#hogsmill

Demise of the Hogsmill Riverside Oak. I often used to just stand and ponder life by this large oak tree. Or just touch the ancient bark. So it was sad to discover it had finally fallen when I got home from my travels. The tree split and tumbled over in early October and it turned out to be hollow in the middle. It has been estimated to be between 300 and 600 years old. I like to believe it is 600 old. That would have been 1422 and the War of the Roses. And when it was growing, Henry VIII hunted in the area and built Nonsuch Palace not that far away to be 'no such place' and be better than the likes of Hampton Court, Whitehall Palace and Greenwich Palace. If the acorn had come from a parent tree that was also 600 years old, it would have been the 9th century with King Alfred the Great about to come to power. And Ewell is the saxon for well or spring (Hogsmill springs in Ewell). And if the acorn of that tree had come from another tree that was 600 years old, it would have been around 222AD and the height of the Roman empire in Britain. And Stane Street, the Roman road from London to Chichester, first headed the spring of the Hogsmill river nearby. So I could imagine Roman soldiers resting under the shade of oak trees by the stream! #hogsmill #hogsmillriverside #hogsmillopenspace #hogsmillnaturereserve #ewell #oak #oaktree #ancientoak #stanestreet #ewellspring #nonsuchpalace (at Hogsmill Riverside) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnErb53DxVB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

When you go for a bike ride in very muddy and wet conditions and spend more time cleaning the bike and yourself than time spent cycling! #hogsmillriver #hogsmillnaturereserve #hogsmill #ewell #cycling #muddybikes #muddybikeride (at Hogsmill Riverside) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI-wyEJDY_A/?igshid=1tru3lj22tgm7

Walking along the Hogmill after getting my winter flu jab at Fitznells Manor surgery. Really impressed by the speed, the efficiency, and the distancing. Moving queue with details check spot at entrance with no long wait in a waiting queue (it is that quick), then move to spot in hall to do temp check/sanitised hands, then to spot in corridor to roll down sleeve, then sit down in room for jab, and out, all in a few minutes, even less. Also have a marquee set up in the grounds ready for the big vaccine programme. So doing the winter flu jab in this way under current restrictions is great practice. Hope it rolls out sooner rather than later, with hope for the future. And full marks NHS and Fitznells Manor Surgery. #fitznellsmanorsurgery #fitznells #NHS #flujab #hogsmill #hogsmillriver (at Fitznells Manor) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIamQozDUo7/?igshid=1bgg0dsjaoj7q

Bourne Hall in autumn. Have the Martians landed!? Ewell may be part of the outer suburbs of the London sprawl, but the village is very old. Henry VIII built Nonsuch Palace nearby that the mistress of Charles II let go into ruin with gambling debts. Ewell is a Saxon name for well/spring. Stane street, the Roman road from London to Chichester first headed to the spring. The Celts were here and probably a human presence much earlier with the spring that provides water year round (hunters at the end of the ice age?). Named after the original Bourne Hall on the site (the country house/estate in Ewell next to thespring and the start of the Hogsmill river), this early 70's building includes a library, function rooms and a dance floor and looks like a space ship or flying saucer that has landed. With the look of the place, and the history, it would be a great location for a Doctor Who episode! #Ewell #ewellspring #BourneHall #hogsmillriver #hogsmill #kevthenatureguide #spaceship #flyingsaucer #drwho (at Bourne Hall Ewell) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG4zVHIjtLL/?igshid=a7wr2utcrah8

Cycled the whole length of the Hogsmill from Ewell Spring to Kingston and back. I know it well and it may only be 6 miles, but it is the first time I have been along the whole length. Ewell spring was where the main Roman Road from London (Stane Street) headed to before continuing, SW, to Chichester. And Kingston, where the Hogsmill joined the Thames, was where various Saxon Kings were crowned. As a kid young kid I used to explore the river and used to wade along the river under the short tunnel under the railway at Ewell, trying to catch fishike Stone Loach and Gudgeon and imagining I was on some big adventure going through the tunnel. Now there is a wooden boatdwalk through the tunnel, but you could say my urge to explore started on the Hogsmill. It has just taken c55 years to do the whole length! I do wonder what words of wisdom I would give if I came across 7 year old me paddling in the river! Over the years the river was polluted and controlled with concrete banks. But they have put back rapids and eddies, the water qualty is much better (and good numbers of Chub under the 11th century Clattern bridge in Kingston, and they are just about to reintroduce Water Voles! #hogsmill #hogsmillriver #hogsmillnaturereserve #ewellspring #kingston #hogsmillopenspace #clatternbridge #hogsmillsteppi gstones #watervoles #stanestreet #kevthenatureguide (at Hogsmill Riverside) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFai30oDOva/?igshid=idw7lwjkbrye

What a difference a few days makes!!! This is near the #eightbells. the #hogsmill has thawed #surrey #ewell #ewellvillage #winter #river #bridge @shootinglittlestars @surreyhillswanderer @surreyhillscountryside @walkinguk @surreymatters @woiepsom (at Hogsmill River)

Frozen Fun! This is near the #eightbells did not realise the #hogsmill would freeze like this. #surrey #ewell #ewellvillage #winter #frozen #frozenriver #bridge @shootinglittlestars @surreyhillswanderer @surreyhillscountryside @walkinguk @surreymatters @woiepsom (at Hogsmill River)