FOEDINGBRIDGE TO BEAMSHAW. 121 



and Beech leaves are reddening and Bracken tips 

 are embrowning, whilst Bramble fruit, Red 

 Kobins and Poppies, here and there, peep 

 out into the lane the Common Polypody grow- 

 ing shyly in the shady recesses of tree stumps 

 embedded in the leaf mould where its roots are 

 hiding. 



Near the brow of the hill we reach, on our left, 

 a broken, grassy space where the glossy jet of 

 luscious blackberries gleams from amongst the 

 Brambles. From the roadway, at this spot, we 

 can look down over the hill between overarching 

 trees at the valley we have just left and see the 

 church tower and houses of Fordingbridge peep- 

 ing out from between the trees. At the top of 

 the grassy space a gateway, crowning the embank- 

 ment, leads into a meadow which extends over the 

 brow of the hill. From this standpoint we can 

 secure a beautiful prospect of the valley below, 

 where the Avon, winding and turning, flows 

 through the water-meadows in the valley bottom 

 and meanders around the town which, from where 

 we stand, is prettily screened by trees. Looking 

 down towards the north-west there is a fine 



