Our brother-in-law Ron Salinger sent me an e-mail yesterday alerting me to a mention of our house in the New Milton Advertiser. We therefore bought a copy from Ferndene Farm Shop, and continued into the forest on a much brighter, more sun-sparkly morning than the miserable looking afternoon featured more recently along Christchurch Road below.
This set of pictures, gathered on a gleaming Braggers Lane, exemplifies the glittering foliage we enjoyed throughout the lanes we traversed, and demonstrates that summer has no intention of yielding to autumn just yet.
The seasonal conflict is most apparent in ferns and bracken, some of which remain stubbornly verdant and others curl in submission.
Grasses show signs of age and of youth.
Trees are not yet prepared to shed their leaves, although
pannage pigs would enjoy rooting among the varied mast dropped beneath them.
After lunch I applied myself to the newspaper article.
Forming part of Reflections: The A337 – story of a road well-travelled (part two) by Nick Saunders on https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk, the article suggests that the core of our much periodically updated house is older than we had thought.
Of the A337 from Christchurch Mr Saunders writes: ‘When the road crossed over the Danestream it also crossed the boundary into Hordle Parish. Here, too, the road has been realigned. The 1841 map shows a dog-leg junction at the crossroads with the Royal Oak Inn. The hostelry, recorded on the tithe map, was an important staging post for the horse-drawn transport of the 1800s. It was here that the mail could be collected along with goods and supplies brought to the area by wagon, and horses could be changed or given a rest and water.
The cottages on the entrance to Downton beside the car sales premises have an 1897 date stone and, therefore, would not have been something the traveller from 1841 would recognise. Opposite the inn was the blacksmith’s forge and house. In 1958 the junction was straightened out by demolishing a cottage and taking a large slice of the blacksmith’s garden.
Just a little to the east is the old post office, possibly built in the 1850s or later. (my italics). The tithe map shows the post office of 1841 on the road to Hordle village.’
We have https://derrickjknight.com/2015/07/23/an-historic-view/ of the house from probably earlier than the 1930s.
The changes undergone since the 1960s are detailed in https://derrickjknight.com/2014/07/30/friths-postcards/
This evening we dined on moist roast lamb, boiled new potatoes, crunchy carrots, firm cauliflower, tender green beans and meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Malbec.
There is so much wonderful green there, it reminds me of my Michigan home. Lovely! I may be wrong, but this old post office is now your home, Derrick?
Yes, it is, John. Thank you very much
That’s a beautiful home, guys! Nice! ❤️🇬🇧☺️
Thanks very much, John
What joy to discover more evidence of the history of the house in which you are living. I enjoyed following up the other links you provided too – both are fascinating.
Thank you very much, Anne
Fascinating history, Derrick. It’s always nice to have documentation of old structures, especially when they are of own your home!
Thank you very much, Maj
Beautiful range of greens🙂
Thank you very much, Sylvie
It’s the dichotomy at this time of year that’s so fascinating
Indeed. Thank you very much, Sheree
Your photos in the forest are amazing , Derryck.
Some years ago I took a photo like your first one on this post . I titled it: “the path” , with a load of symbol, of course .
In friendship
Michel
Thank you. very much my friend, Michel
The history of your home is so interesting. How wonderful to live in a building that served the community in a positive way. I know you and Jackie have added to those good vibes. Your autumn flora photos make me realize what a beautiful time of year this is with such variety of colors changing and coexisting.
Thank you so much, JoAnna
I love old houses and their history, particularly those with quirks.
Thank you very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Fascinating to know more about your house. Love any forest drive. 🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🌻🌻
Thank you very much, Pat. I always think of your liking for forest drives
That is fascinating about your house. So, it dates back possibly to the 1840s, and it was an inn/staging post?
Beautiful photos of the changing season.
Thank you so much, Merril. Actually it is the Royal Oak that was the inn/staging post. Ours was built as a shop/post office.
Ahh–I guess I conflated the two places.
What wonderful history about your house! I enjoy touring old houses/buildings and learning their history! 🙂
Your forest photos are fabulous! The change of season is on it’s way.
(((HUGS))) 🙂 ❤️
Thank you so much Carolyn X
I liked the curling brown edged fern a lot. Good to add a bit to your house history.
Thank you very much, Tootlepedal
I wonder how a road got to be called “Braggers Lane”?
So did we. We haven’t found out, John. Thanks very much
I also drank Malbec this evening, then I again I almost always do!
What an interesting story about your house.
Thank you very much, Sue
I love the early autumn photos, Derrick and Jackie, and this history behind your house, and the area. Even the Danestream sounds like it goes back a long, long way to the time of the Saxons and Danes.
Thank you so much from us both, Lavinia
No that’s a house with history!
The sunlight this time of year is really beautiful on the Fall foliage as you have shown in your beautiful shots! The Downton Post Office is really unique!
Thank you very much, Dwight
You are welcome!
The history of your house is fascinating Derrick.
Thank you very much, Ivor
Neat to find that out!
Thanks very much, Laurie
Autumn started yesterday, it looks like nature knows it.
Thanks very much, Bridget
Great history on your home, Derrick! I loved the photos!
Thank you very much, Jill
As always, I always enjoy the beautiful power, or shall I say powerful beauty of your diction. An immersive post yet again, with a surprising revelation about your current abode.
Thank you so much, Uma
It’s an interesting story about your house, Derrick. I will chech the second link again, to see if the photos are there.
The photos in my older posts will be a while being reinstated, Aletta. Thank you very much
Thanks, will check it later!
It will be days, I’m afraid
How fantastic to learn of the history the walls of your home possess. I can not imagine it, my place was built in 1978.
Thanks very much, GP
The history of houses is fascinating and it is always good to learn new things about a house. My Dad, working in USA was once taken round “the oldest house in town”. He was less impressed when they told him it was built in 1928 as it was exactly the same age as him! 🙂
Great story, Quercus :).;
How interesting to learn about the history of your house, Derrick.
Thanks very much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
I still remember my first visit to England, and my astonishment as I began to grasp the history there. Of course I’d learned the importance of 1066 in school, but discovering all that flowed from that was quite something. Living in a house that has its own quite interesting history would be quite a pleasure.
We have a local pub dating from 11th century. Thank you very much, Linda
My mind went off on a tangent there at the end. How long does Malbec last once it’s opened? And do you store it out or refrigerate it and then let it set for awhile?
Lovely photos, especially love the texture of the ferns, etc.
One bottle lasts me 3 days. I stick it in a cupboard with a cap on – probably not very professional, but it seems to work. Thanks very much, Luanne.
Amazing, Derrick! Judging from your beautiful garden, I believe that the ghosts of the past are pleased with what you and Jackie have done within their former living space.
Thanks very much, Rosaliene
Lovely woodland images and loved the old post office 🙂
Thank you very much, Sue
In the states, anything dwelling older than 1920 seems ancient, so this all blows my mind.
Thank you very much, Leslie
Your home is a piece of history ☺️
Thank you very much, Ribana
It must be fascinating to live in such an historic building.
Thank you very much, AnneMarie. It is
If only the walls could talk…gosh there’d be so much of the village gossip.
Yes, Lindsey. The postmistress in the thirties was known as the village gossip. Thanks very much
Hola Derrick, Thanks for interesting shots. I love to muse over historic connections and what former occupiers saw from the same windows!! Cheers.
Your beautiful writing evidences an equally beautiful appreciation of life in our world. Students of present moment awareness might learn a lot from your work 🙏