Hurst Castle

29 June 2008, Sunday
Lymington, Hurst and IOW

We drove looking out for signs pointing to the quay; a wharf/dock area. In a few minutes we could see sail boats and ships flow by. Isle of Wight is just five miles away from here!

Further drove down to Milford-on-Sea and Keyhaven. From here it is a two mile walk along the rocky peninsula to Hurst Castle.

Hurst Castle dates back to the 1500's and was part of the same defense strategy that included other castles such as Southsea near Portsmouth. This waterway is called the Solent where the the Southampton Water spills both east and west around the Isle of Wight as it makes its way to the English Channel.

Hurst Castle is situated at the seaward end of the shingle spit that extends 1.5 miles from Milford-On-Sea. The end of the spit is only three-quarters of a mile from the Isle of Wight.

The castle was built by Henry VIII as one of a chain of coastal fortresses and was completed in 1544. Charles I was also imprisoned here in 1648 before being taken to London for trial and execution. Two of the huge 38-ton guns installed in the 1870’s can be seen along with the casemates here. During World War II, Hurst was manned with coastal gun batteries and searchlights.

Shingle storm beach from Milford-on-Sea

It was 8pm, and time for a long drive back. But, wanted to opt for the so-called Ornamental Drive. West of Lyndhurst at Brockenhurst is a place called Rhinefield and the so-called Ornamental Drive. It was the right time of the year. With huge plants, ferns and wild flowers in full bloom along the very rural road - adding to my visit and making it much more delightful.

Energy levels were still high. Spotted a huge stone on the motorway pointing as ‘Rufus Stone’. The map we had, also had an explicit marking. We thus turned in the direction. A sign board said, ‘Rufus Stone Parking’. Started exploring the place. Even after a walk, a bite and a sip, we had't yet spotted the Rufus Stone. Disappointed we decided to drive back, only to see a small 2ft stone.

And another face said, ‘King William the Second had surname Rufus, thus the name Rufus Stone’.The sign board on the motorway in fact was 3 times bigger than the Rufus Stone. :-D

9:30PM - We surely had a fulfilling day, and headed back to the Holiday Inn,Eastleigh.

Beaulieu

29 June 2008, Sunday

Beaulieu

The much cherishable day's outing was to the New Forest area; Driving through the towns and villages.

Drive route - From Winchester area taking A33 south and the M27 west, heading south on A337 towards Lyndhurst……….

The idea of 'New Forest' dates back to the 11th century when King William I decreed that game and preserved forest. All one can spot in these forest are Deer, Cattle and Horse, and we did :-D

The New Forest are is dotted with car parks and picnic areas, to pull off the road and enjoy the countryside. A few pit-stops in the NewForest, and sticking to B3056 we were at Beaulieu.

Beaulieu - The National Motor Museum

A collection of over 300 vehicles, which introduces one to story of motoring on the roads of Britain from the dawn of motoring to the present day.

The Giant Rhubarb, a native of South America.

The Art of Custom : Extraordinarily designed one-off cars and bikes. DG20 Pro-Street, Mentley Insanne, The Coffee Grinder, Techno Bobber, Rainbow Chaser et al..

From the museum walls

‘In Great-Britain there was a general mistrust on motorized methods. The 1865 ‘Red Flag Act’, required all non horse-drawn vehicles to be attended be a crew of three; Two on the vehicle and one walking in front with a RED flag as a warning to the other road users.’

“All that is needed for motor-car riding is a hand for steering and a head to restrain one’s natural inclination for racing on the public road.” - Anonymous

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is a idiot and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" - George Carlin

“A man who drives at a rapid pace in crowded traffic over a greasy surface, is to my mind, either a criminal or a lunatic, or an unhappy combination of both.” – Alfred.C.Harmsworth

Recreating the sights, sounds and smells of a typical country garage from the 1930s.

First Grand Prize Patent Steam Fire Engine.

The Sunbeam, Golden Arrow and Blue Bird : Sir Malcolm Campbell's 1924 Blue-Bird; Donald Campbell's 1964 Bluebird CN7; 1927 Sunbeam 1000HP (the first motor car to reach 200 miles per hour) and the 1929 Irving-Napier Special 'Golden Arrow'.

With Harrods, Knightsbridge in the background.

The Wheels pod ride – taking us through a fascinating journey of, 100 years of motoring.

Aptly designed sound, light and music show- A fascinating history of evolution it presents. Although its not mentioned explicitly, I am happy I didn't spot it on return. :-)

James Bond Experience

Another surprise awaited us, ‘The James Bond Experience’.

The Wet-bike and the Lotus Submarine car from ‘The Spy who loved me’, hatchback from ‘The Man with The Golden Gun’, Motor bike from ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, Roadster and Skidoo from ‘Die Another Day’, Astron Martin V8 from ‘The Living Daylights’ and lastly the Ford Mondeo from ‘Casino Royale’, only to name a few. Here they were all in original!!!

It also had Jaw’s shirt from ‘The Spy who Loved Me’. :-)

On returning home, I shared this with my Brother and a friend, which resulted in a disaster. They started collecting Bond movies, and in a week were done with the movie marathon of all 21!! And now eagerly awaiting ‘The Quantum of Solace’. An example of how weird men are!!

Victorian Flower Garden –with colorful Laburnum and Wisteria arch, and plentiful of garden roses.

The Vine House build by Henry 1^st Lord Montagu of Beaulieu in 1870.

The Secret Army Exhibition tells the story of wartime Beaulieu and the training school established for Special Operations Executive during WWII.

Beaulieu Palace

The ancestral home for Montagu family since 1538, the Palace House over looks Beaulieu River. The Palace is well preserved and furnished with many old and interesting pieces. This is Victorian in contrast to the Portuguese palace, I had visited few months ago in Goa. Its interesting to listen tales from Butler, Cook and Housemaids to get an insight into structure and functioning of household. A number of things caught my interest here.

Beaulieu Mill and Mill Pond

The Mill Pond Walk

Beaulieu Abbey

Beaulieu Abbey was founded in 1204 by Cistercian monks on land given to them by King John. Although much was destroyed at the time of the dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII, remains have been restored.

Our next destination was Lymington.