Bratley Water

 

Up on Ocknell Plain, just beyond the end of the old Stoney Cross airfield, multiple small rivulets flow into Slufters Bottom and Bratley Water is born; eventually Bratley, after a couple of name changes will merge with Highland water to become the Lymington River emptying into the Solent.  A few years back much of Slufters enclosure's conifers were harvested exposing the pre-existing deciduous core through which Bratley Water runs, and returning most of the surrounding landscape to open heath. At that time Bratley Water itself was restored to a more pleasing natural meander, and it's a real transformation...a positive one. Slufters conifers choked the infant stream and it's deciduous environs, as well as obscuring long views across the forest from all directions. I'm still taken by the restored vistas when in this part of the forest, and am enjoying the slow re-naturalizing of Slufters Bottom. 

What a state

Leaving Slufters enclosure I came across a message attached to the gate. Ah bless, though it would be funnier if humanity wasn't in the state it is. We're living through a time and in a world where folk would rather believe unsubstantiated nonsense than the measured words of medical and scientific professionals even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Folk who'd rather expound B movie conspiracies than deal with corporations and governments actual crimes which continue unabated, even colluded with. Or increasingly rather compete in a vacuous victimhood Olympics whilst the plight of genuine victims of injustice goes unchallenged. Is it any surprise we're looking at extinction or at best collapse and chaos. Personally I was hoping for a zombie apocalypse, but what can you do. Seriously though, once I would've despaired, increasingly I'm merely resigned.

Wartime graffiti

Another for the wartime period graffiti collection. 1944 above O.R.C, carved into a beech trunk at the corner of Slufter's where the confluence of a major, a minor and a number of forest roads would have been during the forties, and not too far from RAF Stoney Cross, also known to the American's of 367th Fighter Group and 387th Bombardment Group as USAAF Station AAF-452.

1947

 

L, something indistinguishable, Aged 16 1947, next to which is the initial outline of an aborted 'A', by the same caver I suspected, who probably decided it was better to have their age and date below their initials rather than next to them. The forest here would have been very different in 1947, it would've been much quieter then, Cadnam Road wasn't the busy 4 laned monster it is today. Nowadays there's no access off the Cadnam Road between Pickets Post and Stoney Cross, back in 1947 there were a number of opportunities access minor and forest roads. At this corner of Slufter's was a confluence of a major, a minor and a number of forest roads, probably a popular place to take a break. Maybe L was passing on a journey, picnicking or maybe he was part of one families who were housed on the nearby decommissioned Stoney Cross Airfield (the other end of Slufters) post World War Two. I think it's an interesting piece as it highlights the difficulty in ageing carved graffiti, if it wasn't dated, I'd have assumed it more recent, the nature of it and the scaring look so similar to pieces I've recorded from the the late 70's early 80's. Just goes to tell you can't.  L would be 90 this year. I wonder what their journey's been like? And whether they remember, or have revisited their handy-work?

Slufters

It's easy to see the forest as permanent, an unchanging landscape preserved in aspic. And, yeah, there are parts of the forest which are ancient and unchanged, though there are also parts of the forest which are used as they were for centuries, for the production of timber. Not so much these days for the deciduous hardwood of the majestic Oak and Beech, but for the quicker growing cash crop coniferous trees. Slufters was originally enclosed and planted in 1862, though the Oaks first planned have long gone (accept for those which flank the brook which runs through Slufters Bottom), to be replaced in more recent times by conifers which themselves are now being harvested. I'm not uncertain what will replace them this time, though I think the enclosure might be being returned to open heath. It's easy to forget that a fair proportion of the New Forest is in reality treeless exposed open heath with wetland heath and mire filled hollows; and would have been even more so in years gone by.

Did they get you to trade?

Hot ashes for trees.

Larch Bolete

A pair of young Larch Boletes (Suillus grevillei). The Larch Bolete, like 'most' of the others in the bolete family are edible, though care should be taken to remove the yellowy slimy coating which can cause stomach upset. When cut through, the caps flesh is light yellow and not that firm or appetizing.  As their name suggests they're found near or in the vicinity of Larch (Larix decidua), with whom they share a symbiotic relationship. I'll be honest, I've never tried Larch Boletes, too much bother for the return, their cousins the Slipper Jack (Suillus luteus) yes, but there again they're not on my regular eats list. Still, groovy looking shrooms, they almost looked like ceramic representations of themselves, which was weird.