The New Forest
I'm not sure why it's called "New" but the New Forest never ceases to amaze me. I was cycling through it once and in the space of two hours came across an enormous wild sow with about fifteen squealing piglets running after her, many shaggy wild ponies and quite a few deer. At one point, three stags literally leapt over the path in front of me but the most amazing sight was when I'd ridden off the main path into the thicket and came into a forest glade with emerald green grass. The sun was shining through the trees and there in the middle was standing, quite still, a beautiful black foal. Apparently albino deer have been spotted there recently and I heard on the radio that somebody's seen an albino stag in the Highlands this year. That would be quite a sight, something which the ancients might have interpreted as a good omen.
posted by Whispering Walls at 11:50 am
10 Comments:
It was planted as a royal forest for hunting deer by William the Conqueror. It had been a heathland and was the first replanted forest of the Norman era - hence it was the new(est) forest.
Oh thank you for that, Dave. William Rufus was shot there, wasn't he, so it didn't work out so well for William the Conqueror's descendants.
Indeed, the Rufus Stone marks where he supposedly fell.
There's always someone who knows the answer, I guessed it must have been based around the fact that it was just new at some stage. I would love to cycle there too and see all the wildlife and habitat. We have Thetford Forest nearby which is also very good and you can see deer, not not albino deer, and now sows with baby piglets.
William probably didn't spot the white stag - which as you say is very much a good omen.The problem, of course, is what for or for whom - and to what extent. I'm always tempted when a bit of luck comes my way ( two magpies for example)to think not in terms of a GBP1million windfall, but of finding a parking place somewhere near where I am going....
The White Stag-Not a Happy Omen in the Highlands-The Fey will say that the demise of the laird is on the cards...maybe Brian Ashton will step down followed by Wilco..still only the 4th win in 20 years gives the chippy something to chip about....
Greetings Anon and thank you for your Highlands insight. Hope the Green Dog's staying away from that estate.
We have white red deer (if you see what I mean) in this part of Devon. There was a furore a few months back when some shitty hunting mercenary killed the stag and removed the head and antlers (thought to have been done to order). But the albino gene lives on.
Hi Mopsa - that could be a bad omen for the hunter
I am nostalgically imagining the emerald green grass...
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