This fireplace is in the middle the New Forest. It is a memorial to the Portuguese Army battalion based here during the first World War. They were based in the forest to produce timber for the war effort.
The New Forest has 3000 wild ponies which are cared for by the verderers (commoners) who also live in the forest. Every year in April they are rounded up and branded according to who cares for which ponies and the "surplus ponies" are counted (Greg thought the lonely planet's wording was halarious) .
This was me trying to camouflage and get close to the deer which you can't see in the distance. It would have worked if Bec and Rob hadn't got there first.
We saw albino deer!! There are 5 breeds in the forest. These ones are fallow deer. The bigger the antlers are, the older the buck.
After lunch in a lovely old pub and some beer (it was St Patrick's day) in Beaulieu (pronounced Bewley) we walked along the river 2 miles to Buckler's Hard. Below is a picture showing the only houses. Admiral Nelson's ships were built here before the Battle of Trafalgar.
On Sunday we drove to Andover to the Hampshire market where Rob bought us lovely blueberry pies and then drove on to Salisbury. Salisbury cathedral has the highest spire in all of Europe's cathedrals. it was built between 1220 and 1258. Its very impressive both inside and out.
The cathedral also contains one of 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carter. This document was written in 1215 and is the basis for many countries civil rights. Find out more about it at http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/histtexts/magnacarta.html
Perhaps only the Mitchells will understand the following photo but I wanted to try and get a photo on a stile. I think I need my little bro Jono to complete the picture? Greg had no idea what a style was before coming across this.
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