Reports on the Centenary Year 1985

Proc. Hampsh. Field Club Archaeol. Soc. 42, 1986, 167-174

REPORTS ON THE CENTENARY YEAR 1985

THE FIELD CLUB graced by the Centenary Exhibition and was Secretary's Report accompanied by refreshments. No revolutionary 1985 was distinguished by the celebration of the changes were proposed. Dr Hicks, Secretary, Centenary of the Field Club's distinguished and Mr Caudell, Treasurer, were re-elected and history and by its continuing contribution to the Mrs Moore was elected an Ordinary Member of study and publication of Hampshire's past. Council. Other newcomers to Council are Mr Pride of place belongs to the Centenary Ex Sturgess, Mr Denford and Miss Dunhill as hibition on the theme of the Society's history. section chairmen and Deputy Presidents and Conceived and largely executed to a high profes Mr Hughes as a co-opted member. sional standard by Miss Robinson, it drew on Council met four times during the year. One extensive contributions from the sections and preoccupation was the state of the membership other individuals, among whom Mrs Taylor and records, which relied on outdated technology. Miss Martins of Hampshire Record Office de Mrs Turnbull joined Mrs Clelford as Joint serve to be singled out. The Society acknow Membership Secretary and together they were ledges the generosity of Hampshire Record able to retrieve many lost members and place Office and Winchester City Museum, which lent the data on the Hyde Historical Resources their stands for a six month period, and of the Centre word-processor. This will enable the County Libraries Service, which provided the Society to use the efficient sticky-label system venues and moved the display around. It was and should also permit rapid print-outs of diffe also available at the Centenary General Meet rent categories of member. Their combined ing, the Centenary Conference, and the efforts should produce some recovery in sub Archaeology Section day conference and re scriptions in 1986. ceived favourable comment wherever it went. The December Council was asked for vastly Apart from the usual activities reported be increased section grants. A working party was low, two extra events deserve special mention. established to consider the financial state of the On 23 February at King Alfred's College, Win Society and to make recommendations to Coun chester a joint conference was held with South cil in March 1986. ern History Society on the theme 'Crime in Finally, Mr Qualmann resigned as Business Hampshire and Southern England'. Fifty people Editor of Proceedings. His term of office was attended a highly successful day, which is re exceptionally successful, distinguished by ported in the Spring 1985 Newsletter. Secondly, volumes of unusual length, quality and variety. on 31 May, a reception at the Winchester It is fortunate that he is to remain on the Guildhall jointly hosted by the Field Club and Editorial Board as Monographs Editor. by the Trust for Wessex Archaeology launched Monograph 2, The Prehistoric Settlement at Winnall Centenary Conference at New Hall, Winchester College Down, by Peter Fasham. This was financed by on Saturday 7th September 1985. the Historic Buildings and Monuments Com The Centenary Conference was held in the mission and it is hoped will inaugurate a series splendid setting of Winchester College's New of monographs containing reports too large for Hall and its reset 17th-century panelling. The Proceedings. theme was 'Hampshire and the Kingdom' and The Centenary General Meeting at King nine short talks, most of them illustrated, asses Alfred's College, Winchester on 8 May was sed Hampshire's national importance from the 168 HAMPSHIRE FIELD Cl.UH AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Saxon period to the present day. For many of when the Norman kings imposed their will both the hundred members present, it was the first on Winchester, covering a street of stone houses opportunity to see the centenary exhibition, with the motte of their new castle, and on organised by Annie Robinson, and Peter Hampshire itself, where the whole south-west Fasham's new monograph on the prehistoric corner became William I's New Forest. For 60 settlement at Winnall Down, published jointly years massive works constructed in stone the by the Society and the Wessex Trust for new castle, a bigger royal palace, the cathedral, Archaeology. two abbeys and the bishop's palace at Wolvesey. The day began with talks on 'Apogee and The royal treasure was kept at Winchester and Aftermath: Winchester under the Norman every Easter until 1104 the Norman kings cere Kings' by Professor Martin Biddle and 'Saxon monially wore their crowns in the Old Minster. and Norman Hampshire' by Dr David Hinton. Before the more impressive Norman Cathedral The post-coffee session, on the theme of'Leisure was completed about 1120, however, royal visits and Pleasure', featured Dr Michael Hicks on at Easter became irregular and other palaces 'The Royal Hunt in Medieval Hampshire', Mr rivalled and even eclipsed Winchester. The Colin Haydon on 'Charles II's Hampshire Plea opportunity to become the capital passed and sures', and Dr Paul Ranger on 'The Rivals: Two the city degenerated gradually into a county Georgian Theatre Managers'. The session after town. lunch was devoted to 'Defence and Offence': Mr Hampshire, however, remained especially Nicholas Riall discussed 'Henry of Blois' Castles attractive to our medieval kings because of the in North Hampshire', Mr Jude James 'The splendid sporting facilities offered by its many Castles of the Solent', and Mr Adrian Ranee forests - not just the New Forest, but Bere and 'The Southampton Blitz'. Finally, to sum up, Portchester in the south-east, Alice Holt and Mr Emery-Wallis - a Past President of the Woolmer in the north-east, Pamber in the far Society and currently Leader of the County north, Freemantle in the north-west, and Chute Council - spoke on 'Hampshire and the King spanning the Wiltshire borders. Within these dom today'. forests, draconian laws protected the game that In a salutary introduction Dr Hinton dispel might otherwise have been exterminated for led many mistaken assumptions about pre- food, like the Pere David deer in revolutionary Conquest Hampshire. It may not be true that China. Vermin, like wolves and wildcats, were the Kingdom of England grew out of a Kingdom deliberately exterminated and royal huntsmen of Wessex that itself originated in Hampshire systematically culled deer for the royal feasts at and its capital of Winchester. Early references to Winchester and elsewhere. Even after Winches Hampshire, generally pejorative, refer to the ter ceased to be an alternative capital, a separate territory dependent on Hamtun (modern South- mews for falcons was established there and amton): Hampshire may have been no more Edward I and Edward III hunted from well- important than the territory of the Meonware or appointed lodges at Lyndhurst. Visits to the Basingas and the four mid-9th century burhs of distant New Forest gradually became less fre Portchester, Southampton, Winchester and quent than to those in north Hampshire, more Twynham (now Christchurch) probably convenient for the royal palaces in the Thames together administered the whole modern coun valley, and from the late 14th century kings ty, Winchester enjoying no particular pre ceased to visit even these. eminence. By 1066, it is true, Winchester con In the 17th century the New Forest recovered tained royal and episcopal palaces and three its popularity for royal hunting, perhaps be minsters in its south-eastern corner and the cause other forests had been cleared of trees and whole area within the Roman walls was again game and Charles II went there frequently to built-up, but it was not in any modern sense a hunt and hawk. Anxious to develop the city as a capital city. tourist centre, the far-sighted Winchester city That opportunity came at the Conquest, council lured him down in 1683 to the Winches- REPORTS ON THE CENTKNARY YEAR 1985 169 ter races, for which it presented the prizes, and but in retrospect the Second World War had 'sold' him the castle site for a palace for 5 little longterm effect on Hampshire. shillings. While building was in progress, the 1885-1985, the century of the Field Club's king resided at the deanery, leaving his arms existence, has seen Hampshire become the and beasts scattered about, and his courtiers largest English county. Greater Portsmouth and built some of the houses in Winchester today. Greater Southampton have populations of Winchester's chance to move from country town 500,000 and 400,000 respectively and south to another Bath disappeared abruptly on Hampshire, no longer purely military and mari Charles' death in 1685: in the 17th, 18th and time, contains the most manufacturing and most early 19th centuries Hampshire was a term services of any area of southern England outside denoting rural dullness and its theatre was London. It is a centre of high technology. Be genuinely provincial. tween 1971 and 1981, when the British economy While pale reflections of the London stage, shrank, Hampshire's grew and 43,500 new jobs the rival theatres of Gosport and Portsmouth — were created. A subsidiary theme of Mr Emery though renowned for their slipshod productions Wallis' paper, which applies also to the confer - operated profitably to full-houses of soldiers ence as a whole, was the way in which unforseen and sailors, who pelted the actors with fruit and circumstances - the Crimean and Falklands hot potatoes and participated with undue enthu war, the development of air traffic, changes in siasm in the drinking scenes. By then, the centre international alliances, the opening of Heathrow of gravity in Hampshire had shifted southwards airport — have affected Hampshire. Important as it became the most militarised county in though the county is, it is not an island and from England. For the Norman kings, Normandy was Anglo-Saxon times has never been insulated a friend: it was against enemies from the north from formative outside influences. that Winchester was defended in 1141 and that Henry of Blois built his castles at Farnham and Centenary 0. G.S. Crawford Memorial Lecture at King in north Hampshire. By the 16th century, the Alfred's College, Winchester on Saturday 7th December danger came from France and Spain. It was the 1985. Solent estuary that Henry VIII fortified with Eighty members attended the final event of the castles, all of novel design and equipped with Centenary Year. The speaker was the interna guns to sweep the maritime approaches to tionally renowned archaeologist Barry Cunliffe, Southampton. So formidable were they that now Professor of Archaeology at Oxford Uni even the Invincible Armada of 1588 preferred to versity. He was Professor of Archaeology at give them a wide berth. Portsmouth became the Southampton University and Secretary of the greatest fortress in the kingdom, the base of the Society, when he last delivered the Memorial royal navy, and coastal fortifications were repe Lecture. The topic was 'Hampshire and the atedly modernised as military installations Iron Age in Britain', which enabled the speaker grew. By 1885 over half the Hampshire popula to draw extensively on his own work at Chalton, tion lived along the coast. The British army at Danebury and latterly at Hengistbury Head. selected Aldershot as its headquarters and, as The first half of the talk treated the develop befitted a trooping port, Southampton was ex ment of our knowledge of Iron Age Hampshire. ceptionally well-prepared for World War II. Professor Cunliffe then turned to the current The city appointed its Aid Raid Precautions interpretation of the Iron Age in Britain. Officer as early as 1936 and in 1937 the first The talk began by focussing on the outstand blackout in England was organised there. Real ing group of Hampshire archaeologists before ity, regrettably, far exceeded expectations and and after the Great War, notably Williams- amid appalling destruction morale sagged and Freeman, Heywood Sumner and their younger services broke down. The effects on South contemporary O G S Crawford, who were char ampton's appearance were as fundamental as mingly captured for the audience in some con those wrought by the Conquest in Winchester, temporary photographs. These were topog- 170 HAMPSHIRE FIELD CI.UB AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY raphers or fieldworkers, who skilfully surveyed Andover, which were the centre of substantial Hampshire's earthworks on the ground or, in farming systems. Crawford's case, from the air. Their lasting About 650-550 BC many new hillforts were monuments are their classic books, but all three established. Generally smaller, of only 10-15 a., also published extensively in the Proceedings of they were strongly defended and had two entr the Field Club, in which they were leading ances. Danebury originated in this way: it had lights. Somewhat younger was Stuart (now Pro clearly defined roads and was filled with huts fessor Emeritus) Piggott, whose survey of the and pits for storage. unfinished hillfort at Ladle Hill is a model of its About 400 BC many such hillforts were aban kind. doned and a few like Danebury were more The topographers were joined in the 1920s strongly fortified. Such forts dominated a large and 30s by the excavators, notably Christopher hinterland and were repeatedly repaired, all (now Professor Emeritus) Hawkes, who directed evidence of a coercive power. Perhaps as many Field Club excavations each year at St Cather as 500 people inhabited Danebury, and the Test ine's Hill, Balksbury, Buckland Rings and other Valley as a whole was thickly settled and inten hillforts. Hawkes' aims were carefully defined, sively cultivated. his excavations limited but precise in scope, and A fourth change occurred about 100 BC as a the results were rapidly published in Proceedings. result of increasing commercial contacts with In the 1930s Hampshire and Sussex took the the Romans via Hengistbury Head. In return lead in the study of the Iron Age and the for wine and salt, Britain supplied metals, corn methods of Hawkes, Piggott and Crawford, like and slaves, for which the Romans had an insati Williams-Freeman and Heywood Sumner be able demand. By this protohistoric stage Hamp fore them, provided models for archaeologists shire was the territory of the Atrebates, who everywhere to follow. were based on oppida (towns) at Silchester and A third phase came in the 1960s, 1970s and presumably Winchester. Commercial contacts early 1980s and has now foundered in financial led eventually to the Roman conquest. crisis. Large scale excavation, much in advance of motorways, exposed more Iron Age sites in M.A.H. Hampshire than in the whole of the rest of Great Britain put together. While much remains un ARCHAEOLOGY SECTION published, much has been printed by the Field Club in Proceedings or, this year, in the mono The section continued its policy of holding joint graph Winnall Down by Peter Fasham, published meetings and field trips, with varied success. by the society in association with the Historic The lecture programme consisted of three talks. Buildings and Monuments Commission. The M Morris spoke about the excavations at Nun- time has now come for more limited excavations naminster, Winchester, at a joint meeting with with precisely defined aims to answer specific Southampton City Museum Archaeology Socie questions formulated in advance. ty held at the Tudor Merchants Hall, South While important, Hampshire was not typical, ampton, on 19th February. On 11th March, D but shared characteristics with the rest of cen Allen lectured on excavations at Basing House tral southern England stretching from Sussex to at a meeting held in conjunction with the Lower North Wales. It is distinguished by a density of Test Valley Archaeological Society at King hillforts exceptional both in England and north John's House, Romsey. 'Recent discoveries at ern France. Roman Winchester' was the title of the talk The earliest hillforts of the 8th and 7th centur given by K Qualmann on 14th November, held ies BC were large, poorly defended, and jointly with the Basingstoke Society at Chute apparently uninhabited. They may have been House, Basingstoke. merely pastoral enclosures and should be seen Two field trips were held. The first one, with settlements like Old Down Farm near archaeological remains in the Denny Wood area REPORTS ON THE CENTENARY YEAR 1985 171 on 4th May, was jointly organised with the New and described how the use of aerial photography Forest section and the following week Mike provided the answer to this hitherto intractable Hughes led a small party along part of the problem. Two exhibitions were also on display: Wayfarers Walk. Unfortunately bad weather the centenary exhibition prepared by Annie cut this excursion short. Robinson and 'The Saxons in Hampshire' (con As usual, the main event was the annual centrating on the Worthy Park cemetery and the Conference, this year entitled '100 Years of Worthy Down site) which was prepared by Hampshire Archaeology', held at Winchester Sonia Hawkes and Dick Whinney. Guildhall on 16th November. Over 100 people The role of the Archaeology Section was attended this fascinating review of archaeologic discussed at the AGM, which was held during al development in the county, given by some of the Annual Conference. Decreasing attendance the people intimately involved in past and pre at field trips had been apparent over recent sent fieldwork. Dick Whinney opened the pro years. In order to reverse this trend it was ceedings with a talk entitled 'Hampshire agreed that field trips should concentrate on Archaeology - Past, Present and Future'. John sites of national interest both inside and outside Collis lectured on 'Hampshire Landscape and the region which the average Field Club mem Settlement', recalling the excavations at ber would not normally visit. Owslebury in the 1960's and emphasising how Finally, there have been a number of changes much recording and processing techniques have to the Committee: Dick Whinney resigned as improved since then. He also examined the Chairman and the Committee wishes to thank problem of the role of hillforts in the light of him for his many years of effective service in this evidence from rural settlements such as Owsle post. Geoffrey Denford has now taken over this bury and Winnall Down. After lunch Martin position. Also, Mark Brisbane resigned and is to Biddle reviewed the archaeology of South be replaced by Jonathan Drake. ampton and Winchester under the title 'Two Cities'. He concentrated on the development of M.M. these centres as urban places, contrasting the functions of the international trading emporium of mid-Saxon Hamwic with the proto-urban HISTORIC BUILDINGS SECTION royal and ecclesiastical centre at Winchester. He The Historic Buildings Section is now a also went on to outline the changes which led to flourishing part of the Field Club. Meetings the decline of Hamwic and the transformation of have usually been well attended, notably those Winchester into the major town in the region. summer events held at buildings not normally David Ball lectured on 'Archaeology and the open to the public. We have established good Ordnance Survey and Beyond'. He sketched out links with amenity societies, especially in field- the main characters involved in the develop work and practical activities, and these links ment of this service with special emphasis on its have in turn made more effective our increasing founding father O G S Crawford. The service ly important role in monitoring the County's which the Archaeology Section of the Ordnance architectural heritage, in the name both of the Survey is providing in the 1980's was also Hampshire Field Club and of the Council for described. 'Looking Back and Looking Forward' British Archaeology. formed the title of the final lecture of the day, The 1984—5 Winter Season opened on Satur given by Christopher Hawkes. Drawing from day, November 10th with a Day Conference on personal involvement in Hampshire archaeolo the subject of 'Bricks, Tile and Terracotta in gy going back more than 60 years he spoke building'. We were fortunate in procuring some about some of the other great figures of the Field excellent speakers, including a knowledgeable Club. He emphasised the concern of the local brickmaker, Mr Noel Pycroft, of Hayling pioneers, such as Williams-Freeman and O G S Island, who.combined technical detail and de Crawford, to see individual sites in their context, lightful anecdotes in a memorable account of 172 HAMPSHIRE FIELD CLUB AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIKTY brickmaking processes. His talk was illustrated to the Elizabethan country house), Mrs Frances with slides and a film of the Hayling Island Musker, of the Victoria and Albert Museum Brickworks made by members of the Chichester (Textiles and Internal furnishings in the Eli Camera Club. The other speakers were Dr zabethan Home), Miss Rosemary Dunhill, Martin Doughty (Brickmaking in New Hamp Archivist, Hampshire County Council (The shire, USA and at Shortwood Brickworks, Bris Documentary approach to studying Tudor tol); Mr Terence Paul Smith, Editor of the BAA buildings) and Miss Krysia Bilikowski (Eli 'Brick Section' (An outline history of the use of zabethan Gardens). Participants enjoyed the brick); Miss Annie Robinson (Medieval floor- opportunities given to tour the house; and we tiles at Clarendon Palace); and Mr Grahame took note of their comments that at such events Soffe (Excavation of a Roman brick kiln). in the future more time might profitably be The other events in the winter programme allotted to this part of proceedings. consisted of a talk on 'Recent Research on Finally, in September Mrs Audrey Sutton, Church Wall Paintings' by Mr David Park, who assisted by Mr Tom Maile, organised a practic has recently published an important paper on al measuring session of a dovecote at Langrish wall paintings in Winchester Cathedral; a lec Manor Farm, which was much enjoyed by ture entitled 'The Medieval Carpenter' by Mr participants, some of whom felt sufficiently con Julian Munby, who gave a lucid, illustrated fident to consider undertaking similar projects description of the development of medieval car on their own behalf in the future. pentry and included many Hampshire exam The Section continues to monitor applications ples; and a talk by the Section Secretary 'The for Listed Building Consent, and we are grateful Winchester Diver', based on the book with that for the enthusiastic support of a small team of title of which he is co-author. 'Listed Building Correspondents' who have During the summer months we benefited from undertaken to examine applications for their the expertise of two people with a specialist planning districts. A full account of how the interest in two important Hampshire buildings. system operates may be found in HFC Newslet The Architect to the Dean and Chapter of ter No. 4, Autumn 1985. During the period Winchester, Mrs Corinne Bennett, kindly con January-June 1985 53 applications were re ducted two groups around parts of the Cathed ceived. Of these, it was felt that no further action ral not normally open to the public. So great was was needed in 25 cases; the Society sent letters of the interest that participants had to be elected 'no comment' in 16 cases; objected to 8 propos by ballot. And in May the City Archaeologist, als; and offered advice in 4 cases. Mr Kenneth Qualmann, gave a guided tour of The Section has made full use of the pages Wolvesey Palace. We are grateful to Mrs Ben allotted to it in the Newsletter; and informed nett and Mr Qualmann for their contribution to articles have been published on a variety of our summer season. subjects, ranging from a late 12th-century lavabo An innovation this year was an open meeting, from Southwick to an account of staddle stones entitled 'Aspects of Current Building Research in Hampshire. The Newsletter Editor, Karen and Recording in Hampshire', at which mem Parker (address c/o Winchester City Museums, bers of the Section were invited to talk for a Hyde House, Hyde Street, Winchester) would quarter of an hour or so on their local interests. welcome contributions. The main event of the summer season was a Finally, various changes have taken place to Day Conference on 'The Elizabethan Country the composition of the Section's Committee. At House' held at Grove Place, Nursling by kind the Section AGM, held on October 12th 1985, permission of the Headmaster, Northcliffe the following appointments were confirmed: School. This employed the proven and success Chairman and Minuting Secretary pro tern., Dr ful formula of specialist lectures given in a Martin Doughty; Treasurer, Francis Green; historic setting not normally open to the public. Programme Secretary, Grahame Soffe; Newslet The speakers were Mr Peter Reid (Introduction ter Editor, Karen Parker; Listed Building Rep- REPORTS ON THE CENTENARY YEAR 1985 173 resentative, John Crook; Editorial Board Repre respectively, replacing Colin Haydon and Mark sentative, Nicholas Molyneux. Housby. Throughout the year, the Section has contri P.M.J.C. buted valuably to the Field Club Newsletter. It is hoped that this will continue and in particular LOCAL HISTORY SECTION that future issues will provide more space for reviews of local history publications. The Sec 1985 was a successful year. As usual, a sympo tion also contributed to the Field Club's Centen sium was held in conjunction with Southampton ary Exhibition a display on its own history and University's Adult Education Department in activities. April, this year's theme being 'Change in the Hampshire Countryside', the speakers were C.M.H. Miss E M Brooks, Mr U W R Casebourne, Mr M Hughes, Dr T B James, Mr G Soffe, and Mr NEW FOREST SECTION C J Silman. The talks covered aspects from The Section held several meetings and lectures medieval times to the 19th century and Miss during the year. In January Professor White Brooks outlined some of the main archive head spoke on 'Ecology and the Conservation sources for rural history. Conflict' and in February Dr Fay Stranack gave Two outings were organised. The first, to a talk on 'Parasitology', to which the New Forest Farnham, took place on 10 May in conjunction Commoners Defence Association was invited. with the Farnham and District Museum Socie At the Annual General Meeting Mr Nicholas ty. The group visited Farnham Castle, built by Banister, retiring Deputy Surveyor of the New Henry of Blois (Bishop of Winchester 1129-71), Forest, spoke on 'New Forest Policy'. The 1985— and received hospitality from the Farnham soci 6 winter season was opened by Mr Kenneth ety. Sadly the second outing to Titchfield and Hudson with a thought-provoking and amusing the Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton talk on 'All the Museums of the World'. This on 10 June was cancelled due to insufficient was followed by a lively discussion on the pro support: it is hoped to run the Titchfield part of jected New Forest Museum. the trip at a later date. Outdoors, Mr A H Pasmore led a field walk The Annual General Meeting was held at on the earthworks of Denny Wood, and Mrs J King John's House, Romsey in October. Irvine took members on a summer evening's Arrangements were greatly facilitated by the walk in Rushpole Wood. Dorset Natural History help of members of the History Section of the and Archaeological Society's excavation at Lower Test Valley Archaeological Society. The Corfe was visited in August and a fungus foray day opened witth a description of the work of was held in Roydon Woods, led by Mr Gordon King John's House by its manager, Olwen Dickson of the British Mycological Society. Sherratt, and this was followed by a lecture by About one-third of the work on recording the Mrs Diana Coldicott on 'Romsey Abbey at the features in Roydon Woods is now completed. Dissolution'. After a visit to the abbey and lunch, there was a tour of Romsey and King Developments and Planning in the New Forest John's House. Following the A.G.M., the day Two projects have caused particular concern ended with a talk by Colin Haydon on the case during the year. Southern Gas wish to lay a of Alice Lisle. pipeline for 12 miles from Stoney Cross to At the A.G.M. the officers reported on the Sopley. Despite reassurances on reinstatement general success of the Section's activities in the we share the view of other organisations that preceding year. Rosemary Dunhill was re mature heathland is not likely to be satisfactori elected as Chairman and Tom Mayberry as ly reinstated in the soils peculiar to the New Newsletter Editor. Bethanie Afton and Alison Forest, a view put forward by the Nature Con Savage were elected Secretary and Treasurer servancy Council. The added hazards of fencing 174 HAMPSHIRE FIELD CLUB AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY off the working area for up to five years, plus A professional display stand was purchased to erosion of track and adjacent areas led the replace one which had done good service but Section to make strong protest against this was cumbersome to transport. The new one is proposal, and to ask for an alternative route to easy to carry and erect and has been shown at be sought. This is being done. the New Forest Show, Lyndhurst Community Hampshire County Council produced a docu Centre open evening, the Leisure Exhibition at ment on 'Strategy for Minor Roads in the New Lymington and two indoor meetings. Forest' for consultation. In many cases this As its contribution to the Centenary year the would result in an increase in the road width, Section has published a modern version by Mr and in almost all cases it is considered that A H Pasmore of 'A Winter Walk in the New improvement for traffic will result in increased Forest' by Heywood Summer, first published by speeds, and hence accidents, particularly to the Hampshire Field Club in 1925. The present animals; the latter are still causing grave con booklet, 'The New Forest and Heywood Sum cern. The opinion, again shared by other Forest ner' also contains a short biography by Mr Jude societies, is that this is a charter for traffic and James. Copies are obtainable from the Hon not for the conservation of the New Forest. Secretary, 4, Clarence Road, Lyndhurst, Hants, The Committee continues to be concerned price £1.50 including postage. about the Lyndhurst bypass, and wrote object The Field Work Group carried out its annual ing to route 5A being proposed for adoption in excavation on a return visit to Church Green the Forest and Dowrilarid villages Local Plan, with a successful week that added more informa on the grounds that the Inspector's recom tion on this extensive site. A full report appears mendation that further routes should be fully in the Section's annual report for 1985. investigated had been ignored, and that the cost Finally, a small but perhaps significant event estimates were extremely questionable. The on the 'plus' side. The Section has consistently Secretary of State has 'called in' the adoption, opposed the siting of car parks and camp sites which is in effect a 'holding' action. under trees of the Ancient and Ornamental woods owing to the likelihood of the trees being Section Affairs found to be dangerous and then felled, a prophe We suffered a loss on the resignation as treasur cy all too often borne out. This year the Deputy er after twenty years of Mr R A D'Arcy, who has Surveyor announced that the car park in South been unstinting in his work for the Section. A Oakley was to be reduced in size, instead of the presentation was made at the Annual General offending trees being felled. Meeting to mark our appreciation.