Trip out to Pooh Country 19th August 2011

On Friday the 19th of August 2011, Mel,Lucy,George,Jade and I set off for the pretty village of Hartfield in Sussex. This is the area where A.A Milne wrote the Winnie the pooh books and all the places in the books are set in this area.
After about a 1 hour 15minutes drive we arrived in Hartfield, we parked up and walked down to Pooh Corner which is the Winnie the Pooh shop and Piglets tearoom.

We purchased a map to show us to get to Pooh Bridge which was about a 10 minute drive up the road to Clunks Hatch where we parked in the Pooh car park. Its about a 15 minute walk from the car park through the forest. Along the path we came across an assault course type thing, that we all had a go on.

We continued down the track until we finally reached Pooh Bridge, where we all played Pooh Sticks. You each hold out a stick above the bridge upstream and on the word GO, the sticks are dropped and the first stick out the other side is the winner.

We continued over Pooh Bridge up the path as far as Winnie the Poohs House.

Pooh's House

We then walked further up, out of the forest and into some fields full of sheep.

We got to the top of the hill (At Upper Hartfield ) before, realising there wasn't any more Pooh related areas to see, so we made our way back to the car along the same route.

Once back at the car we drove a short way up the road to Gills Lap. Unfortunately the plaque of the enchanted place was missing, probably nicked for scrap metal :(.... we walked across the heath passed the site of the trap for the Heffalump looking for Roo's sandpit. We walked as far as the OS trig point before giving up. We were all hungry and thirsty. Must remember to take water next time!!.

George on the OS Trig Point Column

From here we made our way back into Hartfield back to the Pooh shop, bought some gifts before checking out the menu at The Anchor Public House. The menu was rather expensive with most meals between £15 to £20,with 5 of us it was out of the question so we bought some drinks and food from a local shop and made our way home.

Kids in a bus stop in Hartfield

Hartfield

Hartfield

The Anchor PH ,Hartfield.

An old Oast House in Hartfield.

Havering Atte Bower out to Noak Hill 5th July 2011

Ben and I set off from Havering Country Park for a 5 and a half mile walk.

Then a walk along Wellington Drive.
A wooden barrier marks the entrance and the path rises slowly through an avenue of Giant Sequoia trees, a common Victorian feature of country estates. The trees were discovered during the Californian Gold rush of 1869 and they became known as Wellingtonia’s in honour of the Duke of Wellington. Their towering reddish trunks may look impressive but these American immigrants are small compared to those that grow in their native California. There, they can reach up to 300 feet high, have a trunk diameter of 35 feet and live for 3000 years or more. They are the largest living things on Earth.

Edward the Confessor’s Royal Palace at Havering-atte-Bower

The route now exits the park and leads to the village of Havering-atte-Bower.Nothing now remains of an important royal house that once stood here on the village green. Edward the Confessor founded a holy retreat here nearly 1000 years ago. Later William the Conqueror and King John built hunting lodges. Slowly, over the next 600 years, a large Royal Palace was established, with Charles I being the last monarch to stay here. It fell into decay and by 1815 there was nothing left. A Victorian church stands where the original chapel once stood and there are riding stables on the site of the old palace stables.

The Royal Oak PH in Havering Atte Bower, the only pub I saw all day, wish I'd stopped for a pint now!!#

Cross the road and continued on The London Loop Path.....

Joseph Hardwick Pemberton’s Round House

The path leads to open fields and, through the trees, a strange round building can be seen on the right.This is the Water Tower on Broxhill Road.Built by the South East Essex Water Company in 1934 to help maintain water pressure to the town of Romford, some two miles distant. It is still owned by the water authority but believed to be not now required for its original purpose.

Shortly after passing the Water Tower, some horses thought they'd charge at me and the dog. Scary!!! Got out of this field as quick as I could!

Then the path turned left past some bee hives next to the path.

 

Pyrgo House, Playground for Princess’s Mary and Elizabeth, daughters of Henry VIII

At the woodland's edge stands a pair of iron gateposts which once marked the entrance to the grand residence of Pyrgo. Nothing now remains of the house save this one rusting sentinel. In the 16th century, Pyrgo played an important role in determining the royal succession. Henry VIII had seen little of his second daughter, Elizabeth, since her mother's execution in 1536. In 1542, Henry VIII met her when he summoned both of his daughters to dine with him at the ancient house. Henry was impressed by Elizabeth and her sister, Mary, and decided to reinstate their place in the line of royal succession. This was confirmed by Parliament in 1544, restoring the sisters to their place after Edward thus giving England one of her finest monarchs when Elizabeth became queen.

and then out onto Broxhill Road

Tried to use this path to take us up to The Bear PH, but it was locked up for some reason :(

So we walked back along Lower Bedfords Roads to Collier Row for a bus home.

5 mile walk from Havering Country Park to Hainault and back 9th June 2011

On 9th June 2011  My dog Ben and I set off for a 5.1 mile walk from Havering Country Park across to Hainault Forest and back.

We walked on past Havering Country park and turned left on to a footpath/Bridle-path past a field full of horses.Then on past the path that leads down to Lodge Avenue and left again into a meadow, where I saw a hare dart off, totally missed by Ben, also swallows,yellowhammers, blackcaps etc

And a view across towards Park farm and Stapleford Abbotts direction...

We eventually came upon Hainault Golf Course, where the path seemed to disappear, no marking to indicate which way to walk, so we ended up walking straight across keeping a eye out for in coming golf balls :).

We then wondered into Hainault Forest having found our way off the golf course.

I knew exactly where I was now and headed off to the old Camelot pub now named something stupid like Miller and Carter or something! Only to find it hasn't opened yet :(

We crossed back across the road down towards Crabtree hill.

Then we headed off towards Bower Farm and back towards Havering Park. It had started to rain and the skies became dark. Along this track there was baby rabbits darting everywhere, Ben didn't seem to notice though!! Daft dog.

Ben did however notice a squirrel he couldn't catch!

We got back to the car with the walk lasting just over 2 hours.