- Date: 17 December 2022
- Distance: 6.5 miles (or 1 mile to the bus stop)
- Leaders: Gordon Churchill, Linda & Paul Farley
Uppark House Christmas Decorations followed by Walks
On 17 December, an icy cold day, 12 walkers caught the number 54 bus to Uppark House and were met at the house by 4 more walkers. We were well organised by Gordon Churchill whose brainchild this visit was.
We arrived 30 minutes before the house opened but on time for the café’s opening and some walkers took advantage of a fresh cup of coffee and a tasty treat whilst others found a cosy seat in the garden’s gazebo where they were treated by Gordon to homemade cake.
Once the house opened, we entered the Christmas world of years gone by. We perused the handmade Christmas decorations around the house, made by local community groups, intended to reflect the lives at this festive time of year of the inhabitants of this 17th century house.
The decorations were made from products derived from nature, e.g. dried fruits, evergreen fronds and pinecones with some emitting the pleasant aroma of spices and pine plus of course, traditional paper chains but made from newspaper. We were greeted in most rooms by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers. The smaller of the 2 historically important doll’s houses was intricately decorated for Christmas and was a popular point of interest.
We then split into 2 groups, one led by Gordon, down through The Warren to South Harting to take the bus back to Petersfield and the other, led by Paul & Linda on a 6.5 mile walk back to Petersfield via the South Downs Way and the Milky Way with a lunch stop next to Buriton Pond. We were well entertained by the ducks and moorhens literally skating on frozen sections of the pond.
Author & Photographer: Linda Farley