by Katie Isham. Did anyone else know there’s basically a jungle in town? Rollesbrook Greenway is a stretch of woodland running through the terraced streets of The Polygon in Southampton’s city centre. A mere stone’s throw from the immaculately manicured lawns of the city parks, here grows the absolute...
Suburban Safari
Suburban Safari: Bat Walk
by Katie Isham. Time for a proper safari, with wild animals, expert guidance and big camouflaged jeeps. Well, two out of three at least. We’ll keep to our trusty feet for this mild adventure. In the dip of the valley of Station Road, amongst the suburbs of Sholing is...
Suburban Safari: Centenary Quay
by Katie Isham. Time to look up as well as around. This safari discovers some of the tallest buildings in the city including a giant that is now officially the closest you can get to heaven in Southampton. Centenary Quay is a development perched on the east bank of...
Suburban Safari: Spring worship on the farm
by Katie Isham. Easter is a time of new life, hope and a healthy smattering of eggs. Spending some time on the farm seems fitting. Aldermoor is home to a budding farm, just off a busy bus route and surrounded by a labyrinth of residential streets. Nestled in the...
Suburban Safari: Focus on the Crocus
words and pictures by Katie Isham. Word on the street is spring is here. Some might say it’s fool’s spring, but let’s embrace it anyway. The treasure we’re hunting for today is never bothered by winter regardless: these tiny, mighty flowers laugh in the face of hail and welcome...
Suburban Safari: Avenue Park
words & photos by Katie Isham. Between Southampton and Eastleigh sprawls much green space. But it’s disappearing. The grassland that was once rampant, is incrementally invaded by housing estates and development. It’d been a few years since visiting the fields I’d once discovered after seeking an alternate car park...
Suburban Safari: Sholing safari
by Katie Isham. Sometime last year, something magical sparked on the streets of Sholing, Southampton. The ordinary green telephone cabinets took on a brighter look. Neon animals crept out of the undergrowth and onto the metal canvas. Or so it seemed. In truth, local artist Joanna Rose Tidey was...
Suburban Safari: A New Year in Old Town
by Katie Isham. A new year seems apt for a visit to the Old Town area of our fair city. This part of our history is wonderful to visit any time, but during the dark winter days when moonlit moments outnumber the daylight hours, it’s an interesting time to...
Suburban Safari: Out of the darkness…
by Katie Isham. Here we are in the darkest months of the year, and this year, for one reason or another, feels particularly dark. So, it might be the perfect time to take a wander through the light. Beyond the Romsey borders, is an enclave of botanical beauty: Sir...
Suburban Safari: A drop in the Itchen
by Katie Isham. Dip a toe into the Itchen Navigation. Not literally. Keep your walking boots on. But we’ll wander a small section of the trail that runs alongside the river to get a taste of what those dedicated long-distance walkers find so alluring. Start in Bishopstoke, on the...