Friday 12 June 2009

Nuthanger Farm & Nuthanger Copse

Another literary inspired wander around Hampshire countryside. This time an attempt to find Nuthanger Farm, the place where the rabbits of Sandford free some domestic rabbits in an attempt to find some does for their new warren on Watership Down.

We started out at the Royal Oak public house in Ecchinswell (a post about pub names and signs might be a coming in the future - The Royal Oak was a tree in Boscobel in Shropshire in which Charles II hid himself during flight after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and it's quite a common name for pubs in England)


Just outside Ecchinswell we came across a field of sheep with a black one, curiously enough the black ewe seemed to have a pair of creamy white ewes. Being an odd person I had to take a picture of the odd one out!

Around a corner, a curious rooster and chicken that had forgotten it was a chicken for a while and then it remembered and ran away! Also hiding in these bushes were two ducks including a punk duck with a tuft of feathers on it's head!

Onto a track and up quite a steep hill, the path was almost blocked by this huge fallen tree, it was about hobbit height!

A little further up the hill and there was a lovely view down towards Ecchinswell.

At the top of the hill this charming brick and flint barn/outbuilding

Those who have been paying attention will spot Watership Down in this picture

And this is Nuthanger Farm

Some kind of outbuilding that's almost been reclaimed by nature. It must have been built some time ago as the evidence of joints using wooden pegs and not nails could be seen.

Just past Nuthanger Farm, a gorgeous panoramic view of the whole of Watership Down and the Gallops looking south from Nuthanger Farm

The view from beside Nuthanger Copse looking North East

Looking North to a farmhouse?

A Charlie's eye view of the walk!! Needless to say there were plenty of fabulous things to explore in this long grass!

I suggested someone would be able to do a fabulous impression of a scarecrow in the middle of this field of barley, the idea didn't need to be suggested twice!!

Stopped for a picnic beside a stream, Charlie took a dip to cool off.

Downstream...

This low-lying branch made the perfect picnic seat

We played Pooh Sticks here, unsuccessfully (neither of our sticks reappeared on the other side of this bridge!)

The tree ate it! Nature showing who is the boss

The War Memorial in Ecchinswell commemorating both WWI and WWII

Though is was wondering if this is a history lesson that I missed because I thought the armistice was signed on 11/11/1918


And there is a definitely a story here on this bench next to the War Memorial.

Back in Ecchinswell looking away from the Royal Oak Pub.

Back to the car - and off for a jaunt to Kingsclere - a larger village close to Ecchinswell

St. Mary's Church complete with unique weathervane, possibly depicting a bed bug found by King John during a stay at a local inn

The church is Norman in origin, and a church has stood here for over 1000 years. This is a Norman arched doorway that has been filled in. The picture above shows later pointed Gothic style arched windows.

The path is lined with old headstones




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