Boldre Church. 79 



under the Forest boughs. Down in the bottom runs the railroad 

 bending away to the north. On the other side, the thick woods 

 of Denny rise ; and the clump of solitary beeches on the top 

 of the knoll shows the last remains of Wood Fidley, so well 

 known as having given rise to the Forest proverb of " Wood 

 Fidley rain," that is, rain which lasts all the day. 



Here you can wander on for miles, as far as the manor 

 of Bishop's Ditch, belonging to Winchester College, which the 

 Forest peasant will tell you was a grant of land as much as 

 the Bishop of Winchester could in a day crawl round on his 

 hands and knees. As to losing yourself, never mind. The real 

 plan to enjoy the Forest is to wander on, careless whether you 

 lose yourself or not. In fact, I believe the real method is to 

 try and lose yourself, finding your greatest pleasure in the 

 unexpected scenes of beauty into which you are led. 



There are plenty of other Forest rambles round Brockenhurst 

 which must not be forgotten. Just at the western edge of 

 Beaulieu Heath, about three miles off, stands Boldre Church, 

 with its solitary churchyard surrounded by trees. On one side, 

 it looks out upon the bare Forest ; and on the other, down 

 into the cultivated valley. Most suggestful, most peaceful is 

 this twofold prospect, telling us alike both of work and com- 

 panionship, as, too, of solitude all of them, in religion, so 

 needful for man. Its tower stands boldly out, almost away 

 from the church, just between the nave and the chancel, 

 serving formerly, like Brockenhurst steeple, as a landmark to 

 the Forest ; whilst the long outline of the nave is broken only 

 by the south porch, and its three dormer windows. Here 

 Southey married his second wife, Catharine Bowles. And close 

 to the north side, under the shadow of a maple, lies one of the 

 truest lovers of Nature Gilpin, the author of the Scenery of the 



