Birding

East Meon is well placed for anyone interested in birding. The green woodpecker regularly feeds on the lawn. Pheasants roost in the garden and red-legged partridge is often seen.

Old Winchester Hill (3 miles) is in the parish. Passage migrants are often observed here on their way to breeding grounds in the north.

The Queen Elizabeth Country Park (5 miles) nestles amongst the South Downs and has woodland and downland birds as well as a good information centre.

The best locations for winter waders are Langstone harbour and Farlington marshes (15 miles). There are also magnificent flocks of Brent geese and a large number of other wildfowl.

Waggoners Wells (12 miles) has a sizeable area of woodland with many bird species. Nearby is Ludshott Common, a splendid heath. In the summer, hobbies may be seen as well as nightjar, woodlark and treepipit. A rich assemblage of birds including woodcock, lesser spotted woodpecker, nightingale, redstart, willow warbler and willow tit can be viewed in the woodlands.

The New Forest (50 miles) is one of the finest nature reserves in the south of England. The northerly part around Cadnum can be reached in 50 minutes via the M3 and M27. The ancient woodlands are a stronghold of the hawfinch-firecrest and sistin also breed here. Buzzard and hobbies are commonly seen and the Dartford warbler may be observed.

Finally there is Selborne (12 miles) where Gilbert White, the father of British ornithology lived and wrote his classic text “The Natural History of Selborne”. There is a museum which exhibits noteworthy aspects of his life and many interesting birds can be seen on Selborne Common which is an area of heath and woodland above the village.

Walking

OS Maps (Explorer 1:25,000) are provided for the use of guests. There are three maps (132,133 and 119) which cover the area south to Portsmouth, west to Winchester and north east to Haslemere.

There is a great circular walk starting and ending in the village.

The South Downs Way (1.5 miles) courses along the hilltops for 60 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. The downland is very beautiful with plenty of wild flowers and animals and there are spectacular views from the top. It is also easy to access the Downs via footpaths from a number of other very pretty villages such as Buriton, South Harting and Elsted. Butser Hill, one of the highest points of the South Downs, is only a mile and a half away and is seen from the Chalet.

The Hangars (6 miles) comprises a line of tree clad hills stretching from Alton to Petersfield and walkable via “the Hangar’s Way”. This footpath undulates through lovely, fragile woodland and meadows including the Noar Hill Nature Reserve where Bee orchids can be seen. There are lovely views and several scenic villages nestling beneath the hills including Selborne, home of Gilbert White, the naturalist, and Steep, where Edward Thomas the poet lived.

The Queen Elizabeth Country Park (5 miles) is a large area of beech and coniferous woodland with easy walking along broad, well maintained paths. There is an informative visitor centre and coffee shop.

Wildhams Wood and Stoughton Down (10 miles) are beautiful woods literally carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic in late Spring.

Park Hill (0.5 mile) is located behind the church in East Meon. A footpath climbing steeply up Park Hill gives a marvellous bird’s eye view of the village and hills beyond. A number of footpaths continue from here.

Old Winchester Hill (3 miles) is a nature reserve of chalk downland with good views, and is the site of a former iron age settlement.

Alpacas

We have six pet alpacas at Church Farm House. These animals are residing in the two acre field next to the chalet.

For information on Alpacas in the UK see AlpacaSeller UK – The UK’s leading independent web site on alpacas.

For countries other than the UK see AlpacaSeller.com.

For a breeder specialising in quality black alpacas see Inca Alpaca.

For a useful history on alpacas, see Alpaca History.