Peartree Green – Page 3

A partridge in a pear tree, almost

4 December 2015

When I woke up this morning I had that kind of thick, tickly feeling that usually means a cold is waiting to pounce. There was also a slightly annoying Christmas song going round and round in my head. Worse still I couldn’t quite remember which gift came on which day of Christmas apart from the five golden rings and the Partridge in a pear tree. There seemed to be only one way to deal with both these issues, get out in the sun and visit a real pear tree. Well it was kill or cure anyway. Continue reading A partridge in a pear tree, almost

two bridges and an iconic plane – first published 8 June 2013

The two day weekends were playing havoc with my walking. At the beginning of June I’d planned a twelve or thirteen mile walk but time was not on my side. Four day weekends made it easy to take one whole day out for walking now it was not so simple. Commando suggested I try a short walk instead. Although I will admit to being a little peeved not to be having the walk I wanted I had to agree his plan made sense. The decision was made and I set about finding an interesting shorter walk using Walkjogrun. Continue reading two bridges and an iconic plane – first published 8 June 2013

A bridge, a boat show and some old walls

13 September 2013

For reasons I will reveal later I didn’t want to tax myself too much on Sunday and, even though I knew there would be precious little time for walking on Monday and maybe Tuesday, I decided on a shortish Sunday walk. The Boat Show was in town so I decided to do the old two bridge challenge and see what all the fuss was about. It was an overcast day with a good chance of rain when I set out towards the green and I detected more than a hint of yellow in the leaves along the woodland path. At the top of the slope the open space was filled with grass and wildflowers going to seed. Autumn is in the air for sure. Continue reading A bridge, a boat show and some old walls

Pears, picking litter and pony traps

11 August 2015

Saturday was the day of the annual Big Beach Clean Up on Weston Shore. Of course, I was working so, much as I’d have liked to, I couldn’t be there. The Friends of Weston Shore do a fantastic job organising these events and keeping the shore clean although I always think it’s a shame they have to. If everyone took their rubbish home there’d be no need and these dedicated folks could spend their time enjoying the beach. Unfortunately, people just discarding litter wherever they like, even right next to a bin, seems to be a sign of the times. Continue reading Pears, picking litter and pony traps

Sun, sea and … Shingle

30 June 2015

The last walk of June was going to be hot, hot, hot, at least according to the weather forecast which predicted temperatures in the high twenties. It seemed the sensible thing to do would be head for the shore where there would be sea breezes to cool me down. As it happened there was something interesting I’d been meaning to check out in Hamble anyway, the only problem was I wasn’t exactly sure how to get to it. Still, not knowing where I’m going has never stopped me before. Continue reading Sun, sea and … Shingle

Windy City walking

12 April 2015

The Sunday walk was dictated by the fact that it was Philo’s birthday. What with the adventure at Eton and Windsor, the change of shift and then the Easter weekend it was the first chance I’d had to get his present. Of course I knew exactly what I was going to get, I just hadn’t had time to go and get it. So, the plan was to walk into town and back, killing two birds with one stone. It was a beautiful day for it, or so it seemed. Continue reading Windy City walking

sales, sails and a spooky tale – first published 27 December 2012

Sometimes you walk past a place again and again without ever realising the secrets it’s hiding. The day after Boxing Day Commando and I walked down to see Commando Senior and he showed me one of his boyhood haunts. That was when I found out the little church on Peartree Green hid a grizzly secret. Continue reading sales, sails and a spooky tale – first published 27 December 2012

Boundaries, stones, woods and lack of energy

17 March 2015

A little while ago I visited Cross House, the ancient shelter for people waiting for the Itchen Ferry boats. Cross House was built on base of the old Itchen Ferry boundary cross and, close to the building, I found a strange rectangular stone. This, I discovered later, was one of twelve modern boundary stones, carved in the council workshops in 1988 and placed at significant points along the city boundary. It was not the first one I’d stumbled upon but it was the first time I’d been able to find out what I was looking at. As Tuesday was my last chance for a walk before I went back to work, I decided I’d revisit the first boundary stone. Continue reading Boundaries, stones, woods and lack of energy

Spitfires, a ferry, a lost village, and a pear tree

9 February 2015

In the end, instead of climbing back up the slippery bank I decided to carry on a little further. This may well have been another procrastination device to avoid the muddy ascent but it proved to be more interesting than I expected. Of course, I’ve walked this way many times but, even on a familiar walk, there can be surprise discoveries. Passing the Yacht Pub where people were enjoying a Sunday lunch time drink in the winter sun, I made towards the slipway and the little park where the Itchen ferry boats used to come and go. Continue reading Spitfires, a ferry, a lost village, and a pear tree

A mythical pear tree, a village green and an air raid shelter

Looking over Chessel Bay from the site of the old Ridgeway Golf Course

8 February 2015

On on the face of it Pear Tree, seems an odd name to give to a green, a church or an avenue but there was once an ancient pear tree, almost rent in two by lightning that, miraculously some might say, survived and still bore fruit. Back in 1618, when the little church was built the whole area, from Bitterne Village at the top of the hill down to Itchen Ferry Village was woods and heathland known as Ridegway Heath. So famous was the old pear tree that the green on Ridgeway Heath was named after it. When a post on the Southampton Heritage Facebook page mentioned an air raid shelter on the green and a World War II tented camp I thought I’d go and take a closer look.

Continue reading A mythical pear tree, a village green and an air raid shelter