HALE PURLIEU, MILLERSFORD PLANTATION & TURF HILL
A Scarred and Mismanaged Landscape?

All OS Mapping information was taken from National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk. The available OS Maps for Hale Purlieu and vicinity start in 1871, so my historical understanding prior to then is from Antony Pasmore's notes. Aerial photography of this area is available from 1950 onwards. If anyone can add to my knowledge please contact me. 

1830: Based on the 1871 OS Map, I presume that this area was mixed heathland with scattered conifers until 1830 when Millersford was enclosed and planted.

1895: The OS Map that I have reproduced below was surveyed in 1871, revised in 1895, and published in 1897. It shows Millersford Plantation full of conifer trees, Millersford Copse full of conifer and deciduous trees, Turf Hill has not been inclosed. What is also clear is that Hale Purlieu, Turf Hill, Millersford Bottom and Deadmans Bottom have conifer trees scattered extensively throughout. This is in stark contrast to the current management of these areas, which has pursued a goal of removing almost every last conifer tree. Further historical information comes courtesy of Amanda Scott and her charming and informative blog, New Tales from an Old Forest. Amanda refers to Joan Begbie’s book ‘Walking in the New Forest’ (published 1934) and Antony Pasmore’s New Forest Notes, April 1999 edition. Mr Pasmore writes the following: "Unlike many other Forest woods, we have a detailed picture of what Millersford looked like in the 1890s. This was written by the landowner of the time. He records the layout of a great drive through the plantation and attempts to introduce evergreen oak and rhododendron made about 1870 'but with scant success'! Some of the oaks survive to this day. His description of Millersford Copse (a sub-division of the plantation) accords well with the character woodland now emerging in the wake of the diggers and which promises to become one of the most attractive spots in the north of the Forest. Millersford Plantation has a curious history. Its exact origin is not known but it was almost certainly enclosed out of Hale Purlieu between 1826 and 1830 and is thus contemporary with many of the Forest’s Inclosures. However, it has never been part of the Crown Forest. Just after the last war it was given to the National Trust who promptly leased it to the Forestry Commission to plant with conifers. Now there are plans to restore much of it to its pre-1830 condition."

1908: Per the 1908 OS Map, Millersford Plantation is shown densely planted with conifer trees.

1924: Per the 1924 OS Map, Millersford Plantation is shown cleared of trees. 

1934: Joan Bugbie, writing in 1934, describes "the fine bluff of Turf Hill and its pines."  She writes that Telegraph Hill is "easily recognizable by its belt of pines." Joan also writes of the "heathery plain on top of Turf Hill."  The 1897 OS Map is consistent with these observations.

1951: Per aerial photography taken by the RAF September 1950, Hale Purlieu, Millersford Plantation, and Turf Hill are shown as open land cleared of trees, with the exception of mixed trees remaining around the stream. Around this time Hale Purlieu was given to the National Trust who leased it to the Forestry Commission. Scars from aerial bombing practices can be clearly seen, the New Forest was turned into target practice during the War.

1963: Per the 1963 OS Map, Millersford Plantation has started to be replanted.

1968: Per the 1968 OS Map, Millersford Plantation is shown densely planted with conifer trees, and portions of Turf Hill are shown replanted with mixed conifer and deciduous trees.    

1985: Per aerial photography, Millersford Plantation and Turf Hill Inclosure are at their fullest extent, planted with dense conifers, extending to the NW just beyond the power lines, and to the east surrounding the old gravel pit and almost to the Turf Hill car park. The pine planting was a resounding success.

1999: Mr Pasmore writes in 1999 of a ‘massive programme’ to eliminate rhododendron from the two adjoined woods of Turf Hill and Millersford Plantation, which had the worst ‘infestation’ in the entire Forest. This program transformed Millersford "from a dark jungle, accessible only on narrow muddy paths, to delightful open woodland."  From all my walks through this area the past 8 years, I can attest it was indeed still delightful open woodland, filled with ferns and other acid loving understory plants, including heather in places. This programme must have come at considerable expense, and the effort is baffling as this area was scheduled to be clear felled.  

2002: Per aerial photography, partial felling of the northeast sections of both Millersford Plantation and Turf Hill Inclosure started approximately 1995 to 2000.  While aerial photography is not available for every year, felling seems to occur in stages every five to ten years henceforth up to current day.

2018: National Grid proposes plans to bury the overhead power cables traversing Hale Purlieu. The plans entail removing 8 electricity pylons and required clearing all trees and shrubs throughout the power cable corridor. The plans met with significant local resistance (The Protect Hale Purlieu Movement) and were eventually overturned. Notably the RSPB also did not approve of the National Grid clearing proposals.   

2023: An estimated 90-95% of Millersford Plantation and Turf Hill Inclosure have been felled, with only a small NE remnant scheduled to be felled between 2026-2031 (Forestry England's Works Phase 2).

Copies of the aerial photography referenced can found here...    

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This all leads to several questions. If Millersford Plantation is contemporaneous with other New Forest Inclosures, why the determination to completely remove it? Why the insistence to ‘restore’ it to 1830?? Does Forestry England have plans to entirely remove other Inclosures? And why is the heavy handed management of Hale Purlieu/ Millersford / Turf Hill, so clearly different from other areas of the Forest??