Wednesday, November 21
Warfare near the New Forest Fairy Glen
A postive spin off from this blogging lark has been making contact with like minded folk. Particularly in my own area.
Now I know for your folk oop north that may sound a strange claim. But here in the deep (and mainly flat) southern lands fellow backpacking/wildcamping adherents remain well hidden.
I'd met up with Jon earlier this year, and since then we've irregularly exchange tips and trip ideas. With Jon being an active member of the Dorset branch of the Backpacker's Club he not only helps keep me informed as to their trips, but keeps tempting me to get more actively involved myself (Which I really must sort out in 2008)
Jon, like myself, is always on the look out for new route ideas locally. So my post on the Fairy Glen recently flushed him out of hiding for his own exploration. And a much more detailed job he's made of it.
Jon's kindly agreed to me posting details after he arrived at the WWII (we think) building
So in Jon's own words :
"I imagine this is an observation post, it has a really good view down the valley. I was at the bottom of the valley later, and it was quite prominent on the skyline.
More interestingly, I had spotted some bricks on the other side of the path, and thought it might make a good spot for lunch. when I got there I found this (this is looking back towards the other building)
There were lots of bricks blocking the stairs....
At this point I found that my head torch batteries were flat, but I did stick the camera round the corner:
A bit further on there were some wire ropes and a brick base which could have been a mast?"
Jon continues with some further information about the submarine pen & some crosses, possibly targets for the bombing range.
As I said on the original post, this area is screaming out for repeated visits. Its a wide open expanse of mostly ridge walking. Which thinking about it is exactly the sort of walk that I enjoy the most. And in the teeming rain around here currently its probably the driest spot around, the forest heathland taking on the consistency of sticky bog once off the regular tracks. But before I do that I think a bit of detective work on the net and at the local library is required, as this area looks rich in exWD buildings and may well have many more long overlooked treasures to reveal.
Thanks Jon - at last a reason to get more into this particular area, despite the 30 mile round trip. And a decent pub for carb/liquid take-on along the trip if I time it right. Result!
(Again no grid refs - you'll need to contact me, or work it out for yourselves)Labels: Ibsley Common, New Forest, walks
Now I know for your folk oop north that may sound a strange claim. But here in the deep (and mainly flat) southern lands fellow backpacking/wildcamping adherents remain well hidden.
I'd met up with Jon earlier this year, and since then we've irregularly exchange tips and trip ideas. With Jon being an active member of the Dorset branch of the Backpacker's Club he not only helps keep me informed as to their trips, but keeps tempting me to get more actively involved myself (Which I really must sort out in 2008)
Jon, like myself, is always on the look out for new route ideas locally. So my post on the Fairy Glen recently flushed him out of hiding for his own exploration. And a much more detailed job he's made of it.
Jon's kindly agreed to me posting details after he arrived at the WWII (we think) building
So in Jon's own words :
"I imagine this is an observation post, it has a really good view down the valley. I was at the bottom of the valley later, and it was quite prominent on the skyline.
More interestingly, I had spotted some bricks on the other side of the path, and thought it might make a good spot for lunch. when I got there I found this (this is looking back towards the other building)
There were lots of bricks blocking the stairs....
At this point I found that my head torch batteries were flat, but I did stick the camera round the corner:
A bit further on there were some wire ropes and a brick base which could have been a mast?"
Jon continues with some further information about the submarine pen & some crosses, possibly targets for the bombing range.
As I said on the original post, this area is screaming out for repeated visits. Its a wide open expanse of mostly ridge walking. Which thinking about it is exactly the sort of walk that I enjoy the most. And in the teeming rain around here currently its probably the driest spot around, the forest heathland taking on the consistency of sticky bog once off the regular tracks. But before I do that I think a bit of detective work on the net and at the local library is required, as this area looks rich in exWD buildings and may well have many more long overlooked treasures to reveal.
Thanks Jon - at last a reason to get more into this particular area, despite the 30 mile round trip. And a decent pub for carb/liquid take-on along the trip if I time it right. Result!
(Again no grid refs - you'll need to contact me, or work it out for yourselves)
Labels: Ibsley Common, New Forest, walks
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