Burley Old clearing

The clearing in Burly Old has continued to slowly develop through the year, I think consolidated and expanded would be apt. It's rustic palisade has been substantially reinforced and strengthened, it's now quite impressive, the entrances have been barred to keep out ponies and it's regularly maintained, the floor's always swept clean and there's food for the myriad birds who frequent it's bounds. It's a lovely spot, clearly made and kept with love and attention to detail. In my opinion it's functional woodland art, and recently the artist as expanded their canvas. The environs beyond the central enclosed area have been tidied up, the whole project's coming on nicely. We stayed a while and watched the birds come and go, today it was mainly Robins.

Today

Our walk this morning started like this and 7 miles later finished like that. The transformation in-between times was striking. What a wonderful world.

Ferny Knap Barrow

Jack had been busy in the forest overnight, the moat of Ferny Knap's larger Iron Age Round Barrow was frozen solid, and the heather and browned bracken which cover and surround in were dusted crunchy white. A stunning winter world.  It's been a long while since we've seen the forest like this, too long in fact. This is premium walking weather, and rare enough for it to be really savoured and enjoyed.

Last full moon of the year

The sky was for the most part clear for the last full moon of the year, and it was cold too. The moon shone majestically. I'd had to settle for reduced fires last few full moons. The sense of openness around the fire was exaggerated by us having hard cut our Hazel trees in autumn and more so by our neighbour removing the thick mature mixed deciduous hedge that bordered our properties, bummer really, it's dense twisted branches and seasonal berries were popular with so many birds. I'll plant anew, that's the plan anyway. The fire burnt bright, the best fire I'd had in ages and I enjoyed it's warmth and dancing light. Well. What a truly shite year it's been, pandemic, brexit, a sense of profound political, ideological and social change, coupled with the appreciation that swathes of my country folk are either cognitively lacking or emphatically deficient, or both. Worst of all the understanding that there's absolutely no chance of the social or environmental changes we required whilst society is structured as it is and people are arses, only the illusions of change. There are things I'm still grateful for mind, some I'm really grateful for, and I for those I give my humble and heartfelt thanks.

Creepy bog woodland

When winter's set in proper, Camel Green literally sinks into it, becoming as creepy a fairytale woodland as you could imagine. Once flooded it takes months for the waters to disappear. In the meantime unless you're wellied you'd best choose your route well or at least be prepared to double back because of unpredictable depth waters or fallen decaying debris or a combination there of. Or of course, you can accept getting wet. I think rendering in black and white only adds to the sense of creepy.

When the Warm Times Come by Andy Roid

 

It's the time of year for gifts and Andy Roid's (Here & Now, Music of the Andys) latest single release 'When the Warm Times Come' is just that, a real Yuletide treat. 'When the Warm Times Come' was written to celebrate the Winter Solstice in 2019 and incorporates a wonderful poem of the same name by Norman Lies. As you'd expect from Andy's music it's deeply atmospheric, all rich textures creating almost tangible soundscapes. The opening eerie drone slowly twists and morphs into a haunting retro 80's sci fi style vibe, through which weave threads of the mystical and magical, of something approaching or emerging, dawning, it's audio but you can't help but experience it almost cinematically. Andy's an electronic/synth wizard for sure. To my ear some Andy Roid tracks have something of the 70's weird to them, a sense of something mysterious just out of view in the shadows, something unearthly or otherworldly maybe, there's definitely some of that going on here. Bassy yet sharp reverberating electronic sounds mark your arrival in an alien space, a strange futuristic world, then the introduction of Norman Lies earthy pagan flavoured poem juxtaposes the two worlds of scifi and nature sending them swirling and blending seamlessly. Wonderful stuff. It works perfectly as a captivating aural accompaniment to our strange times, and in the poem we find hope, an understanding of the timelessness of the seasonal wheel balanced with an anticipation of better times to come. Lovely. Go check it out, and his other releases on his bandcamp whilst you're there.

Take care now

 You've got to take care with the forests fences, they're really very sharp!

Burley Old

 Burley Old.

Home base

 Home base. One of their earlier branches.

Winter Solstice

No Sun to warm the spirit this Winter Solstice morning, though the other elements stood in to take up the slack; the earth was solid beneath our feet, the rain washing our amassed worries lose as winds blew the years emotional detritus asunder. The lack of tangible horizon may have obscured our view, though I know the Sun returned and with him a kernel of hope. No day day for a sunrise photo mind. So instead here's a picture of a White Buck, symbolic of cleansing and renewal, it was taken a couple of days ago in the forest, a blessing to behold.  Of course, he was easy to spot, it wasn't until I was editing the photo that I noticed his two companions, one either side of him. How wonderful, how magical...even if I didn't notice them at the time. Anyway, it's Solstice and we wish you flags, flax, fodder and Frigg for the coming turn of the wheel, and all that you'd wish for yourselves. Solstice blessing y'all. 

Graffiti

A couple of new pieces of graffiti in the Lazy Bushes underpass. Nice. Simple though effective, both have an old skool flavour to them.

Bottom inspector

We were back on the forests high plains for our walk this morning, although today on the other side of the A31. What a difference from yesterdays wet walk, ominous clouds may have skipped across the sky above us and huddled on the horizon, though they were loose enough and moved fast enough to allow ample winter sun to illuminate the landscape. Today I was to be a bottom inspector, from up here on the high plain we had glorious views over and into the folded landscape and a selection of attractive bottoms. First there was Picket Bottom, next was Akercome Bottom and finally we passed Buckherd Bottom, For the most part not a soul in sight either, which is increasingly a bonus with the forest's new found allure.

Harvest Slade

Today we walked in the company of the element water. This morning was the wettest walk we'd undertaken in the forest for a long time. The underlying geology of the New Forest means water isn't quickly absorbed, and the slowly drained ground easily becomes sodden. Ridley Plain is one of a chain of high plains which cut through the centre of the New Forest, even up here the surface was awash, water either flowing or standing. Where water was flowing, it was being drawn as if by magical force into Harvest Slade from every direction, through the bottom of the Slade an embryonic tributary Mill Lawn Brook forms and flows. 

Thinning Wilverely

Forestry work has continued throughout Wilverely's mosaic woodland. Some blocks of mosaic have been clear harvested, others thinned, whilst others having only their younger coniferous members taken, their cut and graded trunks line the forestry tracks. It's dramatically changed the woodlands appearance, opening up stands and revealing long hidden vistas. Some blocks will be replanted, after all the coniferous stock is merely cash crop. In the thinned out blocks the remaining bigger coniferous trees will have space grow to their full potential and in a few years the floor beneath them will be thick with self seeded offspring. Other blocks where the remaining trees are deciduous ones will no doubt be left to develop as open woodland. I have a coniferous mosaic block which I'm particularly fond of in Wilverely, it's matrix feels perfectly balanced between tall maturing trees and a dense under-story in various stages of growth. It's quite the magical space, hidden away in it's cool shade the dense juvenile conifers muffling the outside world you're immersed in a green world, perfect to sit a while and take some time with the forests coniferous community.  So far it's been spared the woodman's axe.

 

White Moor

White Moor, more like wet moor.

Brandy and Tilly

I found this graffiti etched into a Beech on Dames Slough Hill interesting, Brandy and Tilly. Both are old carvings, although Brandy appears to be the elder by some years, her letters have stretched as the tree's grown. I wondered what they represented? Adjacent as they are I'm assuming they're connected, as there's ample smooth canvas to be had elsewhere around the trunk. I thought at first it could be mother and daughter, but then Brandy the more recent name being popular from the 60's though falling in popularity by 2000, and Tilly (or Matilda) being popular at least from the 1800's and falling from grace by 1960, with a reassurance around the millennia. So that didn't fit. The best I could come up with was that they represent animal names, horses maybe? That could work. Still, Brandy must be 60 years old maybe more, and Tilly got to be 30/40 years old maybe more; horses usually live around 25/30 years, so as I say,  it could work. It's all presumption mind. They could have no connection at all, Brandy being a random piece, and Tilly just a coincidence, the proximity the product of an ordered mind. I don't think so though.

Turn around

Turn around, every now an then......you have little choice but to rethink your route. An engorged Avon Water flowed well beyond it's banks today, I rarely saw it flowing like this in the past. Avon Water was another of the forest's streams straightened and re-cut by the Victorians, once it's course ran parallel with Brockenhurst to Ringwood line, now long gone too under Beeching's axe. It's meanders and shallows were restored in 2017, and it now runs in it's original channel, another landscape enriched and transformed. Although we weren't going to see that landscape this morning, no way I'm getting through that. 

K.i.s.s.i.n.g

What do you see? I see a big lipped Oak king snogging his Beech queen girlfriend. I think I may have gone wrong in my mind tank. 

Burley Old

Winter woodland.

Acres Down

The view over the forest from Acres Down this morning. 

Red Rise Brook

Forest were wet today, Mother, even the dry bits were wet. And, if you get that obscure parodied reference, I doff my cap. Though yes, even the dry bits were wet today, with both Black Water and Red Rise Brook extending way beyond their banks, flooding their shallow valleys. You're not getting across there, not even in wellies. Our route today took us through Burley Old, Burley New and Dames Slough and whenever we travelled off forestry track (which was mostly), the ground was puddled and yielding. If it doesn't rain the waters will quickly recede until the next time, although the ground will remain sodden now until Spring.

Spread Love

 Wise words.

Infinity and beyond

Expressions of love are a common focus in graffiti. You regularly see 'someone' for 'someone' carved into a smooth barked trunk, a Beech or a Holly. Frequently circled by a heart pierced by an arrow, although the example I discovered today is something different, it has a mathematical tip to it, 'Jon plus Alison equals infinity'. Original take, not seen it expressed like that before. I've said it before, it's difficult to exact age most graffiti (unless dated or topic dates it), too many factors, though through compassion after looking a hundreds of carvings I reckon you can postulate a plausible date, and I'd say this about 30/40 years old. Of course, as we made our way on I couldn't help but wonder how Jon and Alison's love had faired.

Canopy

Fall-en.

Backley Holmes

 Backley Holmes.

Game over, man.

 

Game over, man. The forest stands are all but closed down, it's really only the oaks who're still holding on to the last of their leaves. It's been a busy year in the forest, that said, it's always a busy year, that wheel keeps on turning. Now with the work done it's time for a well earned rest, not from us pesky humans though. Footfall in the forest has been heavy ever since lock-down, you've never seen the parking spots so full. Although you can still have the forest to yourself by staying well off the tracks, keeping it cross country stylee. Beech Bed's one of those enclosures that you rarely see folk, in fact I can't remember ever seeing a soul here. We took a while here to breath in the forest. Old Sol's tiring, his strength's waning, nonetheless his light casts long shadows through the beech stands, in whose hollows and damp places light mists persist and the silence is deafening, only broken by the occasional chatter of birds high in the naked canopy. You could lose yourself in the tranquillity of the woods today.

Lucas Castle

Withybed Green with the sun breaking cover to illuminate Lucas Castle beyond from Stonard Wood. Behind Lucas Castle you can just make out the Spreading Oak on the horizon, or rather the clump containing it. Wonderful part of the forest.

Highland Water

 Highland Water as it passes through Holmhill Enclosure.

Gone but not forgotten

There's lots to be learn from a landscape, the lumps, bumps, dips and lines all tell stories, although some things you'd never guess. Take this line of deciduous trees cutting across a forest lawn, their linear nature is quite incongruous for their surroundings. They may represent an old boundary or something, the ground looks undisturbed with uniform vegetation, there are cows grazing here now. Unless you'd known this area of the forest 10 years ago you'd never guess that until 2011 the trees marked the course of one of the forests longest straightest drains, Fletchers Water. Back in 2010 there was a near ruler straight drain through here, at roughly 2m wide, with sheer sides 1m or so deep and flanked by dense carr/hedgerow shrub Fletchers Water ran straight for more than a mile until it merged with Highland Water some way above Bolderford Bridge. Today you'd really never know, even I could doubt my own memory, so good a job was done. Today Fletchers Water meanders again along it's pre-Victorian course amongst the oaks and thorn along the edge of Fletchers Thorns; it's now shallower, broad in places, narrower in others, and flanked by diverse flora.

Here's a post I made in 2011 when the work began

Duck Hole

 

Fingers of boggy wetland fill the hollows and shallow valleys of the forest, fed by springs and a filigree of rivulets, and helped massively by the regions underlying geology heavy with clays, they're the life blood of the landscape. Frequently  hidden, neglected, avoided by walkers in favour of easier terrain, they're strange eerie places, often very quite and unusually still, chains of dark peat stained pools, fringed in places with wiry carr wood. Our ancestors believed these places spiritually significant, a boundary between worlds maybe, or a source life and renewal, to them powerful magic and/or deities dwelt here. Maybe they still do.

 

The Locker Room Cowboys 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams'

The Locker Room Cowboys (TLRC#1 Budge, Curvey, Crystal Jacqueline, Peel & Reyes) appeared on Fruits de Mer's epic 'The Three Seasons' contributing a wonderful re-imagining of The Stones 'We Love You', then swiftly vanished. After that début appearance there were obviously calls for more, an album maybe? A couple of tantalizing short demo pieces followed, then earlier this year the release of their superb début single 'Always Love You' (TLRC#2 Bateson, Budge, Budge, Peel & Reyes). Now this band of musical troubadours, brainchild of West county's bassist supreme Andy Budge, returns with their début album 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' and, man, it's really something rather special. The Band's line up has been augmented for this outing, Budge is quick to emphasize a collective effort drives the band, and what a collective it is: Charlie Bateson (Steepways); Andy Budge (Cary Grace Band, Icarus Peels Acid Reign, Steepways); Evie Budge; John Garden (Scissor Sisters, Alison Moyet, Cary Grace Band); Crystal Jacqueline (Crystal Jacqueline, Honey Pot); Icarus Peel (Honey Pot, Acid Reign) and Victoria Reyes (Honey Pot, Steepways, Cary Grace Band), a stellar line up I'm sure you'd agree. I've had the privilege to give the album a listen(s), and straight off I've got to say, kudos y'all. The 'Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' (inspired title) is a fancy box of aural chocolates made up of some of our favourite centers, of course, if they were chocolate we'd swiftly become Mr Creosote, moreish doesn't do these tracks justice. An interesting mix of influences and styles has created twelve innovative, beautifully crafted, lyrically fluent and sumptuously rendered tracks, every one written and performed faultlessly, with elegant arrangement and production throughout.

The album opens with 'Procession' a short and sober new-wave electronic flavoured track, a stripped down drum and guitar introduction that gets your attention. The mood quickly changes with Oklahoma '33, a slice of the soft 80's tasting electronica/pop that characterized soundtracks of the period, many of the tracks on this album have cinematic qualities to them, it's masterfully crafted with wonderful guitar and appealing backing vocals. That 80's electronica vibe's also present though morphed in the doleful 'Most of you', a moody synth and keys driven number, where the earnestness to Bateson's voice works brilliantly in conjuring the quintessential atmosphere of melancholic indie/electronica. Though I feel the strongest influence running through the core of 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' is a sweet blend of soulful rock, blues rock, and Americana. 'Deep Water' craftily straddles genres, sci-fi electronica bookends a solidly laid back blues rock number with splendid guitar from a Garden and Peel combo, and again lovely backing vocals from Crystal Jacqueline, who appears on several tracks; always a joy to hear.  Then you've got the jaunty upbeat soulful rock flavours of 'Laurel Canyon Comedown', so catchy you're guaranteed to snag your jumper on it, a proper handsome number. Many tracks benefit from Peels capital vocals, which in my opinion have a somewhat Roger Waters-esqueness quality at times. You'll be loving the guitar flavours throughout, each appropriate to the individual track, all impressively delivered and gloriously rich. The whole album has a tremendous richness to it's sound. Half way through the album the unmistakable golden age Floyd-ness of 'Big Yellow Circle' showcases the manifest guitar talents of Icarus Peel, which with perfect slow motion rhythm by Budge and some truly gorgeous keys from Garden create a particularly arresting piece; John Garden's contributions shine across the album (doffing cap). Both single tracks 'Always Love You' and 'Revolutions' are included on the album, slipping in effortlessly with their siblings.  'Always Love You', is a winsome stripped back 60's folk rock-esque number, soothing jangly guitar accompanies Peel's soulful vocals and some lovely backing vocals provided by Bateson and Evie Budge, it's a divine lazy sunny afternoon of a song. 'Revolutions' is a beautifully paced number, Bateson's vocals again compliment the composition and arrangement marvellously, and Victoria Reyes piano is especially delightful. The judicious use of the vocalists is inspired. Awareness of my spiralling word count cows me from enthusing more about every track on the album, so;  be it 'Bordertown's blissful funky bourbon sipping soul, or the emotion loaded 'I'm sure I will', or  the perky strutting of 'Let Me Tell You' drifting into ambiance, all are incredible! In the artisanship of 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' no detail has been overlooked, there's no dead wood or filler, no tracks to skip, every track plays it's part in the album's journey. Until it's 'Goodnight and Goodbye', the perfect final track, a mournful slow rhythm fades the album out with outstanding lead vocals from Peel complimented by outstanding backing vocals from Bateson, pure magic.

What a truly phenomenal début album, that's not hyperbole either, there's definitely something special here. There's nothing not like and so much to love about this multifaceted album, most of all though, you'll love it's originality, Budge et al. have taken contrasting strands and woven something with timeless appeal, it's fantastic. You're immediately invested, drawn in by it's beautiful pace, it's genuinely satisfying listening, packed with catchy tunes, it's got depth enough to immerse yourself, or if circumstances dictate, enjoy in the background, and it's really great listening when driving. The Locker Room Cowboys 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' is ideal for any listening situation, the mark of good music with broad appeal, and it just gets better listening each time. Enough, my clumsy writing doesn't do the magnificence of this album justice, you'll have to hear it for yourself. Budge emphasizes the album's collective nature, and that's clearly evident throughout, though I think he deserves a mention, his prints are on every track, in the writing as well as the music, he also plays an astounding array of instruments across the 12 tracks, obviously proficient on all, and this is his first time arranging, mixing and producing; remember, all this from a bass player! Big up maestro, and again, kudos y'all...honestly impressive. My privilege extended to hearing 4 tracks not on the album, yeah that's right, all sensational. 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' will be released shortly, so keep an eye on The Locker Room Cowboys Bandcamp page, there's also hints of future live performances, which would be most excellent. Be assured, no fear of buyers remorse with this release, guaranteed! 

Tyred

 

He'd been on the road for miles, Trevor lent against the forest Oak, he was so tyred.

Great Huntley Bank

Another gorgeous day in the forest. Walking along Highland Water again today, though a few miles down stream as it snakes beside Great Huntley Bank. Autumn marches on and many of the stands through here are almost bare, fall is nearly complete.  We never really got the autumn show of colour we were predicted, the wind and rain arrived at precisely the wrong moment.  Meh though, the forest's always glorious, anything beyond is a bonus cherry on an already magnificent cake. 

Upper Highland Water

Upper Highland Water.

Creek Bottom

It was glorious walking through the forest this morning, yesterday's rains had left it smelling, tasting and feeling box fresh. Unlike yesterday the sky was mostly blue and a bright low sun cast long shadows over the forest landscape, and intensifying the myriad autumnal hues. It's starting to get wetter out here too, the spongy bogs are sponging, seasonal watercourses are coursing, Red Rise Brook regularly runs beyond it's banks, and throughout the ground is softening and hollows quickly fill. The season of the wet forest is upon us.

Burley New

Burley New enclosure

Autumn in Burley Old

 Autumn in Burley Old.

The woods get wetter.

With each subsequent visit to Brinken the woods get wetter. Beyond restoring more valuable natural bog woodland, one of the benefits of restoring the forest's streams and drains to their natural states, has been that the transit of water through the forest is greatly slowed, meaning more water remaining in the landscape, stopping flooding down stream. From now until well into spring the Warwickslade/Brinken area will remain mostly underwater, all that'll change will be the depth.  It's an area where the walking never gets boring.

Forgotten bridge

No discernible paths lead to or from this forgotten bridge across a backwoods drain.

Clouds

The weather wizards had foretold of a clear sky at sunset, of course, they lied, or are just rubbish at weather wizardry. As the sundown drew closer, I knew there wouldn't be a sunset this evening. Still, the clouds were interesting.

Ober Water

Below Markway bridge the Red Rise Brook becomes Ober Water and the forest opens up, now travelling through a shallow broad valley. It's a mainly open landscape, here and there thin groups of trees cling to the stream hemmed by patches of sphagnum bog. Remodelled countless times over centuries by man and nature, the valley bottom is a filigree of former channels and silted oxbows which seasonally echo their former glories. That's starting happen now and wellies are the only guaranteed way you'll get across without wet feet. During really wet seasons the whole valley floor flows like a broad reflected blue sash snaking through the landscape.

Cauliflower fungus

 

I've not seen a Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispain) for a couple of years, mostly I imagine as I tend not to do much coniferous walking until winter proper, and I need a hit of green in the face of the skeletal deciduous stands.  A bugger to prepare/clean, good eating though when young.  I've not eaten one for more years than I've not seen one, I tend not to collect any species not occurring in a abundance. In Cauliflower's case abundance may mean a fair sized clump, from which a dinners worth could be harvested without major detriment to the clump. Many of the forest's edibles made poor showings this season, few Boletes, some Hedgehogs, not much fungi about at all, even the usually abundant Parasols on Spy Holms, although present, were so in greatly reduced numbers.  So it goes.

Tree way split

 

Tree way split*  

* Well, you'll notice it's four really, though one was so much smaller, and certainly not big enough to get in the way of me making the pun.