After a shop at Tesco this dreary grey morning Jackie and I drove up to Hockey’s Farmyard Shop for lunch.
A few ponies foraged on the moorland flanking Holmsley Passage. while a familiar pair harnessed to their trap trotted down the hill.
Well before noon weekend traffic illuminated headlights along the Burley Road at the top of the Passage.
Thatching had been begun at The Elm Tree on Hightown Road and some wit had chosen to place a banner advertising Thatchers cider across the work. (access the gallery with a click on any image for enlargements) The thatchers themselves had clearly taken Sunday off but the handwritten notice proclaimed that the pub remained open. Soon after the new owner took over this establishment last summer the ground floor was flooded. The local residents set to and participated in the clearance work.
While I photographed the thatching Jackie focussed on a mossy roof.
As usual a number of donkeys abounded in this northern part of the forest. Jackie produced the first of these images at Ibsley, where I photographed the third,
and another trimming a hedge on
Blissford Hill where two clusters of the currently ubiquitous catkins can be seen.
As we joined Roger Penny Way it seems scraps of a metal fence have been blown up a bank.
On our way back down this road a troop of ponies ambled across it.
Ian returned to Southbourne for work this evening and was sent home with a doggie bag prepared by the ladies as he was unable to stay for dinner which consisted of Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie; crunchy carrots; tender runner beans and stem broccoli, with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank Saint-Chinian Langudoc- Roussilon 2021.
Thank you for my ponies and seeing a thatched roof going on! A double-whammy! ????????
I’m pleased, GP. Thanks very much
Lovely pictures and another enviable meal. You do suffer so. 😉
Thank you very much, Pat 🙂
The spotted donkey is adorable!
I have a question for you Derrick. Several years ago we had a marvellous Ploughman’s lunch at a New Forest pub. The pub only did Ploughman’s, either cheese or ham. I believe that the cheese was from the local Lyburn Dairy. I’d love to take my husband there again but can’t recall the name. Can you help at all? ????
Thanks very much, Kim. I think the pub may be The Royal Oak at Fritham.
Thank you! I’ve just looked it up and it certainly looks like the place we went to! We were recommended it by the Dairy when we went to pick up a rare pink cheese. Otherwise we get Lyburns excellent cheese delivered to us.
That is good.
I am with GP, Derrick – ponies, roof thatching, and I will add donkeys to that, are always a treat to see! How often does a thatched roof get replaced?
They are good for 30 years, Lavinia. Thanks very much
About the same as the standard asphalt shingles. Our own house has a metal roof.
A lovely day out!
Thanks very much, Val
Love the mossy roof.
Thanks very much, Rosaliene
I hope you can show a few more shots of the thatching as it proceeds. I am wondering if this will be a real thatched roof or just a thatched outer skin.
It will be real – must be replaced as it was before as it was before. We don’t pass it that often, but I will do my best. Thanks very much John.
Always so interested in seeing a thatched roof as we don’t have them here.
Thanks very much, Laurie
My favorite out of this group is the white pony with the expressive face.
Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Great photos, Derrick and Jackie! The animals are cute. I am not familiar with a thatched roof, they seem like they would be very leaky.
They are very sound – good for 30 years. Old thatch is kept beneath the new so they are living history. Thanks very much, John
Oh, thank you Derrick for this information. Americans… ????????????❤️❤️❤️
The rethatching process is fascinating and completely different to the reroofing work that I used to do Derrick …
Thanks very much, Ivor
Beautiful photos, Jackie and Derrick!
Love the mossy roof! Love watching the rethatching progress (Could you show us how it looks when it is all finished?)! Love, of course, those sweet sweet donkey!
That inquisitive white pony seems to be saying, “Would you like to take my photo, Good-Sir?”
(((HUGS))) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Carolyn. Will do. XX
I have never seen a donkey that looked so like a sheep.
Unusual for here, too, Tootlepedal. Thanks very much
Lovely!
Thanks very much, Dale
I love the natural beauty of your moorland ponies, shaggy donkeys, and mossy roofs and that roof thatching still happens – even on large buildings. Reminds me of the song, “Give Me the Simple Life.”
Thank you very much, JoAnna
Cute donkeys. Roof thatching is so interesting.
Thank you very much, Chrissy
I too am pleased to see the re-thatching of the roof. Of course such roofs are common here and it is always intriguing to see how it is done and what materials are used. The most commonly used grass here is Hyparrhenia hirta.
Thank you very much, Anne. Here it is reeds.
Lovely photos of those donkeys. When we were kids, we used to have a thatched roof in our old house which was changed every five years.
Thanks very much, Arlene. Here, thatches are expected to last 30 years
Like others, I’m also fascinated by the thatching. I looked it up to see if thatched roofs were done here, and apparently, though still rare, they are starting to make a comeback.
So many wonderful photos in this post. Those donkeys are unusual. I love the last shot with the ponies and the dark sky.
Thank you so much, Merril
I particularly love the pony trimming the hedge.
Very lovely photos
Thank you very much, Mimi
I love seeing thatching. Thanks for the armchair trip to your lovely countryside.
Much appreciated, Sherry
I just love that spottedm donkey! I presume it’s a baby?
I don’t think so, John. Thanks very much
You always find interesting things on your trips. Have a great week.
Thanks very much Andy
You’re welcome.
You’re right about the grim day, but at least you managed some great photos. I love the donkey trimming the hedge it looks more like a calf!
Thank you very much, Sue
Nice doggie bag!
Thanks very much, Sheree
Thatching always speaks to me of old fashioned roofing. But I does maketh the building
Thanks very much, Catherine
I always look forward to your terrific photos and Jackie’s creative additions. The ponies are a favorite. And of course, seeing your description of dinner and the accompanying beverages tops it off perfectly. Thank you! We just finished our dinner of steak with green beans and a baked potato with accompanying green salad with which we enjoyed a Runquist Carignane 2020 Yum!
Thank you very much, Jan
Hi Derrick, a lovely selection of photographs. I especially like the mossy roof.
Thank you very much, Robbie
Seeing the pony just after the moss made me wish for a suitable creature to simply eat the moss off our roof. We recently hired our landscape worker to throw down moss killer instead. The willow catkins are beautiful, and make me think of the clusters of Lesser Goldfinches that love the catkins of the weeping birch trees here.
Thank you very much, Crystal