Visit to the New Forest

We had booked two nights at the Forest Lodge Hotel in Lyndhurst. It was a bright, sunny Thursday when we drove down the M3 and we decided to head for Bournemouth. A walk along the beach, stops for coffee and ice creams, a relaxing start to our short break.

In the late afternoon, we headed for Lymington. This proved to be a very attractive town with interesting houses and a photogenic harbour.

The next day we went into Lyndhurst to pick up a walking guide. It started to rain heavily, so whilst in a tea shop, we decided to make a trip into nearby Southampton. It cleared later, so we were able to do our walk at Acres Down. And very nice it was too, especially the paths over elevated downland.

The next day we wanted to visit Winchester, and particularly the Cathedral. We took the short park and ride, and were soon inside the Cathedral itself. Extremely impressive and a surprise that Winchester of the capital of England in Anglo Saxon times. Many of the early kings are buried in the Cathedral. We joined a tour with only three other people which was very worthwhile. I even knew the answer to our guide's question about Chantries, much to Alison's surprise.

We left the Cathedral and embarked upon one of my walking tours. Armed with the city centre map from Tourist Information, we first headed for the 13th century Great Hall (the only surviving part of Winchester Castle) and the Round Table that hangs inside. Back roads then led us to Winchester College before returning to the Cathedral. A great day, helped by the warm sunshine.