Brunch At The Potting Shed And A Forest Drive

Late this morning Jackie drove us to The Potting Shed café at Hyde for an excellent brunch.

Over the years we have been in The New Forest this café has undergone several changes of name and management; the current partners have completely turned it around.

For my very first time I have simply copied these extracts from their own website. I could not have expressed them better:

About The Establishment

“Welcome to the Potting Shed! We are so glad that you are considering stopping by, we strive to make each visit truly enjoyable, from the moment you walk through the door to the time you leave.

“We offer a true Forest Café experience with a cosy atmosphere and homemade food all sourced locally. Our menu is inspired by flavours of the season so you will find a varied choice, including firm family favourites and daily specials. Surrounded by the beauty that is the New Forest with the fantastic Donkeys, Ponies and Deer there is much to do nearby including scenic walks, cycling and a water park. There is something for everyone from the idyllic lazy-day stroll through to those seeking a little more adventure.

“We would love to see you and make your visit unforgettable. So come on, join us and let us spoil you.

Explore the New Forest

“Nestled in the heart of the breathtaking New Forest National Park. Our café is the perfect starting point for your next adventure, offering a warm and cosy atmosphere where you can fuel up before exploring the park’s stunning natural beauty. We’re passionate about the New Forest and its surroundings, and we’re proud to call this magical place our home. Our café is a reflection of our love for the park, and we’re excited to share its wonders with you. At our café, we believe that the New Forest is a true national treasure, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this special community. Come and see for yourself why our café is the perfect spot to explore this natural wonderland, whether you are looking for a quaint tea-room for a traditional afternoon tea in the New Forest or something more to prepare you for a hike across the heath.

BOOK A TABLE

Homegrown

“Here at the Potting Shed, we are passionate about growing our own veg, it might not look like the poster carrot, but it does taste so much better. We have spent hours growing our veg and herbaceous plants and we are so proud to be able to sell these direct to you from our café and in our food.

Locally Sourced

“Everything we do is for the community we know and love. Whether it is serving the friendly faces we have grown to recognise or using the produce around us. Ultimately, we believe that local is best. Fewer air miles, more heart and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Homemade

There’s no place like home and, here at The Potting Shed, we firmly believe that a meal out should be a home from home for you. However, we want to do it better. We pride ourselves on being feeders and feeding people on only the best produce, cooked with love, by us, fresh for you.”

The warmth and pleasure expressed above are well matched by the attentive and careful service, as is the quality of the food.

I thoroughly enjoyed my The Full Works breakfast, while Jackie did the same with her Mini version.

Once I had cleared a little space on mine, revealing items at first

covered by the bacon, I photographed it again so further ingredients could be seen – note the tasty pork and leek sausage, black pudding, and hash brown. I had eaten the other half of tomato.

Whilst there is a cattle grid outside preventing direct access from the

donkeys that can usually be encountered around the corner, drivers do sometimes meet them on the way in.

Now for the drive:

The verges and fields were dotted with numerous catkins and

snowdrops, while ponies similarly stippled Blissford Hill.

As I disembarked to photograph alpacas in the Godshill farm they trooped off to collect their dinner.

Ponies, ignoring the fact that the bright sunshine belied the cold weather, soaked up what warmth they could on the Woodgreen common.

From Woodgreen through Hale Purlieu stretches a long straight road with ancient hedgerows. The mossy tree-roots must have witnessed generations of the joggers we often see on their runs, like the two we met today.

Ponies basked in the open woodland opposite the high banks.

The residents of Lover have cooperated with enthusiasm to celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day. This small gallery is mine,

supplementing Jackie’s longer one.

The thatcher of this cottage roof has, with the addition of colour, taken the traditional straw animals to a completely new level.

This evening we dined on Ferndene pork and apple sausages, boiled potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, spinach and gravy, with which I drank more of the Douro

They Only Wanted To Feed The Ducks

The cold, overcast, weather continued throughout the day until we set off late in the afternoon for a forest drive, and someone turned on the light, so we headed for Hatchet Pond where we would likely see a cormorant on a post. In the event, the bird remained in deep shade and we were diverted anyway by a man and little girl walking down the slope with the intention of feeding the ducks.

Jackie photographed them and the swan, donkey, and a gull bidding for the food.

She also caught the cormorant on the far bank as she pictured another donkey.

This is my gallery of the scene. The fist brandished by the man in the fourth picture is an attempt to shoo off the donkey. These animals appeared from nowhere. The woman in the last picture used much more voraciously violent vehemence to banish them all.

Apart from chatting to one donkey seen in my gallery above, she

focussed on gulls in flight

and the swan on the water.

She also caught donkeys in silhouette against the sun.

After I photographed the lower sun tinting the thatched roof

and the pony on Furzey Lane,

we diverted to St. Leonard’s Road where we waited for a promising sunset; the first two images of which are mine, and the third, Jackie’s.

This evening we dined on succulent lemon chicken and wholesome savoury rice with which I drank more of the merlot.

Four Legged Friends

On a warmer yet overcast afternoon we took a forest drive.

Donkeys claimed the road at Cadnam;

ponies gathered at Bramshaw;

on Penn Common cattle, still and silent, lined up listening to sweet early Spring birdsong.

En route to Nomansland bits of blown tree neatly fell into place across the road.

Later, I continued reading ‘The Brontës’ until, This evening we dined on basa fish cakes, cauliflower cheese, boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, with which Jackie drank Diet Coke and I finished the Fleurie.

No Protection But Each Other

On an increasingly warm late morning we took Jessie for a forest drive and brunched at The Potting Shed at Hyde.

The heather-filled landscape off Holmsley Passage reminded our friend of her childhood home in Scotland.

Ponies crowded along the road outside Burley.

We tracked a veteran vehicle until entered The Elm Tree car park.

At South Gorley the usual donkeys played with the traffic.

Ponies on the green at North Gorley enjoyed no protection from marauding flies but themselves;

others found shade at Frogham Hill;

a further group forced traffic onto the green on our way back through North Gorley.

After another afternoon’s pleasant conversation we dined on tender roast lamb; crispy roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; crunchy carrots; firm cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with meaty gravy. I finished the merlot. Later we reminisced more.

Cattle, Ponies,Donkeys

A couple of weeks ago I had not even been able to reach Elizabeth’s Bed against our southern fence, such was the jungle beyond

the Shady Path.

In addition to all else he managed yesterday, Martin completed his

clearance of this area, around which I walked with ease on this cooler, breezier morning. The top centre of the last image shows that he has also continued into the Rose Garden.

This afternoon, after buying a cucumber and other vegetables at Ferndene Farm Shop, we continued into the forest.

Burley was swarming with both ponies and tourists.

How, I wondered had this grey received slashed flanks.

Jackie produced this image of a foal sleeping beside the War Memorial.

We followed a veteran vehicle along Gorley Road until it turned off in the direction of Fordingbridge.

The donkey family at Hyde hadn’t moved far since our last visit.

Ponies in traffic at North Gorley amused a pair of cyclists who had to ride round them.

Cattle, ponies, and foals shared the green, although

the soggy pools were left to equine adults.

This evening, seated on the sofa while watching the Gold Medal Olympic rugby sevens competition between France and Fiji; then the highlights of the second day of the third Cricket Test match between England and West Indies, we dined on pizza and plentiful salad with which I finished The Reprobates Italian red wine.

Exercising Her Priority

Soon after lunch today we set out on a forest drive.

A pair of ponies with their foals occupied corner of the bank of Beaulieu River. One rose to its feet and trotted off for a feed.

On our way into Brockenhurst several cattle stretched above a fence to crop garden shrubs; while a photographer examined her mobile phone to investigate the pictures she had produced of two ponies at the crossroads by the bank.

More ponies with their offspring wandered over the moorland at South Weirs. The last of my pictures in this set is of the prone foal lifting its head when startled by the sudden cough of a passing cyclist; Jackie’s are the last five images including the suckling foal and the last image of the pony exercising her right to priority over oncoming vehicles.

When driving home through Lyndhurst Jackie parked the car and photographed donkeys attracting attention on the opposite pavement.

A cow guided her calf across the road outside The Rising Sun, while

around the corner in Tiptoe Road, another mare and foal grazed on the verges.

This evening we dined on roast breast of lamb; boiled new potatoes; firm carrots; and tender green beans with which I finished the Cahors.

Garden And Forest

Today was largely overcast, yet very warm. This morning, entertained by trilling birdsong, I carried out a dead heading session; the scents of a multitude of plants pervaded the garden even more as the warmth increased when I stepped out after lunch to walk around it.

I photographed a day lily, numerous roses, two clematis, poppies, a yellow bottle brush plant and a white solanum, all of which bear titles in the gallery.

Later, Jackie drove us to the north of the forest.

Almost the first signs of life we saw were ponies lingering leisurely along the road at North Gorley

and cattle giving drivers an opportunity to rest on the road to Hyde.

We admired the view from Abbotswell Road, on a

verge of which a squirrel hid with its mouth full. I’m not sure who nibbled the tree in the foreground.

Driving down Blissford Hill is always a bit nerve wracking because it is necessary to get up speed to the dappled area beneath the trees in order to climb up the very steep slope, hoping not to encounter another vehicle coming down.

We hope to arrive at the wider top where dog walkers are enjoying the levelling out of the surface.

Donkeys are usually in evidence outside the school at Hyde. Today they were accompanied by a number of foals. The last two photographs in this gallery are Jackie’s.

On our way home a helpful Jay pointed the way to Ringwood.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s very tasty liver and bacon casserole; mashed swede and potatoes sweet and white; and carrots, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts flavoursome and al dente, with which I drank Chilean reserva privada Malbec 2022.

How Many Balls?

On this overcast, imperceptibly drizzly morning I made a good start on reading Jane Eyre for the second time after all but 60 years.

After lunch the sun came out to play with the pink climbers and white solanum on the front garden trellis, as Jackie drove us to Nomansland and back.

Donkeys made a nuisance of themselves on the road at Bramshaw.

A trio of guinea fowl were engaged in their customary pecking up ticks at Nomansland,

while an enforced hiatus in the cricket match in progress was brought about by an injury to a player who received a ball on the forehead. One of the players in the second picture appears to be indicating the point of contact.

The last three pictures in this gallery of the action are Jackie’s. The rest are mine. Those feeling so inclined may count how many balls are in the air in my set. Enlargement in the gallery may be helpful.

The first picture featuring spectators is mine, the other three, by Jackie,

who also photographed scenes in and around the soggy pool, where,

as we were leaving, a pony and her very young foal were to drink. The first five are my pictures, the next five, Jackie’s.

This evening we dined on meaty pork spare ribs; tender green beans; and Jackie’s colourful savoury rice and moist ratatouille.

Just A Week Old

Given that we understood that this morning’s chill wind and cold bright sunshine was likely to cede to strong showers for the rest of the day, we set off for a forest drive just after 8 a.m. and turned on the windscreen wipers in a darkened air two hours later as we were driving home.

Groups of ponies gathered around Smuggler’s Road Car Park basking and reflecting in the sunlight,

which brightened the sand pit in the Rockford Common landscape. The stream at Ibsley ford rippled past a recently broken tree on its banks, where blossom bejewelled a shadow-striated wall.

Further along the road donkeys wandered freely along the tarmac.

The sharp wind swivelled a weather vane seen between two houses.

At the bottom of Frogham Hill we encountered our first donkey mother and foal,

somewhat older than its cousins seen at the top, which according to a resident I engaged in conversation, were just a week old..

Someone had categorised potholes at a road junction in Crow,

This afternoon I watched the Women’s Six Nations rugby matches between France and Ireland and between Scotland and Wales.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s flavoursome savoury rice and spare ribs in hoisin sauce, with which I drank more of the Shiraz.

A Bridge For Tootlepedal

Soon after lunch on this cold-sunshine day I walked around the garden and photographed

a few flowers, namely daffodils and a cluster of blue wood anemones.

Afterwards, stopping at Gregg’s bakers for Jackie to replenish the sweet trolley. While waiting outside, through the car windscreen, the laundrette window, and some reflections, I was entranced by

a rather noble hooded face.

On our journey north the roads and terrain, their waters replenished by two more days and nights of heavy precipitation, were as saturated as ever, but I chose not to focus directly on them on this occasion.

A tyre swing above the rippling and swollen River Avon was now swinging underwater with the force of the current sweeping from the

bubbling Woodgreen millstream, alongside which

a soft toy lounged on a bench and a stump creature reared its head.

As I rounded the broken corner of the bridge wall into which someone had crashed,

Jackie was herself photographing the river encroaching upon the car park; the bridge for Tootlepedal; and me on the bridge watching

the rippling waters.

Ponies, dogs, and walkers basked on Woodgreen, where a glorious magnolia spread in the garden of a thatched cottage. The last pair of ponies in this gallery were depicted by Jackie.

Trees against the clouds at Hale included those sporting their usual crops of mistletoe.

Ferns flourished on a bank cropped by soggy donkeys. While I was photographing these I heard the clopping of hooves further down the road , and turned to see

these berugged horses being led to their paddock beside the ford.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s beef and onion or chicken pies, according to choice; boiled potatoes, tender runner beans, and carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli al dente. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank Reserva Privada Chilean Malbec 2022.