Trenches

Just beyond the boundary bank of Ferny Knap enclosure is a small group of, what I believe to be, World War Two trenches. The group, oval in nature, comprise of standard trench designs; 2 chevron, 1 zig zag section, 2 2 man and one individual fox hole. the are was well used during the war, although these represent the only trenches I have identified, other than the Battle field HQ group, in the forest. The boundary bank of Ferny Knap enclosure has been truncated in one section by what appears to have been a heavy tracked vehicle; the dimensions correspond with war time vehicles, there is evidence of tank tracks about a kilometre away and it would be interesting to see an areal photograph of the area just post war.  Such photos of the Studland area clearly show the tracks caused by tank / invasion training in 1943/1944 and the tracks can still be clearly seen in the landscape today, even after 65 years.  The area at Studland is very similar in nature the areas of the forest, heathland overlaying poor soils, there is no reason why more tracks shouldn't still be represented in the forest landscape.