Pawprint Series | A3 Traveller

London’s largest Royal Park

08/06/2016 by a3traveller

It’s taken me half of my life to finally visit Richmond Park, London’s largest Royal Park in fact. Perhaps its only now that I tend to go for long walks with faithful Hound in tow that I have come to appreciate the beauty of nature – and it doesn’t come better than this beautiful park. I love an oak tree and this park is the UK’s leading site for ancient trees – there are more than 12,000 of them scattered […]

Categories: Dog walking, Europe, Historic Heritage, London, Nature, UK • Tags: Dog walking, England, Henry VIII, King Henry's Mound, London, Pawprint Series, Pembroke Lodge, Protected View, Richmond Park, The Royal Parks, Travel, UK

Portsdown Hill – best viewpoint over Portsmouth

09/06/2015 by a3traveller

When you visit a new city, don’t you wish you could see its situation and understand it from the air? You can do so when travelling to Belfast of course but it is quite rare. In Hampshire, it’s uniquely possible, thanks to the long chalk ridge of Portsdown Hill. The highest point lies within Fort Southwark at 132m above sea level. This amazing position of course affords unbeatable views to the South over Portsmouth, The Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport […]

Categories: Dog walking, Europe, Hampshire, Nature, Portsmouth, Travel, UK • Tags: Dog walking, England, Forest of Bere, Hampshire, Pawprint Series, Portchester Castle, Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Dockyard, Southwick, Travel, UK

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Pawprint Series: Wimbledon Common

25/11/2014 by a3traveller

Every time I come up to town, with my faithful four legged friend in tow, we make a point of visiting Wimbledon Common – it is quite simply the most beautiful oasis of calm in the bustle of South London life. When I lived in London, this was my safety valve and I value it enormously – in every weather. I admit to missing it too since I moved away, hence my eagerness to stroll through its acreage whenever I come up […]

Categories: Dog walking, Europe, London, Nature, Pawprint series, UK • Tags: Dog walking, England, London, Pawprint Series, South London, Travel, UK, Walking, Wimbledon Common

Pawprint Series: Park Wood

13/11/2014 by a3traveller

It might come as no particular surprise to discover that Park Wood on the old London Road in Waterlooville was once part of the ancient Forest of Bere that covered most of southern England. Nurtured today by a group of friendly and committed volunteers under the overall purview of The Woodlands Trust, Park Wood is a small area of semi-natural ancient woodland between Wallis and Queens Road, opposite Queen’s Enclosure. It today consists of a core wooded area and two former meadows, now […]

Categories: Dog walking, Europe, Hampshire, Nature, Pawprint series, Portsmouth, Travel, UK • Tags: Dog walking, England, Forest of Bere, Hampshire, Hart Plain Estate, Park Wood, Pawprint Series, Portsmouth, Travel, UK

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Remember remember the fifth of November …

05/11/2014 by a3traveller

For me, Cowdray House in Midhurst, West Sussex, is one of this country’s most beautiful and desolate ruins. It seems such a elegant facade and from a distance, appears almost perfect, that it seems positively sinful to have let it go to rack and ruin. I guess, however, when you have a number of country estates at your disposal and with none of the benefits associated with modern-day insurance, you too might have decided to forego the expense and simply move […]

Categories: Dog walking, Historic Heritage, Pawprint series, Sussex, Travel, Venerable Ruins • Tags: Anthony-Maria Browne, Capability Brown, Cowdray House, Dog walking, England, Great Britain, Henry VIII, James V of Scotland, JMW Turner, John Constable, Mary of Guise, Pawprint Series, Robert May, Sir John Bohun, Travel, UK, West Sussex

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Glorious Shanklin Chine

18/09/2014 by a3traveller

I’m focussing on the Isle of Wight at the moment and another magical childhood memory – visiting the mysterious and exotic Shanklin Chime! The formation of the Chine (a local word of Saxon origin for a deep narrow ravine), has taken place over 10,000 years and the stream running through it would originally have flowed into the Eastern Yar River when Sandown Bay was land. With a drop of 32m (105 ft) to sea level in just over a quarter of […]

Categories: Historic Heritage, Isle of Wight, Nature, Travel, UK • Tags: Charles Dickens, England, Isle of Wight, Jane Austen, Longfellow, Pawprint Series, Queen Victoria, Sandown Bay, Shanklin, Shanklin Chine, Travel, UK

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The best view of The Solent: Portsdown Hill

25/03/2014 by a3traveller

I would suggest to any Portsmouth visitor that they should first drive up to Portsdown Hill to gain an unbeatable vista over the city and the Solent. Obviously it’s best when the weather is clement but that view is intriguing for me (and most locals) in any weather system. To orientate you, on the left hand side, you can see Hayling Island and Langstone Harbour, in the middle, Portsmouth (the island of Portsea) and Southsea whilst on the right, you can […]

Categories: A3Traveller, Dog walking, Europe, Hampshire, Nature, Pawprint series, Travel, UK • Tags: British Army, England, Fort Nelson, Gosport, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Mick's Monster Burgers, Palmerston's Follies, Pawprint Series, Pompey Dockyard, Portchester Castle, Portsdown Hill, Portsdown Singapore, Portsmouth, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Solent, Southsea, UK

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Pawprint Series: A pooch’s view of Creech Wood, Denmead

18/02/2014 by a3traveller

When I first moved back to this part of the world, one of my biggest joys was discovering new woods and forests suitable for walking with The Hound. One of the first I discovered has now become a perennial favourite – Creech Wood – and “he himself” has nominated it a four paw print walk! A recommendation from another dog walker first led me to the village of Denmead and this particular woodland. Like Queen’s Enclosure and Park Wood, Waterlooville, it […]

Categories: Dog walking, Hampshire, Nature, Pawprint series • Tags: Creech Wood, Dog walking, Forest of Bere, Forestry Commission, Hampshire, Pawprint Series

Pawprint Series: Portsmouth to Arundel Canal

10/12/2013 by a3traveller

Having a dog is a great way to investigate a city you thought you knew well. Looking for new and interesting walks for The Hound has certainly lead me to discover parts of Portsmouth which I didn’t know existed. Having driven past it on the Eastern Road when travelling into Portsmouth, I decided to park up and investigate the waterfront area of Langstone Harbour on the edge of the city. At the same time, I had discovered the detective novels […]

Categories: Dog walking, Hampshire, Historic Heritage, Pawprint series, Portsmouth, UK • Tags: Dogs, Dogwalking, Eastern Road, Graham Hurley, Hampshire, Langstone Harbour, Milton, Milton Sea Lock, Pawprint Series, Portsmouth, Portsmouth to Arundel Canal, UK

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Pawprint Series: Hindhead Commons, Surrey

28/11/2013 by a3traveller

It’s a particular pleasure for me to return to Hindhead at least once a season. For years, I suffered in wearisome traffic jams on the A3 motorway at Hindhead’s crossroads – a notorious traffic congestion spot now thankfully bypassed by the Hindhead Tunnel. So I love the fact that the region has returned to an area of natural beauty once again, where tranquillity now reigns supreme. Hindhead* is actually the highest village in Surrey, lying on the border with Hampshire […]

Categories: Dog walking, Nature, Pawprint series, Surrey, UK • Tags: Arthur Conan Doyle, Celtic Cross, Devil's Punch Bowl, Dogs, Dogwalking, English Heritage, Gibbet Hill, Hindhead, National Trust, Pawprint Series, Robert Hunter, Surrey, The Sailor's Stone, UK, Undershaw

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A3 Traveller

The Adventures of a Southern Traveller

Tag: Pawprint Series

London’s largest Royal Park

Portsdown Hill – best viewpoint over Portsmouth

Pawprint Series: Wimbledon Common

Pawprint Series: Park Wood

Remember remember the fifth of November …

Glorious Shanklin Chine

The best view of The Solent: Portsdown Hill

Pawprint Series: A pooch’s view of Creech Wood, Denmead

Pawprint Series: Portsmouth to Arundel Canal

Pawprint Series: Hindhead Commons, Surrey