Stories from the Barn

A hive of activity in the Hampshire Down lands

Art Landscape and Literature

The inspiration that is our landscape, moves many of us. The wonder and awe with a sharp intake of breath when you see a stunning vista, the golden sunning bathing at it's leisure, or a storm moving across the horizon at a quickening pace, the shape of the land changing with the light, trees, animals, all life playing out their connected roles. So many of our greatest writers, poets and artists have been so affected by this wonderful landscape of ours that their work reaches down through time to engage us over and over again. Share your favourite natural history writers and artists via social media using #honeybeebarn @honeybeebookboxes

'Everything gives forth a sound of life. The twittering of swallows from above, the song of greenfinches in the trees, the rustle of hawthorn sprays moving under the weight of tiny creatures, the buzz upon the breeze, the very flutter of the butterflies wings.....'

Richard Jefferies - 'The Life of June'

The Long Man of Wilmington

Long Man of Wilmington

A country walk to see the Long Man of Wilmington. The long man of Wilmington suddenly appears before us. We drive along the road, through the very pretty village of…

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Richard Jefferies Natural Historian

Richard Jefferies natural historian, was a close observer of nature and prosaic writer. The writing of Richard Jefferies, natural historian, deserves a special place on everyones book shelf. His lyrical,…

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A Great Oak Tree John Constable

A Great Oak Tree by John Constable. In 1801 John Constable drew a chalk image of an oak tree. This drawing gives me inspiration because it is an outdoor sketch.…

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The Holloway Lanes

What are the holloways? Scattered across the countryside of Britain are old track ways, the holloway lanes, ancient routes across the countryside. Some of these ancient paths were stabilized with…

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Nature poetry

Mary Oliver Poet

Nature and Mary Oliver. Mary Oliver poet and maker of magic inside words. Many poets take inspiration from nature. I made my discovery of Mary Oliver’s poetry when I began…

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The web of the Orb Spider

Inspired by The Orb Spider

What nature inspires art, could it be the orb spider? Many artists and writers use nature to inspire their work. I felt inspired by the orb spider on my walk…

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In the detail…

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Snake-Stones a Hampshire name for Ammonites

Snake Stones

We gathered snake stones on the corrugated shore at Charmouth. Just as hundreds of children, over hundreds of years have done, we gathered our precious little finds and took them…

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The apple tree

The Apple Tree

The Importance of the Apple Tree. As we creep towards the shorter darker days of the year and the festival of Halloween, it is a good time to reflect upon…

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