April: Hampshire

Three nights away in the New Forest!  We chose the site Setthorns because it is in a particularly natural setting, and being closer to nature than other sites in the area it didn't have toilets or showers. Wilby, of course, has both on board...so we were expecting to wake in the morning to find a queue of bears from the woods queueing to use our facilities!

The journey from home to Setthorns was interesting...as due to multiple road closures and a chatty satnav' we got hopelessly redirected around Salisbury in a circuitous route...several times.  The same thing happened a little later as we repeatedly passed increasingly familiar landmarks.  Later on though, place names like Tip Toe and Sway brought a smile.

Upon arrival we didn't see any bears...but before we'd properly settled in we had squirrels right outside the door.

The site was filled with bird song and wildlife.  Within an hour I'd seen robins, chaffinch, rook, tree creeper, sparrow, wren, blue tit and great tit...and as if that wasn't enough we heard a woodpecker!  Next morning when out walking we heard a cuckoo too.

 

Ponies, cows and deer wandered around the site, woodland, moorland and neighbouring area.  There were even ponies standing amongst the cars for sale in a local garage...presumably for those seeking something with natural horse power. 

The site was surrounded by woods...spot the camouflaged deer!

Aside from birds and animals...springtime flowers and amazing fungi were everywhere.

 

The site has cycle tracks and paths running through the woods and across open land, perfect for electric bikes...Roxy prefers to be driven in style!



Setthorns is a truly lovely site and well suited to walking, cycling and browsing. We'll certainly be going back.

Reminder to self: Wellington boots are needed unless the ground becomes sunbaked!

Second reminder: Make many return visits to this site!

April: Monmouth area

Today we woke early and decided to drive to the Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Monmouth areas.

We had been interested and disappointed to discover a few weeks ago that severe parking restrictions had been put in place by Monmouthshire County Council...but were surprised that these restrictions are so 'tight' that we were unable to park anywhere at all in Abergavenny.   However, we were lucky enough to find roadside parking in both Crickhowell and Monmouth, which meant we could browse the shopping areas in these towns and were able to buy something to eat there.

Despite the hassles of in-town parking we enjoyed our day out...after all, the main purpose of having Wilby is to find scenic places and to enjoy the peace of the countryside.