East Meon Drovers' House

This little gem was discovered by Chris, who typed in Hampshire Drovers and up it came on the screen.  When we got to East Meon – smashing village, btw, with tea & cake laid on (Tuesday pm & Friday am in the VH) – we thought we’d got it wrong because no one seemed to know it, including a veteran E-Meonite of 23 years standing.

But Chris was right, of course.  It’s now a self-catering guest house, as it was no doubt in droving days.  The delightful Lisa, wife of the farmer of Duncombe Farm, allowed to go down and take a picture – and look!  The pines!  What a welcome sight for tired men coming off the downs and on their way to Portsmouth/Kent for naval/grazing…(sorry).

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On a separate expedition we found more pines (#3,4) where the A272 does a sharp left turn to avoid Petersfield at SU 766245.  I’ve always been told that Scots Pines find it hard to grow in chalky soil, but these certainly haven’t (though one of them seems unsteady on its feet).