Cindy-Lou Dale

Hampshire is a truly remarkable corner of the English countryside with historic towns, boasting rich cultural heritage and small chocolate-box villages. Unspoilt rolling hills are punctuated by sheep and the deeply wooded forests are inhabited by wild ponies. You may feel yourself transported back in time when driving along the country roads, past little thatched cottages which are three- or four hundred years old and ‘olde worlde’ pubs that serve traditional ales and pub lunches.

 

Should you decide to call into one of these quaint English country pubs, take a tip from this seasoned traveler. Don’t make jokes when visiting England. English folk are reserved and pride themselves in their steely wit, composure and restraint. Engaging them in conversation is futile, unless you’ve been formally introduced by a known third party. It is therefore considered unwise to tell the pub landlord of your life changing experience on the motorway or about driving ‘on the wrong side’, whilst he is ‘pulling’ your pint. If he’s polite he will sniff and move away. But please don’t be fool hardy, it is also strongly advised that you desist from approaching your fellow patrons with an ice-breaker like ‘why don’t y’all lock up your lunatics instead of issuing them with motor vehicles’. Undoubtedly you will soon appreciate what is meant when you are threatened with ‘giving you one’ or enquiring if you’d like ‘a thick ear’. At this juncture I suggest a hasty retreat might be in order - head to Steventon.

 

British culture

 

·         Do stay in line. The British like waiting their turn and ‘frown upon’ those that don’t.

·         Do pay for drinks as you order them in pubs and bars.

·         Do say "Please" and "Thank you": It is considered rude if you don't.

·         Do cover your mouth when yawning or coughing.

·         Do shake hands when you are first introduced to someone. Do not greet people with a kiss – this is reserved for close friends and relatives. ‘How do you do?’ is a greeting whilst shaking hands, not a question, and the correct response is to repeat ‘How do you do?'

·         Do not talk loudly in public.

·         Do not stare at anyone in public. Privacy is highly regarded.

·         Do not backslapping and hug a Brit.

·         Do not speak with your mouth full of food.

·         Do not ask personal or intimate question like "How much money do you earn?" or "How much do you weigh?" or "Why aren't you married?" English are private people.

 

The most famous person from Hampshire is undoubtedly the writer, Jane Austen, (Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Northanger Abbey). Jane was born in the small hamlet of Steventon in 1775. Twenty-six years later her father, the Reverend George Austen, moved his family to Bath. A few years later Jane moved to Southampton and eventually, returned to her beloved Hampshire in 1809, after her brother, Edward, gave her a permanent home at Chawton. She revised and published Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813), followed by Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816). Jane died of Addison’s disease in 1817, aged only 41. Her remains have been laid to rest at Winchester cathedral’s North Aisle of the Nave. After her death, Jane's final two novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published. These were the first books published under her own name; all of the novels published during her lifetime were simply described as being penned "By a Lady".

 

To reach Steventon you need to pass through a tunnel beneath the Basingstoke to Winchester railway line, built on a high embankment. On approach you bypass the hamlet of Dummer – home of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

 

Once in Steventon, nestled in a quiet spot, off a tiny country lane, you will find the thirteenth century Church of St. Nicholas, where Jane Austen worshipped and listened to her father voice his memorable sermons. The church remains effectively unchanged by Victorian restoration, and is still much the same as when Jane Austen knew it.

 

Turn off your car’s engine, climb out and step hundreds of years back in time into a world of peace and silence. The rectory, home of the Austen’s, was in the fields beyond and to the right of the churchyard. It was destroyed in a fire and all that remains now is a fenced well. If there is nothing to see of the old rectory, why come? Wander around awhile and soak up the surroundings, let the peaceful parish soothe you into thoughts of rural living long ago. Once you have taken in the pastoral atmosphere step into the 700-year old church.

 

Accommodation: No suitable lodgings are available in Steventon however, conveniently located Basingstoke offers the Audleys Wood.

 

Other Famous People from Hampshire

 

·         Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

·         Charles Kingsley, author of The Water Babies.

·         Richard Adams the author of Watership Down.

·         Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth.

·         Thomas Burberry, inventor of gabardine and maker of coats.

·         Composer Andrew Lloyd Weber lives in a grand manor house at Sydmonton.

·         Former Formula One World Champion, Jody Scheckter, lives in Laverstoke.

·         Actor, Jeremy Irons, was born on the Isle of Wight.

·         Liz Hurley, model and actress, attended college in Basingstoke.

·         Mark King, of pop group ‘Level 42’ fame, lives on the Isle of Wight.

·         Gilbert White the naturalist.

 

Celebrations in honor of Jane Austen are held annually in the nearby town of Basingstoke. The 2005 Jayne Austen Fayre will be held on August 20th-21st. These festivities include equestrian displays with pistols and swords, a Regency ladies Archery display, dueling cavalry officers, a redcoat guard of honor as well as Jane Austen readings and poetry. Visitors in period costumes gain free admission (usually £3.50).

 

In the neighboring village of Chawton, is the seventeenth century Jane Austen's museum. The beautifully kept home holds an assortment of memorabilia including Jane’s writing desk and a bureau-bookcase containing some of her first editions. The museum also boasts a peaceful eighteenth century garden containing a variety of plants and herbs common in that era. In the Old Bakehouse you will find the newly restored donkey carriage (used till this day), which Jane employed when too weak to travel on foot. The museum shop has a selection of souvenirs and a good collection of Jane Austen related books, videos (including a series shown on television), CDs and cassettes of readings.

 

After enjoying Jane Austen’s museum, travel a mile or two further to the local railway station and take a trip on an authentic steam-engine across the Hampshire countryside.

 

Traditional meals

 

·         Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (roast meat, two vegetables and potatoes with Yorkshire Puddings). This is England's traditional Sunday lunch, which is a family affair. Yorkshire Pudding is made from a batter of flour, eggs and milk, and cooked in the oven and served with the main meal.

·         Fish and chips (fish, in a thick batter, is deep-fried and the "chips" are fried potatoes)

·         Ploughman's Lunch (a piece of cheese, a bit of pickle and pickled onion, and a chunk of bread)

·         Shepherds Pie (made with minced lamb and vegetables topped with mashed potato and grated cheese.)

·         Toad-in-the-Hole (a sausage covered in batter and roasted.)

·         Bubble & Squeak (typically made from leftover potatoes and cabbage fried together). It is an old dish, used as a way of finishing up the leftovers from a previous meal.

·         English breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms, baked beans). 

·         Bangers and Mash (mashed potatoes and sausages). Bangers are sausages in England. During the war sausages had a tendency of exploding whilst being cooked, due to the amount of water in them.)

·         Black Pudding (a thick sausage made from the blood and fat of a pig).

 

Head off down to the Hampshire seaside. The coastline, considered to be the most beautiful in England, is pierced by steep ravines, deep-water estuaries and holiday villages.

 

From open coast to rolling hills and river valleys, charming villages, historic cities and towns - Hampshire's has it all.

 

The city of Winchester is a city of beauty and is compact, cramming a remarkable collection of historical buildings into a small area. The prize of Winchester is the cathedral, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the country. In the Middle-Ages the cathedral was used up to three times a year for royal court functions.  The cathedral holds countless tombs as well as mortuary chests containing the bones of Saxon Kings and Bishops.

Spring/Summer Calendar

 

·         May: The Aldershot Horse Show, one of the largest in the south. 

·         June: Bournemouth Music-Makers Festival with bands, choirs and orchestras from around the world.

·         June/July: International Festival of the Sea, Portsmouth

·         June/July: Hampshire Food Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. Activities include farm walks, producer open days, local food menus in Hampshire eateries, talks, cooking demos, special themed meals, children's workshops, the largest Farmers Market in the UK.

·         July: Isle of Wight County Show, Cowes.

·         July: Princes Trust Charity Ball, Southampton.

·         July: Farnborough International Air Show for those who can’t get enough of low-flying engine roaring displays.

·         August: Cowes Week yachting festival, Isle of Wight. The island is surrounded by sailboats - a sight not to be missed, especially if there is no wind!

·         August: Jane Austen Fayre, Basingstoke.

·         September: The Beaulieu International Auto-jumble, the largest jumble sale in

 

Europe of items connected with motoring and road transport, is also held at the National Motor Museum. With its monorail and nearby country pile, this is well worth a visit at anytime.

 

Not to be outdone by the cathedral is Winchester Castle. William the Conqueror, started construction of the castle but only the Great Hall of Henry III (1222-1235) survived the Civil War intact. The hall houses a huge Round Table, reputed to be that of King Arthur.  

 

Winchester’s history predates the late Iron-Age and is best explored on foot. In the streets around the impressive cathedral, there are many stores, eateries and pubs. The town has numerous galleries, museums and other famous city attractions and is regarded to be one of the most beautiful towns in Southern England. The view from St Giles' Hill has a magnificent sweep of the cathedral including many of the Medieval and Georgian buildings that have remained largely untouched.

 

Accommodation: Cathedral View Townhouse

 

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Farnborough was once a small village and has become a name associated with the military since the early 1900’s. Over the decades, His Majesty’s Military Balloon Factory underwent numerous name and directional changes and now houses the Government’s Air Accident Investigation Branch and the British National Space Centre as well as a defense and security technology company. Farnborough also hosts the annual International Air Show.

 

The Imperial Mausoleum of St. Michael's Abbey, in Farnborough, was commissioned by the Empress Eugenie as a memorial to her husband, the Emperor Napoleon III, and her son, whose remains are in the crypt. The oldest parts of the parish church date back to 1200 and the parish registers start in 1584.

 

Accommodation: Tudorwood Guest House

 

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Portsmouth is easy to get to and once there you'll find it simple to get around. Portsmouth is a flat city, ideal for walking and has an excellent bus network, with lots to see. Of course, its world famous as the home port of the Royal Navy and is also home to the annual International Festival of the Sea.

 

The historic Portsmouth dockyard is a must see as, amongst others, the flagship of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, the HMS Victory is moored there. She is the only remaining eighteenth century warship anywhere in the world and is the oldest serving Royal Navy ship in commission. The HMS Victory remains a fully commissioned ship with her own complement of officers and crew and is the flagship of the Second Sea Lord, Commander in Chief Naval Home Command. You can also view the Mary Rose, HMS Warrior and visit the naval museum.

 

If you’d prefer serenity, Portsmouth has four miles of Victorian seafront with a shingle beach and promenade, backed by gorgeous green spaces and award-winning gardens. Or visit the museum of the world renowned author, Charles Dickens, born in Portsmouth in 1812. The museum has been significantly renovated and furnished in the Regency style.

 

Accommodation: Fortitude Cottage

 

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Southampton, known mainly as the departing point for the infamous Titanic, has many hidden treasures – like the Museum of Archaeology, which reveals the story of Southampton and its Roman Saxon and Medieval origins. The city's other museums tell the story of town life, the growth of the modern port and the development of the flying boats. The Southampton Maritime Museum, for example, features an exhibition devoted to the story of the Titanic. With modern shopping malls and a commercial town centre, the city offers the best range of shopping in Hampshire.

 

At one time or another, twenty-six aircraft companies were based in and around Southampton. The most famous of these being Supermarine, but they also included Airspeed, Folland and Saunders-Roe. Southampton was also the departure point for Imperial Airways flying boat routes to the Empire and across the Atlantic. The aircraft and displays at Solent Sky illustrate this proud heritage. Dominating the display area is a Sandringham flying boat, which is open for internal inspection, while a Spitfire and Folland Gnat can also be viewed. The walls and upper gallery tell the story of the aviation activities in the area, in a series of informative and well illustrated displays. In mid-2004 the former Southampton Hall of Aviation changed its name to 'Solent Sky'.

 

Accommodation: Southampton Inn

 

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Other Must See’s near Southampton

 

New Forest - The New Forest is of course not new at all; it was designated a royal hunting domain by William the Conqueror in 1079, and remained a protected area over the centuries since then. One of William's sons, the unpopular William II (William Rufus), was killed in a hunting accident near Stoney Cross, and the "Rufus Stone" marks the spot where the rapacious king met his untimely.

 

National Motor Museum – At the southern tip of the New Forest lies Beaulieu, a former abbey which came into the hands of the Montagu family after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The old abbey buildings form a display on life in a medieval monastery, and the Montagu family home of Palace House was once the abbey gatehouse. Though the monastic remains are fascinating, most visitors to Beaulieu come to see the National Motor Museum, housed within the grounds, where over 250 historic vehicles on display. Near Beaulieu is Buckler's Hard, a picturesque village with a proud history of ship-building. No less than three of the ships commanded by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar came from Buckler's Hard, and the attractive museum commemorates that naval legacy.

 

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The Isle of Wight is the largest Island off the British mainland and is truly a distinctive holiday destination. The Island's mix of breathtaking countryside, golden beaches, great attractions and a vast number of things to do will make a trip here an experience you'll never forget. Places to see on The Needles, Osborne House, Carisbrook Castle and the Isle of Wight Zoo, home to a rare white tiger.

 

Accommodation: Springvale Hotel

 

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You will come away from England with fond memories of the people and their peculiarities, their commitment to order; the moth-eaten antiquity, their eccentric customs like becoming overjoyed at the most humble of pleasures. Their spirit in the way they ‘put up with things, like the weather, the royal family or bad service. The way they apologize for their mere presence and the manner in which they discourage their children from grumbling, saying instead it may be one of those proverbial crosses in life they’ll need to bear. You will reminisce about the undulating seascapes, the knolls, valleys and the new shades of green you’ve seen; the ancient buildings, the castles, the culture demanding traditions to honor the past.

 

But you shall return... there is so much more of this glorious England to see.

 

 

 

 

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© Cindy-Lou Dale 2005