Penbury Knoll Camp

Penbury Knoll Camp is designated as an early prehistoric hillfort, with an irregular single rampart and ditch, and an interior suffering from later quarrying. I'll be honest, in it's present condition and scant visible remains (beyond a section of shallow ditch and slight bank), it's hard to see this site as a hillfort, it's very small too. It's definitely something prehistoric. There are several causeways across the visible shallow ditch, and I could see it being a causewayed enclosure, and interestingly there are good assemblages (from surface finds) of Mesolithic and Neolithic flint work from the knoll.  Nice spot, with some good vistas over the Chase and towards the New Forest, you can see why it would have been the focus of human activity.

Ear, git orf moi lan!

Ear, git orf moi lan! Bolstered by the majority Tory government, the badger cull and the possibility of an end to the hunting ban, farmers are employing even more extreme measures to keep you 'off their land'. Only kidding (or am I?). You frequently see Apaches flying about the north New Forest and Cranborne Chase, but never before have I seen one up so close. The pilot was flying close to the contours of the land, appearing up over tree lines and hillsides, before disappearing again.  Periodically the Apache would stop, practicing hovering and manoeuvring I suppose, one such stop and hover just happened to be right in front of us.  I've always been fascinated by helicopters, they're like giant metallic insects, and this one certainly could give you a nasty nip.

Penbury Knoll

The views out over west Dorest and beyond from Penbury Knoll were fantastic this afternoon, and spring was certainly hinting heavily at what's to come. Gorse blazed bight yellow, green shoots and spring blooms poked up through the hedgerows, over the grassland and about the wooded dells. Bird song filled the air, hares darted across the fields and all around the land appeared alive with activity. The air was fresh and sweet, blown by a gentle breeze on which birds of prey soared. So peaceful, so natural, everything as it should be. It was bloody marvellous! So different from yesterday when I cycled around Bournemouth, all chaos and anger, choked up with its sticky, hot, dirty air.  From our hill top perch Dorset extended out before us, but you could see further, into Wiltshire and maybe beyond as well. At times like this I could just sit taking it in for hours.