In a very frantic and busy world, an oasis of pure relaxation is needed and to seek a fresh perspective is always welcomed. A weekend break came in the form of a weekend 'Glamping'. This term effectively means 'glamourous camping'. This wonderful experience had been bestowed on me and Kristina by a family member who had won this as a raffle prize. We are both hugely thankful for the opportunity and truly owe the family member a great deal after the fantastic weekend we have had.
With the trip being a long weekend and yours truly driving, I had expected various degrees of weather (as had been the previous week) but I could never have expected the rather horrific conditions that pummelled us on the majority of the M27. This seemed to make our journey naturally longer. The rain luckily subsided slightly after we had reached the canopy of the forests. Not long before 5pm on Friday, we had found our abode with the help of the trusty sat nav! A rather cute sign awaited us at the corner with a neat little drive to our final destination. Our bell tent! Shortly after arriving, we were met by a lovely woman, Alison, who briefed us on where everything was and handed us a camping kettle, charcoal, a few fire blocks and a brand new fire pit!
After pulling up next to our tent in my car, we duly explored the tent to discover where our little home from home would be for the following few days. Inside, two mugs, tea, sugar, coffee, fairy lights, REALLY fluffy pillows and luxurious bedsheets with a snuggly blanket folded across. Outside the tent, the entrance is decorated with beautiful and subtle bunting and each has its own name proudly placed in front. A gangway is laid and covered whilst walking towards the flaps. There are two, one netted to keep creatures out and let air in and one completely opaque for additional privacy. It was extremely tardis like, with a rather surprising amount of space inside for what you saw before entering! Our specific tent was named 'Rowan', which due to personal reasons, actual meant a huge deal to me. Considering the weekend was gifted to us from the person it was, it was a massive sign we were in the right place at the right time.
Once all the utensils, food, wood and clothes we had transported had been placed inside, we pursued the firepit. It was extremely easy to set up! Being the novices we were, we put paper, wood and charcoal in the pit and attempted to set it alight. Nothing. With a rather brisk wind going, any newspaper that had been lit turned into a singed piece very quickly. We placed the firelights Alison gave us generously on the fire to keep a flame going. Once this had taken affect, we were away! First night BBQ on the way! With a decent appetite we polished a cheese burger off each and snacked on fruit. To finish off the evening and to toast our relative success with the fire we indulged in the still chilled Cava that we had stored. As the sun set (and as I didn't have to drive) we quickly finished the bottle! Whilst a beautiful sunset lowered, the stars started to appear. As people that live in built up areas, this sight is rarity. But watching diamond like lights in the sky had us mesmerised. Settling down for the evening, we discovered that a clear sky also bought cold temperatures at night so we wrapped up and fell asleep to the sounds of owls and the few birds still awake.
Waking up on Saturday morning, myself and Kristina rather eerily rose at the same time of the morning. This was due to the morning sun and rather stereotyped cockerel calling at the top of his lungs from the adjacent farm. For breakfast, I fried a sausage each, some bacon and beans to get us going for what was going to be a busy day of hiking, walking and for me, driving! Whilst I was juggling the breakfast on a very high heat, Kristina was creating a lovely lunch with the leftover rolls and some cheese we had left over. Sharing responsibilities was a common factor in making the weekend work. Taking turns cooking, washing up and collecting wood made the weekend better even more so. Off on our first trip to a open walk called 'Ogdens', we passed pristine landscapes with the occasional, cow, horse or donkey wondering in the distance. Drawing closer we turned into what we believed to be a farm! Fortunately the road that seemed to be punching through continued onto the car park which actually was our desination, phew!
Starting our ascent up a rather wide and open path, we encountered a numerous amount of dog walkers and horse riders, of whom the majority obliged to say a warm hello as they passed. Continuing across the plateau of the hill, a caterpillar was sighted after a fantastic spot from Kristina. This was out first close up of the eco-system this stunning forest offers. After a while we decided to turn right and descend down the hill we had spent a while scaling in search of getting closer to the herds of horses nearer the bottom. Being the tentative city folk we are, we kept our distance. Well, till a couple walked feet from them all with their dog in tow! We naturally then felt at ease as we meandered amongst them in awe at their size and colour. After a while we veered off back onto another path taking in the shrubbery near the centrally placed forest. After finding a gate to pass through the surrounding fence, we managed to walk amongst the intimidatingly tall but intriguingly beautiful trees. Exiting this Forest through its eastern gate, we found ourselves in a bit of a pickle having lost our bearings slightly. After ascending a small hill we spotted the horses that we had saw not 30 minutes previously. We then simply re-joined a path back to the car, making sure to rest up after the 2-3 hour walk we had endured. Coming out of the car park, my sat nav took me down to a rather large pool of water. Not wanting to risk my rather small Corsa I decided to reverse back up and find a different route!
Our second destination of the day was the very aptly named 'Cadman's Pool'. As we turned into the car park, a rather large gathering of photographers had bunched together to photograph something amongst the foliage. Being the ever enthusiastic photographer that I am, I slowly approached the group to see what the fuss was about. There, strapped to a log was a owl. Graciously, the gentleman that owned the photography session allowed me to take a photo. After passing this group we discovered the 'Pool' which look rather beautiful. An island situated itself in the middle whilst the outside was protected by dense shrubs and a fence. Unfortunately this fence had trapped a horse inside. With the end of the fence evidently broken by the weather, the horse was marooned within the few metres between the water and the outside. Kristina did her best to move the horse towards the now open end and to good avail. Eventually with her coercing the beast, the horse decided to take the step and escape!
Behind this pool was a dense forest with a rather large amount of ferns that carpeted the floor. Venturing into this forest, we discovered a gorgeous little stream that ran across the basin of the hill. Following this whilst trying to avoid the local nature's droppings, we took in the sights of the field opposite.
That evening we got back to rest our very well used feet! (Passing comically named Sandy Balls) on the way back. After Saturday nights meal consisting of Sausages and Herby Potatoes, we decided to hone in our fire making skills and create the clichéd 'pyramid' used in the fire symbol. To great effect, and with little wind, the fire bellowed. Collecting some logs that were available around the corner, we continued this fire for a good few hours. We also reminisced on the eventful but fantastic day that had just been. On the right of us, we discovered that the family owned a dog name Peanut. Whilst being a great specimen of a dog and very happy in appearance, the odd joke was made about keeping away from Kristina. (Certain allergies...)
After checking the weather on Saturday night, we were not holding too much hope to what the day may bring on Sunday. With an extremely high chance of rain, we weren't let down. However, being the positive nuggets we are, we decided regardless of the weather we would go ahead with what we planned. After having a well deserved lie in, a beautifully hot shower in the on site wet rooms and nibbling on a few bits of fruit and some biscuits, we made the decision to go to a pub for lunch as a treat. Stuck between two, The Compasses Inn and The Fighting Cocks (I know.... haha) we decided for the latter as it was further out and there was an added bonus of donkeys and horses marauding around the car park. This pub has become a local hotspot for tourists due to how close the nature gets. Its almost as they are wanting to join for a drink! Regardless of the commotion outside, we had a wonderful meal at lunch time. This meal came very prompt and the on-site made burger was juicy and delicious. Post meal we decided to go and see for ourselves the donkeys that had decided they wanted to come and visit. Very, very tame, they sauntered over to us and others as they scratched against the post to try and alleviate the ticks that had obviously bothered them. We managed to give them a good scratch too, which they really enjoyed!
Again, not being deterred by the weather, we moved on to a place called 'Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary'. Crossing the motorway and down a long country lane awaited the most gorgeously set area. With a expertly placed viewing platform we managed to catch a look at Deer and Stags in the most stunning of reserves. Walking around grazing in the distance, they didn't mind the small amount of noise the 15 or so humans were making on the outskirts of the discretely fenced off area. A elderly gentleman was on hand to take any questions visitors may have and was evidently very keen and enthusiastic to share his knowledge. As we continued round to the side of the area, we must have been within 20 metres of a deer grazing, minding its own business. For someone that has lived in a city all his life, it is a wonderful thing to see such animals in the place they belong. A lot of peoples experience with animals are purely zoo based as the expenditure of foreign safari trips can be dear. (Ba Dum Tiss..)
Continuing down the wide stoned path, we encountered another forest walk. Again, like before, the trees were incredible to behold, with the sheer stature bringing us to awe. Again, so different to where I live, its wonderful to see how some areas are thriving with the protection they need. Whilst loving the backdrop and our surroundings we did get a little lost in such a lusciously filled area. This didn't trouble us however. On our winding walk, Kristina had superbly spotted a juvenile deer in the distance. We both took the moment in as even though we had seen the same species in a huge fenced off area, this was a purely wild deer. Rather shocked also, we noticed horses weaving in and out of the woods too. The first bunch being elusive to the camera, we managed to take pictures of the second group. Again, whilst giving a bit of distance and respect to these wild animals, we passed without worry, but with amazement. The rain then pursued to absolutely hammer down. This had made our minds up on going back after the 2-3 hours we planned on spending there. Due to the ascent we had to make we stopped under a thick oak tree and planned our route back to the car. Making sure all our equipment and bags were suitably protected we set off and reached the car quite sharpish, luckily! We were a little soaked, but again, the experiences we had gained more than warmed our shivering hearts up!
Arriving home around 5pm, we decided we were a little hungry but only wanted a small dish due to consuming so much at lunch. With bacon left over and a whole box of eggs still to go, Kristina put together the most wonderfully fluffy and smoky, bacon scrambled egg. This was devoured and really set the evening off nicely. We once again built up the fire, and made ourselves a tea to get ourselves warmed up for the rest of the night. To make the following day that little bit easier, we put away our dirty washing, made sure all non-essentials were packed away and basked in the wonderful sounds of the evening chorus.
Monday came the day we had to depart our humble abode and head home... (Sad face). To cheer us up, Kristina and I made a final breakfast of scrambled egg but this time with a bit of chorizo! Again, wonderfully cooked, we delved into it whilst sat upon a nearby bench. For a sugar boost we additionally had a cup of tea before washing all our food bits up. With a glorious sunshine to say goodbye to, we packed the remining items up and placed it all in the car reluctantly. Before taking our last videos and photos of our tent, we sat down and took a moment to take in our surroundings one last time. Peering into the distant fields we remembered all the memories we had made and started talking about which bits were our favourites and what we have missed. After making sure the tent was as neat as we could and the fire going out exactly as walked out of the tent, we boarded my car, and slowly set off on the journey back to Portsmouth. Waving goodbye to the tent was strangely emotional as this had been a detox from the world we both knew and some golden time for me and Kristina to spend together. This gave me a lump in my throat and Goosebumps as we left the 'weak' bridges, the narrow country lanes and the dubious amount of animal dung behind. Even now, writing this, I miss the really simple life you lead whilst amongst nature and going back to basics. You lose any hype, any drama and any stress. It is a wonderful experience that I well and truly will cherish for many years to come and would fully recommend to anyone who has never done this sort of trip before. Simply, wonderful.
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