Barrow Moor track

A view along the track running through Barrow Moor along the edge of Woosons' Hill enclosure. I know there were forestry trains running through this part of the forest transporting timber to the nearby sawmill at Millyford Bridge during the First World War. I'm not sure whether this track was the route of one of them, but it has a certain something to it that makes me feel it might have been.  That aside, look at the vibrancy of the mosses, how green everything is, this is being replicated in pockets all over the forest. Though not marked on maps highlighting remaining islands of British temperate rainforest, a number of areas in the forest exhibit many of the identifying features and species, and that appears to be increasing every year.

CFC Canadian Forestry Corps?

I stumbled upon two interesting pieces of graffiti on the same tree, and both similar are in nature; J.Liafe CFC, and on the opposite side W. (the other initial lost to bark scaring, although possibly a T, as part of the top remains) CFC. CFC, eh? The nature of the graffiti gives me the impression that it's a good few decades old, and the fact that both CFC's are carved in the same unique style suggests that they're contemporary with each other.  After an internet search I came to the conclusion that CFC may well stand for the Canadian Forestry Corps; the corp was active in Britain (mainly Scotland) during both world wars; the nature of the graffiti ie. how it's stretched, scared and aged is very reminiscent of other Second World War examples. The Canadian Forestry Corps, nicknamed the 'Sawdust Fusiliers', was a corp of the Canadian Army who although given basic training were not expected to participate in combat, all things forestry and timber was their bag. There was a saw mill close by in Denny Enclosure between 1939-1945 which was said to be the only mill in the forest capable of handling 'large diameter timber', so although primarily stationed in Scotland, it is conceivable that Canadian Forestry Corps members with their experience and knowledge of dealing with large timber could have been employed in the area (I know some were stationed in Surrey). More research would be required to confirm that any members were stationed in the forest, and of course it could also be they were just passing by* or on leave. 

* During a cursory search I did come across this interesting reference:  'After the landings in Normandy in Jun 1944, ten companies eventually moved to the Continent to continue operations there; 77 square timber rafts and 54 round timber rafts had been created in Southampton to moved timber across the English Channel with them.' www.canadiansoldiers.com/corpsbranches/forestrycorps.htm  

Old Range

For the most part unseen and forgotten, remnants of our past lay tucked away in every corner. Take the ruinous remains of this early 20th century firing range on the Avon Valley side of St Catherine's Hill. If it weren't for the remains of the concrete and brick markers gallery and the rusting target mechanisms, you'd not know it was there, the firing platforms are long overgrown, engulfed by flora, as is the range itself. We used to hangout here as kids. Initially collecting the metal jacketed projectiles which can still be found eroding out of the adjacent natural sandy butt and letting our imaginations run wild, though as we got older it was just a place to chill. Time (and maybe some vandalism) hasn't been kind to the remains of the markers gallery, which back in the day still provided some degree of shelter, now it's all but collapsed. Although the remains of the target mechanisms appear to have changed little from the late 70's, as far as I remember, anyway.  As for the site itself, it looks just as I remember it, well, not 'just as' though still easily recognizable. It interests the archaeologist in me to see sites decay, see how the fall from use and subsequently from memory, how slowly nature consumes them, until they're hidden for future archaeologists to find.

Playing war

When we were kids we used to play war (it's okay, it was the 70's and playing war was almost compulsory) in the humps and bumps and hollows which cover one of the west facing, pine covered, slopes of St Catherine's Hill. When we played here the hillside was covered with invasive Rhododendron, so we couldn't see how the humps, bumps and hollows we built our camps amongst were connected. I discovered many years later that, ironically, what we were playing war in, were in fact First World War training trenches, where men learnt the skills of trench warfare before entering the bloody fray. Eerily weird, thinking about that now. During the war years the hillside was fortified as it would have been on the Western Front, forward trenches, machine gun positions, command bunkers, dug outs, shafts and tunnels, communication trenches and rear trenches, everything. Now that the Rhododendrons have been cleared you can get an inkling of what parts of the hill may have looked like, you can definitely make out a section of classic 'zig zag' trench work, along with several larger positions. I got to thinking, how much evidence, if any, of the underground works survive? Or were all the works filled or collapsed? I wonder if any geophysical surveys have been undertaken.

Makers mark

I'm certain I've seen this mark elsewhere in the forest, though not over this side of the forest; I think it's a forestry or Admiralty mark. The Admiralty marks are usually broad arrows, so the former is most likely, similar vintage though. This piece is old (for tree graffiti, anyway), a hundred and fifty years or more, maybe; New Copse was enclosed in 1808, and this Beech is a old enough to originate then, and would have been marked when it reached an appropriate size. Most of the trees of a similar age in this block of woodland within the enclosure would have been harvested during World War One, replaced initially by fast growing (30/35 years cropping) conifers and subsequently by what are now juvenile Beech. I'm not sure whether the timber man, marked selected individual trees or so many in a area to claim it.  If they are associated with the Admiralty, technology overtook them and although chosen for great voyages, it was not to be, and many of the forests mighty deciduous trees ended up underground as pit props. As you walk through the different enclosures you still see several marks replicated, as well as plenty of Admiralty arrows; I'd imagine before the two world wars you'd have seen a lot more.

RMS Lusitania

Every now and again you come across a piece of graffiti that stands out from the usual love notes or so and so was here's, something a bit special. So it was today along one of the tree lined sunken tracks which lead from the high downs into the Chalke Valley.  The Beech trees that flank this track are old and many have been heavily marked by people over the years. The local gamekeeper, a nice chap to 2 fine hounds, who stopped for a chat told us there was history in these trees if only they could talk, and he wasn't wrong. One tree though stuck out. A thick trunked mature Beech on which, 100 years ago this year, was carved a boat under which read 'Lusitania sunk by Germans May 7 1915'. A real piece of history. The RMS Lusitania was indeed sunk off Ireland by a German U-boat U-20 on May 7th 1915 with the loss of 1,191 lives. The RMS Lusitanias sinking caused an outcry across the world as it was seen as a passenger vessel and therefore not a legitimate target, although the Germans stated it was a legitimate target as she was carrying munitions. The British government maintained for decades that there had been no live munitions aboard The RMS Lusitania, only empty shell casing, although in 1982 the government was forced to warn salvage divers that there were in fact large quantities of very dangerous live ammunition on the wreck. Ah, he duplicity of war and the writing of its history by the victors. It's a big piece and would've taken some considerable time to carve, and I wonder why it was carved here? Was it just to record what was a major national event or did someone local loose a friend or relative in the sinking? Whatever, it's a great piece of historical graffiti and I was glad to record it. I'm certain there's a rich seam of heritage graffiti to be mined along this trackway and one to which I'll return to for a longer and closer investigation.

Remembrance

Remembrance day is upon us again and over time, as people remember less what its message should reflect, it has become a different affair; a nationalist affair with a very narrow bandwidth of remembrance all saturated in politics.  I wonder what the fallen would make of it; not much I'd imagine. Anyway, walking in the forest remembering, and passing this 200 year or so old Oak which had survived a German bombing of a nearby searchlight position, got me to thinking about who and what else we overlook when remembering war. Beyond all the people we remember or choose not to remember. I thought of all the animals, domestic and wild, that must have been killed, all the birds, all the fish, in fact, all the creature caught up in war. Then there's all the trees splintered and woodland flattened. The vast tracts of unique and beautiful landscapes scorched and leveled. Swathes of precious environments poisoned and laid waste as a consequence of war itself or in the pursuit of the minerals to support it. Fuck! As Edwin Starr put it 'war what is it good for........absolutely nothing'.

Remembered

Portuguese fireplace at Milliford Bridge, where Portuguese forces during the First World War were drafted in to provide forestry labour, providing wood for the trenches.  Men were needed to help in the forest as the local population had been greatly diminished. The fire place is all that remains of the cook house, the mill, the accommodation, even the woodland train that carried the wood to the mill from the enclosures has long since disappeared. There are some other ephemeral features, although you could easily pass and never know of the areas wartime industry.

Hurst Castle

You had to walk along the shore as a section of the track had been closed due to the Coastguards finding World War Two ordinance, 3 or so anti aircraft shells. The MOD were called, but they were on the Island dealing with ordinance there; so the Coastguards would be having a long wait. The guys said there'd been several finds after the storm, with some larger bombs being found aways along the spit yesterday. Around the the castle end of the spit, the surging storm waters have scoured the gravel in front of the fortifications revealing all manner of past works. Concrete, red brick and stone, probably the remain of military features or possibly revetment works to protect the main fortification for storms. Either way there was a lot exposed, so much gravel has been washed away.  In one section red bricks from features in the inter-tidal were scattered, thrown inland by what must have been ferocious combination of wind and water. So, Hurst weathered another storm. I wonder how many that makes?  There's been a fortification here since 1540, so I imagine it's seen a few.

Out of range

Adjacent to Bokerley Dyke is an abandoned military firing range, originating in the Second World War it was last used by the army in the 1950's. It's one of the largest firing ranges I've come across and would have facilitated many shooters.  At the South East end is the ranges giant butt, designed to limit the dangers of stray rounds, which has been constructed out of excavated chalk rubble from 2 clearly visible areas either side of it. To the front of the butt, North West, is an overgrown feature running parallel; double banks with thick brickwork revetment to their rear and associated concrete platforms would have once have held targets, now only fragments of this substantial feature are visible through dense consuming foliage. Beyond the target platforms, equally spaced, are five broad firing platforms, maybe 50m apart. A quick look at a few of the exposed sections of the target platform revealed tell tale evidence of that mainstay of the British army throughout World War Two and beyond, the Lee Enfeild .303 (still sometimes used for sniping); a copper-nickel full metal jacketed bullet with a lead core. The day was getting late, so we had to head back, otherwise I'd have liked to investigate this site further. Another day.

Wooton Wood Mill?

I've seen these concrete forms in several places throughout the forest and I believe they are the foundations for saw mill machinery, although I cannot be sure as I've had little luck finding documentation on such sites. What I do know is that the forest timber was heavily used during both world wars; during the first as shuttering for trench works and pit props and in the second mainly as pit props, as warfare had changed and trenches less common, whereas industrialization had increased the need for coal. There are plenty of surrounding earthen features which require further investigation when the surrounding ferns have died back. The forest if full of hidden history.

Hurst

Rememberance

Remembrance Day, sombrely dressed, those in power parade in front of cenotaphs and memorials around our land, 'lest we forget' they say, that those on the roll calls of honour gave their lives to secure our rights and freedoms. I remember that, I appreciate that, I show due respect, but does the government? Whilst ministers sanctimoniously bow their heads in a minutes silence they and their minions ruthlessly disrespect the war dead by systematically eroding the rights and freedoms the government tell us they died to create.

Portuguese Fireplace

Portuguese Fireplace lies adjacent the roadside near Millyford Bridge; a nearby plaque explains what the Portuguese Fireplace represents.

’This is the site of a hutted camp occupied by a Portuguese army unit during the First World War. This unit assisted the depleted local labour force in producing timber for the war effort. The Forestry Commission have retained this fireplace from the cookhouse as a memorial to the men who lived and worked here and acknowledge the financial assistance of the Portuguese Government in its renovation.’

Out of Range

The forest holds many mysteries, tucked away from the crowds deep into the hinterland or hidden right under your nose, or out of the way just enough to be missed.  A strange brick built nook, nestled at the base of a fern covered hill, is one such mystery; at first it appears out of context with its surroundings, purposeless.  Although, on further investigation one finds it's associated with the remains of an adjacent firing range butt.  It was used by target  spotters and changers to shelter whilst firing was underway.  The nature of the brick work and building style suggests that it was constructed either in the late 19th or early 20th centuries; it was certainly used during both World Wars. On the exposed ground surfaces around the butts .303, 45 cal and 38 cal projectiles are bountiful and I'm certain that if the firing platforms could be identified, cases could be retrieved. If you didn't know these features were here you could easily pass them every day on any of the nearby paths.    

Out of range

On the Eastern base of at Cathrines Hill, on the fringes of the old forest boundary, amongst the heather, gorse and sapling Silver Birch are the twisted metal and fractured concrete remnants of a firing range. Over grown and mostly forgotten, these remains represent episodes of military use; the heath lands of the hill have traditionally be brought into service by the military when the world or political climate has necessitated, as far back as the Romans and possibly beyond, evidence of prehistoric activity and use are common. The remains are of the target end of the range, behind the exposed ground is littered with green fragments of brass cased full metal jacketed ammunition. The range itself has been left to regeneration and has all but disappeared, although if you search hard, you can identify the firing platforms and even the occasional spent case. Although the majority of ammunition fragments represent .303, the British military standard for a hundred years, making phases of use hard to define; the discovery of a badly corroded 9mm case proves use during WW2. The soils here are poor and corrosive, so any spent cases found are in degraded condition. An interesting site, representing some of Christchurchs extensive and diverse military history; unfortunately little military activity continues in the local.