Hampshire (Winchester, watercress and woodland)
The large county of Hampshire is one of contrasts: from a National Park to England’s former capital city, and from seaside resorts to pretty inland villages.
Winchester is a beautiful city (which used to be the capital of England), with a lovely cathedral and castle ruins. The weekly farmers’ market is one of England’s largest, bringing fresh Hampshire produce to everyone’s table, with no or low food miles.
Winchester Litter Pickers began with 3 friends, and now has over 30 local volunteers. Areas they clean include outside the cathedral and the area around the railway station. They collect around 1000 bags of litter per year. Volunteers receive litter grabbers and reflective vests (donated by the Rotary Club).
Regency writer Jane Austen (often more associated with Bath, where she lived) was born in nearby Steventon, where her father was the local vicar. Several of her nephews attended Winchester collage, and she spent her last weeks in the city. She is buried at Winchester cathedral.
Winchester College is up there with Eton, as one of England’s poshest private schools. Founded in 1382, it’s also one of the oldest, and includes a 14th century Gothic chapel, and a schoolroom designed by Sir Christopher Wren (who designed St Paul’s Cathedral in London).
Some well-known pupils who attended here include:
- Rishi Sunak (former Conservative Prime Minister)
- Hugh Dancy and Colin Firth (English actors)
- Tim Brooke-Taylor (former Goodie!)
Why Hampshire is ‘King of the Watercress!’
Watercress is Hampshire’s best-sold crop, easily cooked, so only add at in the last few minutes for recipes. Also popular in Dorset, it was first eaten by the Romans and was an ingredient in the first sandwich!
Watercress has a peppery taste (similar to mustard). Try this Try this 15-minute watercress soup (Salted Mint).
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (watercress is high in vitamin K so should be avoided for some medications). If growing your own, use no-dig methods to protect wildlife and read our post on pet-friendly gardens.
One bag of watercress is sold each second in England. It’s been popular since Roman times, when it was thought to cure everything from baldness to insanity. Or just to freshen breath.
Best enjoyed from April to September, choose strong green leaves for freshness and only wash and shake dry before use. Store in the fridge (ideally in water) and eat within a couple of days.
You can recycle soft plastic packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
A former watercress farm near Chichester, is set to become a glamping site. The owners plan to let tourists help themselves, and remaining beds will be turned into wildlife ponds.
Free Watercress on the NHS?
The founder of England’s largest watercress farm eats it each day, as does his family. He’s so passionate about the crop, he arranges a watercress festival in the village of Alresford.
The company is also trialling ‘free watercress soup’ at an NHS hospital,. This could use up 90,000kg of winter watercress that would otherwise go to waste, and serve nutritious tasty food to patients.
M & S were recently criticised for selling a ‘posh’ egg cress sandwich for £6. Boasting it contained ‘a whole sliced egg, fresh baby watercress and luxury mayonnaise in two slices of bread.’
It did not take long for social media comments to come through like ‘this country is finished’ and that ‘the word posh costs you 3 quid’.
President Trump Not Impressed with ‘Local Food’
When President Trump recently visited England for a state visit, the immense banquet (which Lib Dem leader Ed Davey didn’t attend, as he thought it was in poor taste with people starving in Gaza) included Hampshire watercress, along with poached Victoria plums.
Apparently on the flight home, the fast food addict (whose favourite food is Filet-o-Fish) said ‘Whatever the hell they served, I don’t know’. Teetotal, he also was not impressed by offerings of organic cognac, likely wondering where his usual diet coke was.
The New Forest (and its wild ponies)
The New Forest contains the largest expanse of lowland heath in southern England, a habitat now rarer than rainforest. Home to some of oldest trees in western Europe (some over 1000 years old), it’s a diverse patchwork of ancient woodland, heathland and coast (with 75% of the world’s dragonflies found here).
When out walking, always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. At the coast, read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.
The New Forest Verderers employ five Agisters whose oversee all grazing wild ponies, livestock, cattle, donkeys, pigs and sheep (but not deer or other wild animals).
Never disturb or feed wild ponies. For concerns, contact the Verderer and Agisters website. Road traffic accidents involving ponies, cattle, donkeys, pigs and sheep must be reported immediately on 999.
The South Downs (England’s Newest National Park)
The South Downs National Park stretches from Winchester (Hampshire) to Eastbourne (East Sussex). It’s mostly known for its chalk downs, and beech woods that glow with copper hues, when autumn arrives. Many villages (like Amberley) lie nestled in the valleys, with old pubs and hidden churches giving a real example of old England.
This park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, free from light pollution. This attracts many wildlife species from butterflies to skylarks and shy deer (who hide in ancient woodlands). Barn owls can safely hunt at dusk, and local nature reserves help to protect rare bats, dormice and orchids.
The South Downs Way is a 100-mile national trail that runs across the heart of the park. It’s well-marked and open to walkers, taking you through open hills, secret valleys and quiet forests.
The Solent (seagrass meadows and chalk reefs)
The Solent is the large stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the main coast (Portsmouth, Southsea, Hayling Island etc). It’s one of England’s busiest waterways, home to the annual Cowes Festival.
The Solent was formed over 7000 years ago, when sea levels rose during the last Ice Age. This flooded the River Frome estuary, and caused the Isle of Wight to separate from the mainland.
The area has many shipwrecks including the HMS Mary Rose, which sank in 1545, and was only salvaged in 1982 (a feat watched by millions of people on TV). It’s now displayed in a Portsmouth museum.
This narrow stretch of sea is a very important haven for seagrass meadows (home to endangered sea turtles and sea horses) and rare chalk reefs (like our version of coral reefs).
Hayling Island is the largest island in the Solent, with many Blue Flag beaches. The shallow waters has made it popular for water sports (this is where windsurfing was invented).
Never use jet skis, they harm many creatures, and cause noise pollution stress, from engine noise under the water. Many councils are now banning their use.
It’s illegal to drive into flocks of gulls or seals on the water, as it can separate them from their young. Report anonymously to Crimestoppers if you see anyone doing this.
