Young Birch

Always the first to commit, the Silver Birch (Betula pendula) are already cloaking themselves in this year's verdant canopy, their covering well advanced; they'll be the first to yellow a drop in autumn too. 

The unfurling

As the buds on every bough begin to unfurl their verdance, it wont be long now before we lose those long views through the stands and the forest closes itself up. The great unfurling has begun.

Blossom

Every year this tree on the bank of Red Rise Brook puts on a magnificent display of blossom, and this year's no exception; what a sight. Being early out, before much else has stirred, the pink flowers really stand out, even at a distance.

Ramson flowers

The first of the Ramson (Allium ursinum) flowers are just being to unfurl. In a few weeks the woods where these fragrant flowers congregate on mass will put on show the beauty of which will blow you away. It's a spring treat I look forward to; and we are blessed with some fabulous Ramson woods hereabouts.  

 

Stockyford Green

 

An old forestry drain cuts through the stands of Stockyford Green.

Red Rise Brook

 

A view of Red Rise Brook.

Burnt flint

 

An area of burnt flint caught my eye whilst out walking this morning; it had been exposed by a small rivulet coming off Ocknell plain feeding the nearby head waters of Bratley Water. Spreads of burnt flint like this aren't a natural occurrence and mark a site of some kind of human activity, often older than you'd imagine too, maybe as far back as prehistoric in origin. Beyond the exposed area, in the section carved by the water, you could see the spread appeared to extend a couple of meters; much of the flint shows evidence of being heavily burnt, being well fragment. If it is prehistoric, scatters, spreads or low mounds of burnt flint were thought to be associated with cooking practices, although that's less than definitive as there’s often little evidence to support cooking. I'll have to take a closer look next time I'm passing.

Burley Old

Burley Old

 

The Sanctuary

I noticed some relativity new graffiti on a young Beech at Burley Old's bird sanctuary, RIP. I hope it's not connected, but I haven't seen the architect and creator of the Sanctuary, a guy named Stephen, for quite a time now. That said, the site remains in good order and the birds well catered for as far a seed goes, so maybe the graffiti is unconnected; though I did consider that maybe the accumulated handy work of many others small acts maintain the Sanctuary.   

Round House

A small Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction in Church Bottom, a nicely executed example too. Very cool indeed.

Old track

I love this avenue of Beech trees flanking the Faulston Drove as it descends into the Ebble Valley from Faulston Down. The drove is the course of a Roman road, quiet possibly a trackway long before that, one which has seen continuous use right up to present day. The graffiti scribed into the drove's venerable trees have stories to tell too, of loves and lives in a rural setting, and broader events of national importance, such as the coronation of Edward the VII and the sinking of the Lusitania. It's a veritable walk through the ages; and on a morning such as this morning a sublime one.

Old Lodge Copse

We were up and out early this morning for our first Cranborne Chase roam of the year. And what a glorious landscape to roam; the epitome of English countryside. The Sun hadn't risen far and a thick mist still shrouded the Ebble Valley, along the old Roman road which runs along the down wispy remnants clung on amongst the coppiced Hazel of Old Lodge Copse. Not a soul about.

Black Water

It was all quiet along the banks of Black Water this morning. 

 

Gorse extravaganza

 

You may be able to find gorse (Ulex) flowering somewhere in the forest on any given day, though it's at this time of year that we're granted a gorse extravaganza. Even on a dull day like today the flowers radiated a sweet coconuty aroma; if you were wanting to make some gorse flower wine, we're now entering the best time to be gathering flowers. Gorse was a favourite of the wines we 'crafted'; we'd make the yearly pilgrimage to the Kimmeridge bowl where tradition had become we'd gather our flowers, enough for 5 gallons of wine usually. Always a clean crisp wine; we'd use a chablis or Chardonnay yeast as I remember. I fancy making wine again; after all home made wine/beer was big in the 70's, and as we're economically back in the 70's I think it's time for a resurgence.

West Kennet Barrow

A trip to Avebury isn't complete without a visit to West Kennet Long barrow; prominently sited in the landscape it's the Neolithic equivalent of 'get orf  moi land'. Of all the sites in the Avebury complex it's always been West Kennet that's most captured my imagination.

 

Avebury beeches

Avebury beeches

Dear the future

Many of the cracks, crevices and holes in the majestic standing stones of Avebury's main circle have offering of one kind or another deposited in them; above is a note found stuffed into one such hole. Now I'm a big fan of the place, but easy now, that's strong stuff.

Avebury henge

Through the 90's and 00's we'd be regular visitors to Avebury Henge and it's environs, either for the regular Gorsedds which accompanied the turning of the wheel of the year, or simply to take in the majesty and splendour of it all; it's a landscape which fed my archaeological imagination, and continues to do so as new research brings the depth and complexity of this prehistoric monument and it's surroundings to  light. That said, what with one thing and another this was the first time we'd visited for well over a decade, and we'd picked a perfect day for our visit too, beautiful weather and very few other visitors. The best part though was being here with an old friend which allowed the memories to flow, as we both reminded each other of myriad people and event, and there were some good times and some very memorable characters; an opportunity to rifle through a treasure trove of moments. As for the henge itself, as always, a magnificent site that never fails to inspire awe and wonder; in my opinion Avebury surpasses Stonehenge on every level.

Blackthorn

One of the earliest to shine, the Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is coming into blossom all over the forest. 

Horse shrine

 

Our walks in the forest and the things we come across frequently puts me in mind of Holdstock's 'Mythago Wood'; and Mythago Wood has always made me think of the forest. In this case a horse skull stands guard at a place between worlds where the woodland abuts wet heath and bog; and I'm reminded of the prehistoric horse shrine deep in Mythago Wood. Good book, I recommend it.

Spring's sprung

 

Water bubbling up through one of the forestry tracks; it was so wet out in the forest this morning that as rain fell from above springs sprung from below.

Knowlton

Knowlton Church through it's arches.

Badbury Rings

Locally we're blessed with numerous Iron Age hillforts, many of them notable examples of their type. Badbury Rings is one of them, an exceptional site in fact. The site has been the focus of human activity for over 4000 years; beyond the Iron Age hillfort itself you've a scatter of Bronze Age barrows, a confluence of Roman roads, a Romano-British temple, a nearby Roman-British town, a post Roman stronghold, a suggested site of the fabled battle of Mount Badon, the meeting place of The Clubmen in 1645 during the Civil War and the site of a large transmitter mast in World War Two; today though it's a quiet romantic spot, a jewel in the rolling Dorset landscape, and a haven for wild flora and fauna. Well worth a visit.

Someone is always watching

 

Forestry England are undertaking a wildlife survey, I've spotted a few trail cams through Highland Water Enclosure. The ones I've come across are sited adjacent to waterways, positioned with views of prominent crossing places; fallen trees and alike.  I'd love to see the images they capture. I think we'd be surprised at the creatures we share the forest with; I'd love to see a range of species re-established and their communities flourish. 

First rose

 

The Primrose (Primula vulgaris), don't you just love them, they have the power to always lift the spirit.

Camel Green

One of the seasonal watercourses that appear periodically through Camel Green. We'd not walked this way in a while (not since the New Forest National Parks Authority blocked off the popular lay-by which allowed easy access to this roam) and I was taken by the startling number of large trees slighted since we were last here.

Late to the game

 

Just as the buds begin to fatten, and the canopy prepares to come into leaf, a touch late the forest finely looks comfortable with being wet. It's been another in a growing parade of weird weather winters; no rhyme or reason to the weather, instead a constant whack a mole of unrelated weather types.

Gad Cliff

Gad Cliff from Worbarrow Tout. The coastline below Gad Cliff is permenantly off limits, never accessible to the public, and even if it was I don't imagine anyone beyond the most determined walkers would entertain it; it's a challenging landscape of slips, scree, sucking mud and irregular boulders, with only animal tracks available to you as passage. A properly wild stretch of the Jurassic coast.   

Tyneham Valley

Through a cutting in the outer rampart and ditch defensives of Flowers Barrow (an ancient Iron Age hillfort) you get your first glimpse of the magical Tyneham Valley beyond; a spectacular view of a landscape frozen in time. I love views like this. The severity of your descent just beyond the rampart can be challenging, although nowhere as challenging as the ascent is.

Purbeck

My first outing to the Jurassic Coast this year, and what a lovely day it was too; made even more pleasing being accompanied by two very good friends who I'd not walked with for 3 and 9 years respectively. Back in the day Purbeck was our crews' regular Sunday playground; the adventures we had, the laughs, the situations we found ourselves in... someone/something must have been watching over us. One of the beautiful things about meeting up with really good old friends, beyond just being with them, is it's as if no time as passed at all, and an exquisite comfortableness rules; a priceless respite from our jarring, fragmented and f*cked up world. 

Red Rise

 

The forest has welcomed the rain.

Cash crop

Reminders that the forest which I love so much exists only at the whim and hand of man; created by, managed and manicured by man, and that it remains a going concern are common.  This block in Dames Slough enclosure which was clear cut harvested a few years back is being replanted; I don't know yet whether it'll be a deciduous or coniferous block, but it's being quite tightly planted, only a fraction of the plot has been staked and already there are hundreds of stakes; when we passed the was just one guy working on the project too.

Dem bones

 

It's not common to find bones naturally occurring amongst the branches of trees; without a doubt the hand of man has been at play. Why though? You'll regularly see bones and skulls purposely placed in trees around the forest, and in woods more generally. What's the meaning, is there 'a' meaning? I think it's playing out subconscious ancestral memory, though the reason for the behaviour is long lost, the echo of an older practice and a want to perform rite remains. Or of course it could merely be the result of a fleeting whim. Still, makes you think.

Antz

 

It doesn't take much Sun to wake the wood ants (Formica rufa), and the inhabitants of every ant hill we passed this morning were all wide awake.

Anderwood

 

Anderwood

 

Itchy

The pony purposefully first bent over and then straddled the sapling conifer in pursuit of relief; moving in ways familiar to everyone who's suffered an itch, there were points where she clearly hit the spot, the expression was unmistakable. This went on for several minutes until with itch satisfied she rejoined her waiting companions and disappeared into the stands; as for the tree, it was still regaining it's composure when we left it. I bet the tree wasn't expecting that.

Rainbow moon

 

The feint rainbow effect around the near full moon this evening gave the moon an appearance similar to the Helix Nebula. Well I thought so anyway. 

Latchmore Brook

Like the other forest streams Latchmore Brook is showing a lot more gravelly bottom than you'd expect for the time of year; it's not so much the exposed gravel itself, the flow of the forest's waterways fluctuate with the weather, it's rather the scale and duration of the exposures;  a reflection of the continuing dry weather.  That aside, the stands through which the brook travels are, in my opinion, some the best woodland walking of the forest; replete with dells and groves all connected by myriad winding paths, it's woodland to lose yourself in.  

Moving in

This is a good sign. There used to be an active Badger sett here, although I've not seen a badger or any sign of one in maybe twenty years. It's a place we pass regularly and I've kept my eye open, though over the years the numerous entrances to their sett have become filled with season upon season of leaf litter and debris, now hardly visible. It's looking like a new clan could be moving it though.

Dockens Water

 

Dockens Water