1838

In Berry Wood two pieces of historical graffiti on an ancient beech tree; 1838 (I'm really not sure what characters are carved before it), with the Admiralty mark of an arrow to one side. I wonder what the forest of 1838 was like; 1838 sits square in the middle of the forest's enclosure (1808-1870), when areas historically heathland were being planted with blocks Beech and Oak by the Royal Navy for ship building; a sparsely populated area, it must have been quite a wild and desolate place this time of year. The Admiralty mark is an interesting one; you usually see these arrows on trees within the enclosures, Berry Wood is open unenclosed woodland; I'm sure there must be more outside the enclosure bounds, though searching my memory I don't recall an instance.

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.