After lunch we drove to Milford on Sea in order to photograph poppies on the green. In the event my camera battery was flat so Jackie produced all the pictures.
Leaving enough space for someone to sit, rows of poppies adorn the benches. Those in the last image in this gallery surround the feet of the distant soldier.
A helmet tops the post box,
One bench is in memory of Dorothy Olbrich who was born soon after the beginning of the First World War.
A wreath hung on a door, three seasonal shop windows, and a flowing Union flag complete Jackie’s selection.
This evening we dined on the Culinary Queen’s chilli con carne, wild rice, and green beans with which she drank more of the white wine, and I finished the Fleurie.
On a dull, dry, cold, day we drove to Burley after lunch in search of witches and spooks. This was disappointing for the date, but we did our best with our cameras.
Jackie found that good fairies had bolted their doors.
She also discovered displays of suitably warty cucurbits.
We shared contributions to this gallery. Jackie’s bear her name in it. Mine don’t.
This evening we repeated last night’s meal and beverages.
Yesterday evening I watched the live broadcast of the W.XV Global Series rugby match between USA and England; and this afternoon a recording of the second match in the series between Japan and Wales.
I spent much of the day reading more of ‘The Little Friend’.
I removed from my iPhotos file all but one of those featuring in
This evening we dined on penne pasta arrabbiata with Grana Panado grated cheese and green beans accompanied by Zesty white wine for Jackie and François Martenot Fleurie 2025 for me.
Yesterday afternoon Jackie photographed pigeons in their crab apple larder. Although we still haven’t tackled the post storm clear up in the
garden all seemed cheerful enough for me to take my camera out. The pictures all bear titles in the gallery: chrysanthemums, roses, cyclamen, and Hot Lips, etc.
Later, Ron, an engineer from BSA, visited, cleared blockages in our NEFF dishwasher and gave it a good clean, applying and leaving a supply of the crystals that do the job better than our less effective elbow grease. It is now as good as new.
This evening we dined on spicy pizza and fresh salad with which I finished the syrah.
The most difficult aspect of following these trails is following this map and finding all the entries, for example to reach Mythical Maze we had to find the back gate of Forest School. This turned out to be a spread
sheet created by the children which needed 7 pictures to display it properly. Jackie took these.
In fact all those produced by her bear her name in their galleries.
Mine don’t.
Here, once more is the list and location of the entries.
This evening we dined on second helpings of yesterday’s lemon chicken meal with the addition of green beans; Jackie drank more of the rosé while I drank Pièrre Jaurant Syrah 2024.
This afternoon we began following this trail which we hope to finish
tomorrow. we took it in turns to photograph the exhibits which are named in the following order:Nosferatu the Vampire; The Old Hag of Milford; Millie; The Keyhaven Kraken & Katch; The Milford Giant; Jackie’s very own Scarecrow; Medusa; 1st Milford Sea Brownies; Lucky the Leprechaun; The Local Legend; Brusher Mills Snake Catcher of The New Forest; Karen Kraken; George and the Dragon; Poseidon Legend of the Sea. Photographers are named in the gallery.
This is the list and location of entries.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s lemon chicken and egg fried rice with which she drank Conde Noble Juicy rosé and I finished the merlot.
Overnight storms eased off after lunch; the sun shone; and the breeze was gentle. We are to expect a relapse tomorrow before more temperate weather resumes.
We therefore took a forest drive this afternoon.
Woodland along Holmsley Passage, then Bisterne Close and Beechwood Lane bore good autumn colour; some stayed on the trees, some lay on the ground.
Several fallen trees had been cleared from the roads, Jackie had to
drive round one branch that still poked onto the Passage.
A few ponies foraged on the moorland.
This evening we dined on oven fish and chips, onion rings, and garden peas, with which Jackie drank Franziskaner Weissbier and I drank more of the merlot.
A traditional country pub in the outskirts of Lyndhurst and is just off the Lyndhurst Parish Circular Walk.
The pub dates back to the 15th century, its traditional décor, log fire and low ceilings adds plenty of character, the pub has a large garden and welcomes walkers, cyclists and dogs.
Under new management since December 2024. Steve & family are bringing the Crown Stirrup back to life with the TLC it deserves!
Set in a prime location, on the road from Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst. The New Forest is a step through the garden gate..literally!
Serving good hearty homemade food with a beautiful real fire, it keeps with the traditional country pub feel. https://crownstirrup.co.uk
The pub is the only one named after an ancient object that was used to decide which villagers could take their dogs hunting in the New Forest in the 11th century.
Those small enough to squeeze through the iron stirrup were considered harmless.
But larger animals were banned from chasing deer in case they posed a threat to the hunting enjoyed by King William Rufus.
The original device still hangs in the Court of Verderers, part of the 17th century Queen’s House in Lyndhurst. Its lasting legacy is the only pub in the country called the Crown Stirrup.
Formerly a cottage built in the 1500s, the pub is next to the busy A337 at Clay Hill, Lyndhurst.
While other country pubs have been modernised and enlarged, the Crown Stirrup has managed to retain its old fashioned charm.
Low ceilings, simple decor and a traditional log fire make it a haven for both residents and visitors to the Forest. A footpath at the back leads all the way to Brockenhurst, making it an ideal venue for people seeking a country walk followed by a pub lunch.
The Crown Stirrup or Rufus Stirrup, a Tudor copy which is on display at the Verderer’s Court in Lyndhurst, was once a literal measuring tool. Dogs were passed through it to determine whether they were too large to hunt deer, which were protected for the King. As you can see from the photos it is very small and unlikely anything bigger than a small terrier would be able to pass through.
Dogs that failed the test were subjected to ‘lawing’ or ‘expediting’, a severe and painful punishment under medieval Forest Law.
Three claws of each front foot were removed, and sometimes part of the heel pad too.
The procedure involved placing the foot on a block, setting a chisel across the claws, and striking it with a mallet, leaving the dog permanently disabled, and therefore unable to chase the deer.
Dogs small enough to pass through the stirrup were allowed to keep their claws, as they were not a threat to the Crown’s deer.
This brutal practice was abolished by the Charta de Foresta of 1217. Also known as the Forest Charter or Commoners’ Charter, this was an extension of the Magna Carta that protected common rights and ended the use of physical mutilation to both humans and animals to enforce Forest Law.
The Rufus Stirrup remains a real reminder of the strict control and harsh justice once imposed in the New Forest.
Crown Stirrup in the Verderers Hall. Catherine Shutler
An excerpt from John Manwood’s A Treatise of Forest Laws.
Note that this display in the Verderers’ Hall does question the veracity of the folktale, and consequently the example shown may not be the original.
We visited the establishment in time for lunch, and witnessed its slowly filling up, even though this was another wet and windy day.
We have driven past this pub on numerous occasions in the decade and a half we have lived in the New Forest. Only in the last 18 months has it looked worth a visit. Drab, uncared for, and for a while having a burnt out van in the forecourt it almost looked unoccupied.
Suddenly the frontage was painted, hanging baskets contained real flowers and the building beckoned to visitors.
Julia and Steve the new occupiers were the reason. They also made us very welcome while also greeting and conversing with other customers, both regulars and visitors.
The doorway is deceptively low, perhaps necessitating bending in order not to miss the floor paved with colourful bricks.
We each photographed scenes inside, including portraits of each
other. Note that several images included an intriguing beam forming part of a brick pillar; and touches of Halloween.
The food was well cooked and served promptly with pleasure. Jackie photographed my whitebait starter and scampi and chips main and her own cheddar and pickle sandwich and sticky toffee pudding which was served with two spoons in case I could be tempted.
All other pictures by Jackie are so stated in the galleries.
No further sustenance will be required this evening, which is just as well because our dishwasher has stopped working.
With the sun shining, rain stopped, and wind speed down to 40+ m.p.h. this morning, I screwed up courage to inspect the three days of storm damage.
When this table and its potted plant was thrown against our double glazed French windows by an 80+ m.p.h. wind we were relieved that nothing was broken.
The rock in the base of this plant stand had been fixed to prevent it from falling.
These heavy chairs had never been tipped up before.
New trip hazards had been blown down.
In pitch dark last night a heavy thumping sound had caused considerable alarm. It turned out to be the drainpipe that our friend Barry had fitted on 1st February 2021 (https://derrickjknight.com/2021/02/01/finishing-touches-2/) that continued to roll back and forth without becoming detached from its guttering. Congratulations on your join, Barry.
Numbers of containers had been tipped over,
as had some obelisks.
Although they continued to sway with the gusts, most plants remained intact, as is shown in these pictures along the Brick Path with its support arches.
This was our day of respite before the next storm hits.
Our dinner this evening consisted of cottage pie, chestnut mushrooms, carrot, cabbage and Brussels sprouts with which Jackie drank more of the rosé and I finished the pinot noir.
As Storm Austen passes the baton to Storm Boebo I spent my third day in a row staying indoors. This morning I watched a recording of last night’s W.XV Global Rugby match between women of Canada and England. After lunch came more reading of ‘The Little Friend’; then deleting from my iPhotos file the one photo appearing in
This evening we dined on more roast pork and crisp crackling; roast potatoes and parsnips; cabbage, carrots, Brussels sprouts; Yorkshire pudding, and meaty gravy with which Jackie drank Zesty rosé and I drank more of the Pinot Noir.
The Crown Stirrup. A Brutal Tool of Forest Law 
The Crown Stirrup or Rufus Stirrup, a Tudor copy which is on display at the Verderer’s Court in Lyndhurst, was once a literal measuring tool. Dogs were passed through it to determine whether they were too large to hunt deer, which were protected for the King. As you can see from the photos it is very small and unlikely anything bigger than a small terrier would be able to pass through.
Dogs that failed the test were subjected to ‘lawing’ or ‘expediting’, a severe and painful punishment under medieval Forest Law.
Three claws of each front foot were removed, and sometimes part of the heel pad too.
The procedure involved placing the foot on a block, setting a chisel across the claws, and striking it with a mallet, leaving the dog permanently disabled, and therefore unable to chase the deer.
Dogs small enough to pass through the stirrup were allowed to keep their claws, as they were not a threat to the Crown’s deer.
This brutal practice was abolished by the Charta de Foresta of 1217. Also known as the Forest Charter or Commoners’ Charter, this was an extension of the Magna Carta that protected common rights and ended the use of physical mutilation to both humans and animals to enforce Forest Law.
The Rufus Stirrup remains a real reminder of the strict control and harsh justice once imposed in the New Forest.
Crown Stirrup in the Verderers Hall. Catherine Shutler
