Carry on Camping

The weather forecaster had said summer was back for a few days; sunshine and warm temperatures to last a least a week.  Perfect I thought, time to get out and about in the countryside again...something which has been seriously lacking in my life this year.  I got on the phone to my best mate, who is always up for shenanigans & adventures, & suggested we venture to the New Forest just a couple of hours away from us by train....the land of Enid Blyton.

We had time for an excursion of a few days and found a great campsite right in the middle of the New Forest and a short walk from the village of Brockenhurst, which meant pub close by after a tough day of exploring.  Sun was truly on top form on the Saturday so we gathered out stuff and headed west.

Brockenhurst village

Being the weekend in the last spurt of summer, the campsite was stacked, luckily for us we were backpacking and managed to squeeze a decent spot on the furthest side of the site.

Tent up pose

 

Meet the neigh-bours: Boris, Felicity & Norman

The New Forest is home to masses of wild ponies who wander around nonchalantly, occasionally sniffing in the general direction of the interlopers but generally noshing in the fields to their hearts content. 

We totally owned putting up the tent first time.  I had only just bought the thing & am fairly certain it is idiot proof.  Chloe had one job; remember to bring the stove & matches...she completed the task at a solid 50%....forgetting the matches & with neither of us being able to use our glasses anymore to Lord of the Flies a fire we opted for the local pub for sustenance.

A nearby creek provided much appreciated relaxation & splashy fun for families.  I watched from the bank as Chloe discovered just how warm a running stream in September actually was...the subsequent unrepeatable words which spewed forth suggest the water temperature was lower than expected.

Er, Clogs...stay still, you have a wee man jumping on your head

 Chloe chose the most difficult route out of the creek, I tried to persuade her a comical fall back into the water could make us a bundle on You've Been Framed...she wasn't keen.

After a rather nippy first night, we were up at the crack of dawn with map & picnic packed for exploration of the most spiffing kind.  The plan; to navigate through the woodland to the open moorland & back again.  Easy I thought since the place was littered with tracks & bike paths where dozens of folks were doing the exact same thing...the problem, it turns out, was that there were dozens of tracks & bike paths.

Early morning in camp, someone's burnt breakfast provided an atmospheric shot.

 

 

 Could be in ET's forest here...no Reese's pieces to leave a trail...which would've been a good idea

We met several other explorers who each had an idea of their intended journey & where they thought they were currently....none of which corresponded with each other, my estimate, or the maps we each had.  So, back to basics...we followed the sun.

'If we circle back the way we came, jump over the rainbow and through the wardrobe into Narnia, I will still have no clue where we are'

Eventually I had a break though, Duke of Edinburgh would have been proud of, I spotted a body of water we had walked over & found it on my map...then did a happy dance.

Explorer 1 in cool shades

Explorer 2 in a cooler T-Shirt

 

Fallen tree provide minutes of fun for a couple of over grown children....'Falcor!'

 Essex Lion...Found!

A picnic in the sunshine in the middle of heath land where ponies wander is a glorious thing. Clogs & I rested & feasted, alas without any ginger beer, & then set off back to camp.

The next day the weather took a decidedly crappy turn, overcast & showers.  We decided to wander to nearby Lyndhurst through the woodland & dodged the rain for the most part.  The weather continued its downward spiral as we had lunch & we made the decision to bus it back to camp where we packed up during a dry spell and caught the next train home.  New Forest was beautiful & has lots of exploring left to do.

Our hike route..circles & back tracking ommited.

 

Golden Cap

Midweek into our holiday and the rain paused, the wind dropped, the sun came out and the temperature went up.  Naturally I packed a variety of delicious munchies, pulled on my walking boots and headed for the hills...well, one hill....one rather large hill.

A National Trust site on the Jurassic coast Golden Cap, which at 191 metres is the highest point on the South coast of England, delivers spectacular 360 degree views of Dorset & even Devon.

Foot problems notwithstanding (not the ankle for once) I was determined to fit a decent walk into the holiday.  After a Mr. Toad's Wild bus ride from Lyme Regis to Chideock village I began my exploration.

Chideock village filled with some lovely Dorset cottages.

The first part of the path through woodland was very muddy due to all the recent precipitation, today though was sunny and calm.

Starting the steep ascent, looking back to Langdon Wood

 At the top 191 metres where a pasty was ravenously consumed

Looking toward Seatown, Weymouth and Portland in the far distance

 

 Using the Force to get pictorial evidence of my endevours 

 

Some of the outstanding views

 

There have been several landslips over the years so standing too close to the edge I was not.

 

Looking toward Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Sidmouth & beyond

 

After a well deserved picnic lunch I walked back down from the Cap and a circular walk through Langdon woods to St Gabriels.

 

Cutting across the nearby fields and meadows where at least all the rain has given us lush greenery which make for fab pictures.

The remains of St. Gabriels church, nestled in the hillside

 

Once more heading upward.

 

This side of Golden Cap was much steeper & at this point I was questioning my choice to ascend to the top for a second time.

 

Still the views were totally worth it, walking back down toward Seatown

 

The view of Golden Cap, cows plonking themselves nonchalantly right across the footpath and, as these creatures slightly freak me out, a wide birth was given.

Ah, the obligatory field of wheat? corn? maize? crops have never been a strong suit....on the way down to Seatown.

The view from Seatown beach, the old coastal path has been closed due to subsidence

I hung out in Seatown for a spell, listening to the waves and absorbing a little sunshine before walking back up to Chideock for the, sometimes heart stopping, bus ride back to Lyme Regis....where I had a well deserved ice cream before kicking off my boots back at the flat.