giants here, as if some catastrophic event bought them down but they all add to the etherial beauty of the place.



Shattered Beauty



Some of the trees look like pale ghosts in the thin light.

Ghost Trees

Some of them just remind me of giant squids!

The Kraken Wakes!

A Walk in the Parks

Civic Centre from the Park

After our success at the British Science Festival, I was invited to lead a foraging walk through the Southampton Central Parks.  Southampton city is rightly famous for its numerous green spaces,  central parks and the common, as well as its more famous connections with historic ships, Mayflower and the tragic Titanic (the Saints football club and University deserve a shout too).

Sweet Gum (Liquid Amber)

I knew this event would be challenging, partly because it was late October but I also knew there was not many seasonal fruit trees on the route. I was going to have to stretch both my knowledge, imagination and definition, for this activity. I did a quick walk through the week before and the results were surprising. 

Rowan (Mountain Ash)

On the day, the weather was fine, Saints were playing at home, and after a brisk walk, I arrived on time, hot but energised. There was a diverse group of enthusiastic people waiting, with a handful of very helpful volunteers. We duly set off to examine the trees in the first park, Hoglands. 

Gingko Leaves, Walnuts and Beach nuts

We started with the beautiful autumnal Maple trees and talked about tapping sap for making maple syrup, then we found some Rowan trees and discussed how to make jelly or preserves from the bright orange berries. The children found Horse Chestnuts (Conkers) and acorns from Oak trees. Then we found Beech nuts and talked about how these can be processed and eaten. I also suggested the children could explore the Speakers Corner and tell people what they thought.

Plenty of Walnuts

People of all ages were gathering collections of colourful autumnal leaves when we spotted our first Walnut, in Houndwell park. Much to people's surprise, we eventually found ten Walnut trees! We also examined a Gingkotree, also known as living fossils, because petrified specimens can be found. This tree is not normally edible, although some people make tea from the leaves, but a very interesting tree to discuss and appreciate its distinct, fan shaped leaves.

Strawberry Tree Fruits

In Palmerston Park we discovered wild Cherry and Plum trees, as well as Magnolia. Magnolia flowers can be eaten or cooked with, and have a ginger flavour. We found Pear trees, but the fruits were the tiny Canicular ornamental variety. There was also a suitably multi-coloured Sweet Gum (Liquid Amber), where chewing Gum originated from. This tree looked spectacular in the slanting sunlight, we found more of these autumnal beauties later.

Sweet Gum Leaves

In East Park we found more Magnolia, Plum, Apple, Walnut, and Sweet Gum trees. We also found three Cork trees, the bark of which was traditionally used to create corks (!) and other cork products. Here, we noted several large trees had fallen in the recent gales, many trees had been seriously stressed by the unusually hot summer and prolonged drought.

Beech Tree

Finally, we crossed over the High Street to West or Watts Park, there we found a Mulberry tree, which bares delicious, sweet fruits in season, and a Sweet Chestnut tree, the Chestnuts here were very small due to the drought. We also counted yet more Walnut and Gingko trees. I finally signed off by finding two Strawberry trees. Strawberry tree fruits can be eaten but they are not as exciting as they sound or look, the taste is very bland and disappointing.

Autumn Abridged

When we have an Indian summer, autumn seems to be brief but beautiful. This is especially true if there has been more sunshine than rain, which turns the golden leaves into an inevitable muddy pulp.



Lots of Lovely Leaves



We always enjoy this time of year; both our children have their birthdays in this season and we all like to get outdoors for long chilly walks. A favourite place of mine is Rufus Stone in the New Forest, where towering beech trees shed their bronzed leaves on top of the ancient mossy floor. Some of these wizened trees may even have witnessed the death of King Rufus (William 2), his breast pierced by an arrow as he hunted deer near this spot.

 

Rufus Stone - Stunning Beech Trees
Just Imagine How Big That Fallen Giant Was




·         Chestnuts – Still falling in some places but the season will be short this year. Roast them in the oven or better still on an open fire. Chestnuts don’t keep well unless you freeze them. Don’t forget to slit the skins first.





Chestnuts



·         Apples – Some still on the trees. Later, more firm varieties will keep better through the winter. Store un-bruised, firm apples in a cool place like a shed or outhouse; they must be kept not touching. Wrapping them with newspaper in greengrocers boxes will suffice. Some varieties will keep through winter. Eat/cook the softer earlier fruit first. Turning them into cider preserves them well – until you drink it…



The Hedge End Hidden Orchard Apple Matrix



·         Pears – Mostly finished now. Pears do not keep as well as apples, although I still have a few which taste good. It’s normally best to bottle or stew pears – or turn them into perry.



A Bucket Full of Itchen River Pears



·         Walnuts – Last year we got 16 Kgs but we were not so lucky this year. You need to be on your toes as they tend to drop all at once and children love collecting them off the streets. They will keep well, as long as you make sure they are kept dry. Hang them in string bags or nets to allow ventilation.



Let's Get Cracking



·         Hazelnuts – We had a huge amount this year, thanks to the timely intervention of a storm. Hazelnuts keep well, if dried thoroughly and stored in a similar way to walnuts.



Nuts Oh Hazelnuts!

·         Blackberries – Lore has it that you should never pick blackberries after the feast of St. Michaelmas (29^th of September). This is because the Devil has spat on them! Apparently, when St Michael cast Lucifer down, he landed in a bramble bush, which scratched him (as they do) he was so cross that he cursed, stamped and spat on them. Traditionally you can eat a goose on this day instead and maybe stuff it with your freshly picked chestnuts.



Darn Those Brambles

·         Quince – I have included this golden apple because the kind Vicar of Swaythling Parish invited us to gather the remainder from his garden. We will be donating them to Grandma I expect, who will turn them into something tasty soon.

Quintessential Quinces

·         Sloes – Traditionally, you pick these after the first frost; so I’m saving them for my winter section. Otherwise I will have very little to talk about…

Slow Down

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.

Winter Warmers

Happy New Year Readers.

Lighting Over the Itchen River

The weather here has been relentless and unforgiving; we did manage to enjoy the storms in Devon after Xmas but beyond this we have been largely confined to quarters.

A Huge Beech Tree - Blown Down on Cheesefoot Head

After bottling up another batch of Elderberry Port, and with Sloe and Medlar wine currently on the go, I took the opportunity to test some of the adult drinks we had created this year.

Storm Waves in Hope Cove

Here then, is a quick round up of the fruity flavours that I have experimented with over the last year.

Elderberry Port, Medlar & Sloe Wine, Cider

•       Elderflower Champagne. It took two attempts and some exciting explosions but we had great results in the end. Lessons learned for next Spring/Summer. Plenty of Elderflower Cordial to keep the kids happy throughout the year.
•       Mulberry Gin. Definitely dangerously delicious! I had to fight the children for the Mulberries.
•       Blackberry Vodka. What’s not to like?
•       Raspberry Vodka. A nice contrasting compliment to the other fruit liquors .
•       Cherry Brandy. I think this still needs some tweaking or perhaps I just don’t like it very much.
•       Cider. 11 Gallons this Autumn and it tastes much nicer than last year. We will be made some Mulled Cider and mince pies for Christmas parties. Lots of Apple Juice for the children too; I think pasteurisation may be called for next time.
•       Medlar Wine.  Currently bubbling away nicely, last year’s batch is not bad at all.

  

  Medlar Wine 2012 Vintage

•       Elderberry Port. Recently bottled, very successful in previous years.
•       Sloe wine, still busy fermenting in the demi-jon.
•       Sloe Gin, a plummy favourite that makes a popular gift. Also a great nip for those cold winter nights.

Russet, Rufus, Red, Green and Gold

We always enjoy Autumnal walks in the New Forest and one of our favourite places to visit at this time of year is Rufus Stone.

The towering Beech trees stand like sentinels, possible witnesses to the "accidental" slaying of King William the Second (Known as Rufus for his red hair) by Sir Walter Tyrell. Hunting mistakes do seem to be a common theme in medieval regicide.

We checked out the memorial plaque but we were not here for a history lesson so much as to wander amongst the mist wreathed splendour of the forest.

Every inch of the mossy, boggy landscape beneath our feet seemed turned to bronze by the falling leaves, while those remaining on the trees shimmered in the gentle wind.

A thin dappled sunlight glimmered through after our lunch time picnic, bringing an ethereal beauty to the russet and green glow. 

I don't know how many miles we walked, it must have been at least five but nobody seemed to notice the distance as we wondered at the view.

The children kept pace with us for most of the time and there was very little questioning about how far we still had to go. They were kept busy working out how to jump streams and negotiate bogs.

I think we timed it just about perfectly, both with regard to the time of year and the duration/distance of the walk because everyone still seemed deeply satisfied on our return. I even had the opportunity to gather another bag-full of Sloes.

Don't forget to put, the Urbane Forager book on your Christmas present list. 

Order your copy now!

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the Urbane Forager: Fruit and Nuts for Free

Author: Alan Gibson

ISBN: 978-1-78507-300-7

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