Lymington River

Late this afternoon we took a drive into the forest.

The deciduous trees shielding Sway Tower from South Sway Lane are turning chestnut brown.

Jackie parked beside Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst on a verge beside which an exhaust box kept pace with the turning of fallen oak leaves. From there I walked along

the undulating banks of the reflecting waters of Lymington River.

The woodland floor, like most, is littered with lichen coated twigs. Ponies basked in hazy sunlight in fields on the opposite bank.

We visited Hatchet Pond where

ponies wandered among gulls, swans, and dog walkers; a solitary donkey tried its luck among the parked cars; a rooks cawed from the trees.

Jackie also photographed the pond with its swans; me on my return to the car;

and the signs explaining the need for restoration and the nature the wildlife.

Elizabeth joined us this evening for dinner which consisted of succulent roast pork with baked apple slices and sage and onion stuffing; crisp brown roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; carrots, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts al dente; and tasty gravy with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and my sister and I drank Patrick Chodot Fleurie 2019.

63 comments

  1. Lush countryside beautifully photographed. Thanks for sharing, Derrick. I love the way you captured the trees reflected in the water and the pony basking in hazy sunlight. Magnificent! <3

  2. Wonderful shots, Derrick. I don’t know why, but from around picture No 4 until the ponies I had a strange thought that I was looking at old, flooded, trench-works; must be the time of year, I suppose. PS – on a lighter note, we had takeaway fish ‘n’ chips – yum!

  3. Exquisite photography Derrick. A wonderful place to wander around. Why Sway tower. Is it near the famous Rigid Tower or the Leaning over and nearly falling down Tower?

  4. Three times I’ve tried to post a comment on the image of the hazy pony (or maybe its the 3 glasses of wine – another NZ Sauv Blanc) and three times I’ve been spurned by WordPress. Feeling a tad like Peter. So, once more with feeling I say that picture is gallery-worthy.

  5. You have some of the most beautiful photos of the forest ever in this batch. The ones at Beaulieu are enchanting. And now I know you call a muffler an exhaust box, unless it was a catalytic converter 😉

  6. Some of these photos – the river reflections and hazy ponies – take my breath away. I’d be framing those hazy ponies and hanging on the walls ;). The lichen on a stick reminds me of a wooly worm.

  7. Those are lovely images of water bodies withe ripples leisurely reflecting light. The highlight of the post is your portrait in high key facing the river.

  8. It is very interesting to read about the restoration of Hatchet Pond, so thank you for including those photographs. This looks like a pleasant area to explore whilst enjoying the fresh air and observing the changing landscape.

  9. Once more I felt I was accompanying you on the autumn walk. Thank you for the information on Hatchet Pond, I do hope the forestry commission gets its plans passed.
    I’m glad Elizabeth joined you for dinner – thank goodness we have our Bubbles.

  10. Your tree photos…and your photos of the trees “seeing” themselves in the “mirror-y” waters are SO beautiful!!! 🙂
    Good to see all of the animals, birds, and Human-Beans out and about and enjoying the day! 🙂
    Jackie’s photo of you and the two swans in B&W is lovely! ? <3 ? 🙂
    So glad Elizabeth could join you for dinner! I know this made the meal time even more wonderful and delicious! 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  11. The woodlands look like a movie set. I have expected to see some elf come dancing down to you.
    Thanks for including that misty picture of the pony. Excellent, my friend!!

  12. A beautiful set of photos from such a tranquil, timeless place! I wish you all best of luck in restoring and protecting Hatchet Pond for future generations.

  13. It looks like you had a nice autumn walk. So many lovely photos–I like the lane and the pony in the mist. Jackie’s photo of you is wonderful, though you sort of look like you’re saying, “if you must.”

    1. Actually, I wasn’t sure she was focussed on me – I thought she was photographing the swans 🙂 Thanks very much, Merril. I’m really pleased that the hazy pony was appreciated.

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