Wiltshire

Autumn in the New Forest

Carol 10 Comments

We travelled to the New Forest for the weekend to meet up with friends we made in India earlier this year.

On the way we visited Stonehenge, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments. Erected in about 2500 BC it consists of a ring of standing stones.

We carried on to Old Sarum, the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury.

I have vague memories of playing in the moat on family picnics nearly 60 years ago, when we lived in Salisbury for a few years.
The spire of Salisbury Cathedral can be seen in the distance.
The flint ruins are all that remain.
The royal latrines.

We carried on to the New Forest, a large area of unenclosed pasture, heath and forest. Rights of common pasture are still recognised today and ponies, donkeys and cattle are free to graze all year round.

The roaming cows reminded us of India.
Pigs are allowed to graze from September to November in order to eat the plentiful acorns, which can be poisonous to horses and cattle.
During the reign of William the Conqueror, the forest was used for hunting and there are many herds of deer.
Many types of fungi can be seen.

We enjoyed our visit to the New Forest.

Till next time,

Carol