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Turf Hill OS Map

Hale Purlieu, Millersford Plantation, and Turf Hill Inclosure are part of the north section of the New Forest, which became a National Park in 2005. The villages of Hale, Lover and Woodgreen are nearby. The northern half of the New Forest is quite distinct from the southern half, as it is higher in elevation with greater changes in topography. We have felt very fortunate to have lived in a village on the outskirts of the New Forest since 2015. Unlike the open heathland of Dartmoor, Exmoor, and the North York Moors, the New Forest is unique in combining open heathland with delightful wooded inclosures. These inclosures were created in the 19th century, so they are not ancient but they add a special and unique character to the National Park. Being able to enjoy a walk that combines sunny open heathland with bright yellow gorse in March and vivid purple heather in August combined with cool wooded ferny glades where birds sing and the pine trees whisper in the breeze is a uniquely lovely and treasured New Forest experience.

Image courtesy of Ordnance Survey

As you proceed through a New Forest walk you traverse in and out of the inclosures, closing the gates behind you. Walking along heather and gorse covered ridgelines, the inclosures cluster in the valleys below, with the sharp tops of the fir trees pointing into the horizon. A memorable view from Telegraph Hill, one of the highest points in the New Forest, captures the mix of an expansive open vista with the promise of deep woods to explore. It is the combination and contrast of openness and enclosure, sunlight and shade, heather and gorse, deciduous trees (oak, beech, birch) with evergreen trees (hemlock, fir, pine, holly and spruce) that makes the experience of visiting the New Forest so memorable and special. It is due to these contrasts, and the beauty of the majestic evergreen trees that the New Forest is attractive in all seasons.

The New Forest was designated as a royal hunting ground in 1079, and almost from that time there have been widely differing opinions on both what activities should and should not be pursued in the New Forest, who gets to participate, and what the New Forest should and should not look like. There seem to be many competing interests. Unfortunately, that debate does not seem to be settled anytime soon. In 1927, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu made an impassioned speech in the House of Lords regarding the felling of hard wood trees in the New Forest by the Forestry Commission. His argument was that the Forestry Commission was not taking into account the aesthetic value of the New Forest, (which they were legally bound to do by the Act of 1877) rather than just the commercial value of the timber. It is remarkable that nearly a hundred years later, I'm repeating his same argument via this website. More information on Lord Montagu and his 1927 speech can be found in my blog post.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS WEBSITE 
As of February 2023, Millersford Plantation and Turf Hill Inclosure have been removed almost in their entirety. In this latest phase, approximately 13.5 hectares of trees were felled by Forestry England in two to three weeks in January 2023. Phase 2 of the felling which will remove the last remaining trees in Millersford Plantation is scheduled to occur between 2026-2031. Many locals are very upset and were not aware of the deforestation plans. They feel dismayed and disenfranchised. Photos of the deforestation and the remaining mess and devastation can be seen on other pages of this website. On boards left in local car parks during the work, Forestry England explained their goals as being three-fold; to remove non-native conifers, to restore heathland and create contiguous heathland, and that clear felling was necessary due to the exposed site. The inconvenient truth, is that a majority of the trees felled were native Scots Pine, that the majority of heathland restoration efforts in this area over the past twenty years have failed, and the felling could have been carried out more selectively and sensitively, retaining past historical character.  This website proves these truths. I also argue that the land at Hale Purlieu, Millersford Plantation, and Turf Hill has been mismanaged, leaving behind a scarred landscape. A full list of my questions to Forestry England and the National Trust (who own Hale Purlieu) can be found in the Blog section of the website.

I would like to open a wider discussion about the value of conifers both aesthetically and as habitat in the New Forest and ask why native Scots pine is being felled, I am asking Forestry England to be clear regarding other inclosures which may be entirely removed, and for them to more successfully engage with local stakeholders and users of the National Park.  I would like Forestry England to analyse why heathland restoration is not succeeding, BEFORE more clear felling occurs. It is as pertinent and relevant as it was in 1927 that Forestry England is held responsible for maintaining a legal standard of beauty in their commercial endeavours. Surely there is a level of destruction that is not acceptable in a National Park?! 

Finally, I propose that 10-20% of the value of timber that is felled, is reinvested into the same area from which it was removed, either as replanting, new trails, or increased access for ALL including improved paths, bridges and expanded improved car parks. During our years visiting the New Forest, we have only ever seen things being taken away. Access reduced, ditches, literal trenches dug and bollards installed to stop parking, trees destroyed and felled, gorse and heather burned. In our northern half of the New Forest, we are not aware of any investment. No new car parks, no extension of car parks, only one occasion we are aware of that a car park was repaired and resurfaced, no new facilities, no new trails built, no bridges over streams that may give access to families, (ie, people not on horseback!!) and most importantly, NO REPLANTING. This is a sorry state of affairs. Everything we have observed, and most especially the destruction witnessed January 2023, have removed our desire to volunteer or invest in the Forest. The actions of Forestry England have generated confusion, dismay, distress, and ultimately, apathy and disillusionment that a highly popular National Park would be managed in such a brutal, blunt and callous manner. If the managers of the New Forest want future generations to become invested, this is not how to go about it.  This website is our memorial to a once beautiful area.

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