Buckland Rings

Few people seem to know of Buckland rings, just on the edge of Lymington in Hampshire. In fairness, the area it occupies has become significantly overgrown and it helps to have someone who knows the site to point out the ancient ditch-and-dyke fortifications. Looking at them now, and trying to imagine what they were like when they were actively used for defense, and you realise what an intimidating fortification this must have been. Not for the faint-hearted!

Badbury Rings

Martin decided to bring the Spitfire down for the weekend, so when Sunday dawned as a beautifully clear, cool day with stunning visibility, we decided to venture out with cameras on a mission to capture the light. A not-quite random chance resulted in us winding our way to Badbury Rings, not far from Wimbourne, in Dorset. Lots of fun to be had wandering the lanes in a couple of convertibles, especially as mine has the benefit of heated seats and a blast-furnace of a heater system…

The Rings themselves were majestic – the light was perfect and despite a pretty chill wind the place draws you in and encourages you to explore. There were what looked like WWII-era concrete blocks with steel rings half-buried in the scrub, two good-sized hollows of standing water, plus an interesting mix of trees – including some out-of-place firs. Still not getting the best from this 24-70mm f2.8L, but it’s the user that’s defective, not the lens!

Canon EOS 7D with 24-70mm f2.8L Lens