Finding Carla (Dave and Lesley's UK Road Trips): The New Forest 15th


Christmas at the Cock Pavenham on 10th June before our big trip

It has become a bit of a tradition to spend a week with the Stapletons cruising around Great Britain. This year we ventured south to the New Forest for another excellent holiday. Once again Vicky came up trumps with Tanners Cottage in East End by the coast near Lymington, 140 miles from home.

Hot Rod and Custom Drive In day Beaulieu Sunday17th June

This event was our reason for being in this part of the world. We got there early, power parked and then spent the rest of the day looking at the cars, around the world famous motor museum as well as the house and gardens. It drizzled for some of the day which took the edge off but we still had a good day.

The rest of the week we did what we do best - cruised around the Hampshire countryside visiting lots of places including Lymington, Lyndhurst, Buckler's Hard including a museum, boat yard and a cruise along the River Beaulieu, Exbury Gardens,

Lepe, Barton on Sea. Hurst Castle (reached by a 2 mile walk along a spit fortunately on a sunny day) was interesting. There was quite a bit a bit to see in this abandoned fortress dating from Henry V111 to WW2. We ate at the cottage some nights and out on others ( highlight The Angel and Pig in Lymington) as well as lunchtime picnicking in the New Forest whilst watching deer and ponies.

On the way to Buckler's Hard

the Needles viewed from Hurst Castle

We also covered most of the New Forest which isn't new at all. Neither is it technically a forest being mostly heathland, gorse and very short grass due to it being eaten by the wild horses (ponies?), cows and donkeys, interspersed with wooded areas of mostly native species as well as some imported cedars and pine trees. It was a lovely area as well, teeming with wild animals especially horses most of which seemed to prefer walking along the roads rather than the heath.

We even saw the spot where King William 2nd (Rufus) was allegedly killed. And of course we enjoyed the coastline too. Our highlight was seeing two horses on the pebbled beach apparently looking over the Solent on a beautiful sunny morning (which was as still as a millpond) to the Isle of Wight.

One day we went further afield into Dorset, through the beautiful Purbeck Hills, chocolate box West Lulworth and into Lulworth Cove which is part of the Jurassic Coast and would have been breathtaking but for the mist. This is definitely a place we need to revisit and if we're lucky we might even come on a day when the historic ghost town of Lyneham is open to the public. (Shooting practise by the army prevented us from going there!) Next stop was Swanage, a nice little seaside town with a steam train (yay) before recommencing our three car Hot Rod cruise on the chain operated ferry over to Brownsea island on our left and Sandbanks (the most expensive land in the country) on our right. By now we had glorious sunshine and it felt like we were in the Mediterranean. We stopped off at Bournemouth pier for a couple of drinks in the sunshine then coast hugged until we reached Mudeford for a welcome stop by the sea to eat the best ever fish chips from Alexandra's Fish and Chip shop.

I could go on but I'll just say that we had another marvellous time cruising in all weathers, covering just over 500 miles and of course our cars were appreciated wherever we went.