Everywhere and snowhere

Spy Holms

Rock Hill

Red Rise Shade

Red Rise Brook

Burley Old

Old Nicks ground

Behind The Pinnacles and Old Harry, lies Old Nick’s Ground on which fortifications used to stand guard. During the Medieval period, Studland Castle, a Henrican fortification, stood facing foreign foes. Built during the same period as Portland and Brownsea, Studland Castle was long ago, back in 1770, claimed by the sea.  Later during the Second World War a observation bunker watched allied troops train for invasion, as Typhoon fighters loosed rockets from above on targets scattered across the down beyond.  It too is now gone, destroyed, post war.  Now a scene of tranquillity, one would pass never thinking such beauty had ever been the scene of such intense military activity.

Dune

Studland beach is broad and clear, the sea partaking in one of its daily retreats, laps lazily, more akin to a lake than the ocean, no waves to see, the dunes rise from the sandy plain, cut faces attest to winters storms, their covering of rough grass sweeps too and fro in an increasingly chill wind as a few thin clouds lay bands across a mainly clear blue sky. A day to be out and about.

Latchmoor Bottom

Latchmoor Brook runs clear and cold through the bottom, the ground beyond its Northern bank expansive mire before rising to Hampton Ridge and the last high ground of the forest.  The wet heathland in these parts is open and exposed, but for a few isolated, predominantly, Holly clumps, affording only minimal shelter. Clumps in which on past forays evidence of former Gypsy camps have been identified, camps from a period when roaming Gypsy families were synonymous with the forest, and their benders and vardo's a common sight. A group of deer watch are slow and laboured progress, thwarted in seemed at every turn, they stayed put, secure in their knowledge of the terrain and the safety that afforded them.

Tracks

Deep rutted tracks lead off in to Latchmoor Bottom, not certain of their date, but their close proximity to features associated with Ashley Ranges, could suggest they are contemporary.

Fallen sentry

One of the Dragons Teeth, World War Two anti tack obstacles, out of a line blocking a gully coming of Studland Beach has become dislodged and fallen on the obstacle below. I was surprised to see how flimsily these huge concrete blocks were secured to the ground; it would appear that beyond being sunken a few centimetres below the surface, all that held the concrete blocks in place where 2 crossed iron bars secured in the ground, around which the concrete had been poured.  It shouldn't really come as that much of a surprise, as the period of their construction was one of turmoil and limited resources; defences conceived and deployed in hast, in a make do and mend culture.  Looking at some of the other obstacles in the line, I fear more will follow if some restorative work is not carried out.

Old Harry Rocks

The Pinnacles

Jews Ear

The Jews Ear, most commonly found on ageing Elder trees, is a common edible fungi.  New growths of Jews Ears are found in January, unlike many other mushrooms, Jews Ears are not susceptible to frost, making them a handy resource when pickings are slim.  They are quite rubbery and lack much flavour, although they are good in a stew and readily absorb other flavours, cut thinly and fried they have similar texture to bacon rind. They also have medicinal applications. The Jews Ear has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of various conditions such as lung infections, hemorrhoid's, for cleansing stomach and intestines, blood thinning and modern examinations of their properties suggests they could have anti tumour, cardiovascular, antiviral, antibacterial and anti parasitic effects. This really is an amazing fungi and I have only scratched the surface of its medical application.  Well worth investigating.

As with many wild food stuffs, one should take care, there have been recorded cases of sensitive people eating too many Jews Ears and suffering internal bleeding.

Gnaw

You regularly see Holly trees with their bark stripped, the chisel marks left by hungry pony teeth clearly recognisable, but I can't remember seeing young Beech trees targeted. Walking through Mark Ash there are a noticeable number of gnawed Beech.  On the Holly the marks heal, the trunk scars and the tree continues to grow; you can see Holly with grown overs scars all over the forest. I don't though remembers ever noticing Beech with similar scarring.  One to keep my eye on.

Highland Water

There's been a stream theme running through recent walks. There's something magical, something spiritual about a stream, the waters of live flowing on their endless cycles, always in motion. No matter what the season, resting a while by a babbling brook, hidden in a woodlands embrace, is always guaranteed to bring one, moments peace and tranquillity.

Linford Brook

Erosion

In Studley Wood runs the early reaches of Latchmoor Brook, only just starting its journey, narrow, running through a deep cut gully, the deluges of recent months have had a noticeable effect, even on this small woodland stream. Erosion, slippages, trees slumped into and over the young watercourse are more common now; foot bridges have been destroyed, trees slighted.  Blockages and the inevitable influx of woodland detritus, will no doubt lead to the build up of dams, increased flooding and more change for this little brook and the stream it becomes.

Island Thorns

Rempstone

Rempstone, a truncated, once fair sized, Bronze Age stone circle which lays in woodland below Ailwood Down with its ridge crowned by 10 or more Bronze Age round barrows of varying sizes forming a linear cemetery known as Nine Barrow Down. 

Pinnick

Amongst the mighty Oaks of Pinnick Wood there was a moment when movement on the periphery of vision went wild, throughout the stands numerous things were jumping back and forth from behind the trunks, as if you'd stumbled upon a game of peek a boo with many players. The forest is a magical place.

Red Shoot Wood

Throughout the lower parts of the forest, woodland tracks are, more often than not, little more than quagmire, frequently pitted with boot sucking pockets of deceptively deep and sticky mud; they have become less than practical.  The answer, make your own track as the land allowed, though the going is slow. All is quiet and nothing stirs as you move amongst the stands. With focused listening the occasional snippet of bird song can be heard, but always at a distance.  Then all of a sudden, previously well camouflaged, a group of 7 or 8 stags break cover noisily at our approach and disappear quickly in several directions. The forest is always full of surprises.

Corfe

One of the most majestic and mighty of all English Medieval castles, Corfe was only slighted through treachery and even after months of mining and demolition, still stood and continues to stand, although in ruins, proud and strong. An enduring monument.

Flowerrs Barrow

The high cliffs of Rings Hill and Flowers Barrow Iron Age Hillfort crown the Western edge of the Purbeck. Commanding views, both East and west.  To the East, Kimmeridge, with St Albans Head beyond, and to the West, some of best vistas the Jurassic coast can provide; and can it provide!  From yesterdays thick grey rain jeweled cloak, an almost clear blue sky, just enough cloud to create interest, was afforded us today. Looking Westward, over Cockpit, Mupe and Bindon,White Noth was clearly visible with it's stark coastguard houses, and further still, the Isle of Portland lay like a hogs back on the horizon. Faced with such beauty the spirit soars and a timeless connection to the land finds affirmation.

Cow Corner

Worbarrow Bay

Avalon?

For a while now I have puzzled as to whether the ditches around round barrows were designed intensionally to fill with water? And whether this represents an early manifestation of the connection between water, or rather crossing it, and death? An idea that later appears in myths such as 'Charon' the ferryman to Hades, or Arthur being taken to the isle of Avalon; that water or a river connects and separates the worlds of the dead and the living.

Red Rise Brook

Even though rain has remained a feature, Red Rise Brook has retreated back within its banks.

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge

The proceeding weather would have suggested a different morning, one of dense cloud inundating the land, but no, we were afforded an almost clear sky, with just enough cloud to facilitate interest on the horizon as the Sun rose swiftly from the East. The gathered masses at Stonehenge were euphoric at the Suns rising.

Winter Solstice

From the depths of winters cold embrace,
Through the horns of the Moon we glimpse a face.

The face of the reborn Sun,
Giving us hope for the summer to come.

Have a cool Yule y'all.

Red Rise

Markway Bridge

The course of Red Rise Brook had become lost in the watery me-lee which presently runs through the valley, only distinguishable to those with prior knowledge of the shade and stream. The waters run high, the flow only centimetres from overwhelming Markway Bridge.

Another 44

Another piece of  '44' graffiti, again from Wilverley, but from the other end of the enclosure, over a mile away.  This time just the numbers, no accompanying letters or name.

Great Huntley Bank

By the time Highland Water passes through great Huntley Bank, it's beginning to grow to resemble a small river, rather than a stream. It wont be long now, before Highland Water leaves the shades of the forest as nears its union with the Solent.

Brinken Beeches

The mature Beech stands of Brinken Wood have a special magic about them, a majesty, a presence; in spring the canopy will thicken a fresh and create an almost cathedral feel to the enclosed space below, now though, open to the skies it is a different space and yet the magic remains.

AH 1944

AH was in Wilverley Enclosure in 1944, quite possibly, like others, a serviceman passing through in preparation for invasion. Although this enclosure has several graffiti hot spots, this is the first war period piece I've found. Below the initials and year are what appear to be 3 vertical lines; I have no idea what they represent and like many other woodland graffiti marks, will remain an enigma. The mighty Beech tree has graffiti from other periods too, the earliest being from the 1883 (the Beech was probably about 100 years old at the time, give or take a decade or two), when sections of the enclosure was relatively newly planted.  Though stretched through time, the figures '1883' are still clearly legible, although the letters which accompanied it are stretched beyond recognition. Wilverley was first enclosed 1775, then again 34 years later in 1809, but then thrown open in 1846 and re-enclosed in 1896. 

Causeway sunset

A far more muted Sunset today, not the riot of bright colours captured from Puckpits; the Sun over the River Avon disappears beyond the cloud strewn horizon through risings mists, growing in density by the moment. Just as colourful, yet more diffused and pastel in nature. The low laying land around the causeway, no longer fit for cattle, becomes an extended playground come feeding area for myriads of Swans and other water foul. Historically this area would have been wet throughout the year, a wetland estuarine environment, packed with resources and popular with humans since the Mesolithic, and in all likelihood far beyond that in to our most distant past.

Puckpits

Our Timeless forest.

 

'Nowhere, too, in the forest, than in these woods [Puckpits], have I seen more lovely sunsets' John R Wise, 1862: The New Forest.

Milliford Brook

Milliford Brook, just above Milliford Bridge, runs shallow and slow at the moment, giving no indication of the torrents which can race through the woodland after rainfall over its extensive catchment.

Tyneham Valley Sunset

The Sun goes down on another glorious day in the Purbecks.

Tyneham Valley

Preserved in time as a consequence of the worst excesses of human violence.

Tyneham

Stolen away from the people who lived there as part of the war effort, with the promise of safe return; the ruins of Tyneham remind us that our government doesn't alway hold to its word.  Derelict for more than 60 years, these hollowed halls once echoed to the sounds of county life, mostly unchanged for hundreds of years. Now only accessible at weekends and a couple of other times through the year, for the most part they're off limits as part of Lulworth Ranges. Though, looking down on the village from Flowers barrow, I wondered what the land, untouched really for 60 years, would have looked like if the military had not requisitioned it. With access to the bay, where a small fishing community was already established, and its idyllic location and aspect, could the valley have become over developed into something ugly.

Lookout

Nonchalant to their feathered friend, cows relax on the slopes above Duck Hole Bog as the crafty Magpie surveys his surroundings from the safety of his beef stronghold.

Ober Winter

The forest streams have quickly receded, the Ober below Markway Bridge was running gentle and slow, fordable in wellingtons today. The ground though, remains sodden and represents awkward walking throughout.

Regeneration

Only harvested earlier in the year, this section of Wilverley has already been cleared and prepared for a new crop of coniferous trees to be planted. This process continues yearly throughout the forest and particularly evident through the patchwork of old and new, deciduous and coniferous which is Wilverley.