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It can't all be about shopping and eating, can it ? Sometimes you just need to stretch your legs and feel the wind (or the water) on your face. But where do you go, when the mood strikes ? As ever, let us know at Boz Scaggs undoubtedly said it best - 'Lido, whoa-oah-oah-oah'.
The Lido is worth celebrating, but more than that it's worth using or some day we will lose it. Try to get down there at least once a year. Heath Road, Petersfield, 01730 265143. Opening times, prices and lots more here.
Pe Boating lake, swings, ancient ice cream kiosk which would do fine service in a Stephen King novel, selling everything from '99s' to cans of Top Deck shandy, proper heath and woodland, loads of room to ride your bike, kick a ball, fish, do your own thing... all right, it's not Biarritz but once you've got over that, it's really OK. It's park life - go on - stretch your legs! Ariel photography courtesy myPetersfield reader Paul Farmer.
myPetersfield regular Lizzie Jessop puts it better than we could: "Waggoners Wells is well worth a visit for a bit of traditional mucking about. Our boys spend many a happy hour damming streams, building bridges, playing pooh sticks and chasing their wellies downstream, or racing the dog through the beech woods. A wry smile crosses my face when we arrive in the pouring rain clad in wet weather gear, to be greeted by other "Mums-of-boys-who-need-to-get-out" usually during the October half term break. We've walked there on Boxing day as well as on scorching June days, and the children always jump at the chance to go. Plenty of walks to find through the woods, with a real undiscovered quality (the only modern feature is a muddy carpark). It hasn't changed a bit since I was a girl... but sshh, don't tell everyone!" Find Waggoners' Wells here. Six miles north of Chichester just off the A286 and beautiful. Regular food festivals, art exhibitions in the gardens and so on. Gardening and garden design courses. Great place just to wander around. Eat or drink nearby at The Fox Goes Free, the Star and Garter or the Royal Oak at East Lavant. More details here. Weald and Downland Open Air Museum
Just north of West Dean, a
fabulous, unique place. Dedicated to reconstructing ancient buildings
and dwellings but also concerns itself with ancient agriculture,
livestock and means of production. Which maybe sounds dry, but it's
anything but. Wander in and out of houses and cottages dating back to
the 13th century, get up close to livestock and machinery, see the water
mill in action and buy the flour it produces - touch and smell ancient
ways of life. Lots of demonstrations and experts. Set in 50 acres of
beautiful countryside, if nothing else it's a great walk. Nice shop too -
really unusual stuff, worth a look at Christmas in particular. Regular
food fairs and seasonal festivals, worth keeping an eye on. Watercress Line, steam railway from Alresford to Alton. Lovely old train, lots of events including on-train fine dining and kids' holiday stuff. Worth making part of a trip to Alresford's Watercress Festival in May. The Railway Station, Alresford, Hants. SO24 9JG. 01962 733810. Picture courtesy Paul Williams. West Wittering too... so what do you want from the seaside? West Wittering doesn't have rocks and pools but it does offer a big Channel coast beach and sky, safe swimming and lots of room between the groynes for picnics, rugs and windbreaks. A couple of shops selling beach trash up by the big carpark, a cafe and pub too, if memory serves, but you'd be well advised to take your own grub. Or drop in at the Lamb Inn on the Chichester Road, which seemed to be pretty good the last time we were down. Loads of room for football and cricket when the tide rolls out too. And you might see Keith Richards, who lives in West Wittering. Keith's a fan of the beach, as you'll see here, where he's left a special message for myPetersfield readers... Uppark. 17th Century National Trust property perched up on the downs near South Harting, Petersfield. 01730 825415. |
The Lido is a real jewel in the Petersfield
crown. Actually, they don't
call it
a lido, but that's what it is, a classic outdoor pool, maintained by volunteers in glorious
simplicity. Perhaps you'll be wondering - what can you do? Well, you can
swim, up and down a lovely 25m pool. You can dive into 3 metres of cool
blue deep end from an old fashioned springboard. You can lie in the sun.
You can have an ice cream or a cup of tea and a figgy biscuit. That's it. No slides, no
flumes, no whirlpools. Lovely. At lunchtime - get this - you'll have to
go home, but you can come back again at half past two. You're thinking
your kids might be bored ? Might we respectfully suggest the
Head down through South Harting
and out
on the road to
Chichester. As you come up onto the top of the downs, look out for a
turning on your left to Harting Down. What is it ? A place to park your
car and get access to the highest point on the South Downs Way. Great views
out over Sussex and Hampshire. Walk as far as you like in the direction
of either Eastbourne or Winchester. Dogs seem to really like it up here,
and if you can't fly a kite on Harting Down then you really can't fly one
anywhere (so that's official as far as
myPetersfield is concerned).
National Trust, but you'd never know it (no cafes, cream teas or pots of
Mrs Tiggywinkle's damson jam). Great spot for that Christmas Day walk, or any other kind of post-prandial
bracer. Follow up with a drink or more at walkers' favourite
Up
the A3, just shy of Hindhead, head off to Grayshott then down
the Headley road.
