Fritham

The Northern part of the forest, North of the central high plateaus, frequently appears to experience appreciably different weather conditions to that of the Southern sections laying closer to the coast. Ice still remains present, if only a thin shadow of its former depth and strength, on puddles and crusting the fringes of creeklets; crossing an area of shaded grassland, the ground noticeably crunched underfoot and crazily glazed patterns grace the filigree of thin water courses sweeping down Freeworms Hill to join Dockens Water. On top of Fritham Plain, Green pond was completely capped by a thin layer of transparent ice; the views all around are breath taking. Into Amberwood enclosure, planted in 1817, tall Oaks, straight and strong, well maintained over time, thinned to create a spacious and open woodland, probably planted with the navy in mind; that use has long gone. Through one of the many dells, Latchmore Brook bubbles away on its journey to join the ancient Westward marked of the forest, The River Avon; but for now is content to enjoy its odyssey through this watery track with the murmured music of running water; mesmerizing, relaxing, restorative, the veins of the land, carrying the life giving liquid of life. Turning to return we made our way through Sloden enclosure, a older plantation planted in 1775, which has been decimated and dissected during the mid 20th century when the earlier Oak plantation had been replace with blocks of Spruce, Larch and Pine to create a tapestry of needle bearing tree amongst the older deciduous backdrop. Back on Fritham plain, even so early in the afternoon, the sky was darkening as the sun, never high, began its decent into the West.

The final ascent took us near the crumbling concrete reminders of a fore gone age; dispersal stands for military aircraft, the anchor points still visible amongst the creeping mosses and bramble, taxi ways, the remains of shelters and brick scatters glimpsed through gorse and thicket; the remains of Stoney Cross airfield. Sadly now, for the most part, the remaining reminders have been relegated to the shadows of where these features were. For, the forestry commission, in an act of shortsightedness, have systematically removed the majority of physical remains relating to the airfield, runways, shelters, hangers, dispersal stands and a plethora of other monuments,all gone; not just here, but at every Second World War airfields in the forest. An historical and archaeological crime.