Newsletter 43 - Spring 2005

New Forest Section - Hon Secretary’s Report for 2004

Programme

At the Annual General Meeting in April we had an interesting lecture by Sarah Neild, Royal Hunting Forest to National Park – the development of the legal framework. It was a very well attended meeting. Jack Sturgess stood down as Chairman and Anthony Pasmore was elected for the ensuing three years. Tony Taylor was elected as the Section Secretary.

In May an evening lecture Snakes of the New Forest by Adrian Barnes was held at the New Forest Museum. July saw the annual joint meeting with Butterfly Conservation at Beaulieu Old Airfield for a walk led by Alan Hold followed by another joint meeting in July led by the Head Keeper of the New Forest, John Gulliver, at Signal Enclosure. A successful Fungus Foray, led by Alison Bolton and Sarah Cadbury, was held at Rans Wood on 24th October.

The Archaeological Records Project

Funding was received from Leader+ to carry out recording on the remainder of the New Forest Adjacent Commons. The survey work and data entry would be carried out by Anthony Pasmore, Trevor Steptoe and Chris Read, assisted by the Section Fieldwork Group.

Fieldwork

The Annual Excavation took place in Fletchers Thorne Enclosure and proved to be a valuable and interesting week’s work. The fieldwork group carried out extensive field walking along parts of Highland Water and Blackensford prior to the Environment Agency carrying out major works to the stream flows. Significant boiling mound sites were found. Anthony Pasmore was able to discuss with Agency workers the destruction of sites. Field walking took place at Foxlease but was unproductive.

New Forest Show

A revamped show stand was produced depicting the New Forest At War with particular interest in the D-Day anniversary. It created considerable interest.

Hollands Wood and Roundhill Campsites

The Forestry Commission has applied for Planning Permission for radical changes to the above campsites. A detailed report has been produced to accompany a formal objection to the proposals. A survey team had recorded significant archaeology at the Roundhill site and made significant progress at Balmer Lawn and Hollands Wood.

Tony Taylor

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