issue Hospital Sunday, May 1922 – outside The Fox 6 and Hounds public house, Mulfords Hill, Tadley In anticipation of hot, sunny days to come we print, in this issue, a cool Issue six walk in the shade of Pamber Forest. Another of the Tadley Tracks – Tadley July 2004 Facts walks (No 4). This one gives the walker an opportunity to see how the current management policies are aimed at returning parts of the forest to a coppice cycle so that wildlife can recover and, perhaps in the future, extinct Contents species be reintroduced. Warden Graham Dennis told us that the coppice Putting the capsule ‘to bed’ 1 restoration was going well; 25 of the 35 hectare target had now been achieved (1 hectare = 2.471 acres). Tadley Tracks, Tadley Facts 2-3 The sale of the 2004 TADS calendar was an enormous success; the demand far outweighed the number we printed. As a result we have been 100 years ago 4 able to make donations to two local charities: the Tadley branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and St Michael’s Hospice. Plans for the 2005 About us calendar are already underway so put a note on November to buy your new Tadley and District History Society TADS calendar and support a local charity. (TADS) was founded in 1984 for The National Heritage Open Weekend 2004 is the 10-13 September. people with an interest in local social Once again local churches will be opening their doors. In addition this history, and in the broader scope of year, St Paul’s and St Luke’s will also be open. Information can be found history and natural history. Monthly evening talks are held on the third in local libraries, the Willis Museum, or via the national website: www. Wednesday of each month, except heritageopendays.org. August, at 8.00pm in St Paul’s Church Hall, Tadley. These meetings are open to visitors. Putting the capsule ‘to bed’ TADS is a member of Hampshire A year – 2003 – in the life of Tadley Archives Trust and The British people was preserved in time for Association for Local History. 50 years on Saturday 20 March 2004. TADS’s projectnews is published The long awaited time capsule was three times a year by Tadley and lowered into the floor at Tadley District History Society. If you Community Centre during a would like to receive regular ceremony attended by about copies, please contact Alan Cooke, 70 people. The lead capsule was Distribution Officer, at Tadley and made and donated by Philip Cooper District History Society, PO Box 7264, Posing for a local newspaper photograph are Rosie Cooper and Christopher Hallett with of Tadley, and its contents were Tadley RG26 3FA, United Kingdom; (back l to r) Peggy Anscombe, Adrian Noad assembled by a small team of TADS (Chair of TCC committee) and Carol Stevens. telephone: 0118 981 4006; web: members under the guidance of www.tadshistory.com Carol Stevens and Peggy Anscombe. Team members were Rosemary Bond, Jim Coles, Alan Cooke and Derek Ward assisted by David Leeks, outgoing Contact details Chair of Tadley Town Council. Comments and/or articles for The capsule’s contents included 150 photographs, the history of Tadley possible inclusion in future issues in the books Around Tadley – fact & fable and Around Tadley – people and of projectnews are welcome places, local school prospectuses, churches newsletters, fixture lists and – please contact Carol Stevens; membership cards from local sports clubs and societies etc. An account of a telephone: 0118 970 1578; email: week’s school life, written by ten year old Christopher Hallett and thirteen [email protected]. year old Ellie Bradley, was also included, together with memories of life in Tadley today compared with half a century ago, written by Evelyn Woodall. Copy date for next issue The County Conservator advised on the packaging to be used to ensure 20 October 2004. the items survived. A list of the contents is in the capsule, also copies are at the Community Centre, Town Council offices and TADS archives. 2 TADS projectnews – July 2004 Tadley Tracks, Heath Copse Tadley Facts 4: Pamber Forest & Old Tadley Distance 2.5 Miles (4 km) Begger’s Bridge Copse Time about 1.5 hours Start By The Fighting Cocks Frame Green public house (607 606). Forest Lane Copse 8 A short walk, through Pamber Forest and W Old Tadley. Please keep dogs on leads at all i n 9 s t o times, leave wild flowers for others to enjoy n A Malthouse Lane v and take all your litter home with you. M e a n in u Gravelpit 7 R e o a Copse Pamber Forest was designated a Local d Bentley Green ‘The Fighting Copse Nature Reserve in 1980. The forest is Cocks’ Portway managed by Hampshire Wildlife Trust on 1 6 behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough 2 Honeymill Council, who have leased it from its owner, Bridge Englefield Estate (Benyon Trust). Designated Mariner’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in S the 1950s, the forest consists mainly of oak Copse i l c h e with an understorey of hazel coppice. The s t e r structure of the woodland varies from dry 5 R o a d open heathland through dense hazel and chestnut stands, to rich stream valleys lined 3 with alders and willows. 4 N ew ‘The Plough’ This variety of structure is linked both with R oa Pamber d past woodland management and the local Green topography and soil types: Bagshot Sands, Reading Beds and Plateau Gravels. 1 Walk downhill from The Fighting Cocks then winds around for 150 metres until The cessation of coppicing in the 1960s and over Honey Mill Bridge. (As you pass it meets a ditch where it abruptly turns had a detrimental effect on plants and it, note the unmetalled track on your left left to meet a larger path. wildlife. The current coppice restoration – this is the line of Portway, the Roman 6 Turn right on this path (fence on your favours those species that adapt to its ever road from Silchester to Salisbury.) Do not left) which after a short while bears left changing conditions. After cutting, light follow this track. Just beyond the bridge, with a path off on the right. Take the and sun stimulates the wild flowers: violets, turn left at a footpath marker and pass right hand path. This crosses another lesser celandine and bugle. As the coppice through a vehicle barrier into Pamber path after about 30 metres. Continue regrows wood spurge, marsh thistle and Forest and onto a footpath. on your original path which passes bramble take over and the brimstone and 2 After 100 metres bear right at a fork in through some open forest on your peacock butterflies appear. The re-grown the path and keep straight on. When right for about 100 metres and then in dense coppice attracts nesting birds, later, the path bears left, ignore the right 150 metres meets a metalled road at a particularly warblers and nightingales. And turn. Later still, it bears left again when pumping station. so the cycle continues: by cutting each year it meets a path from the right. About 7 Cross the front of the pumping station a continuous supply of suitable habitat is 50 metres from this junction, turn right to find a path running off to the left on provided for a wide range of wildlife. along a path which soon emerges from its other side. In 60 metres cross a bridge the forest and its route is seen clearly over a stream. Turn left immediately Unfortunately, to prevent too much across the open field, running up the off the bridge to go through the gap damage to the vulnerable coppice it rise. in a fence to re-enter Pamber Forest. is sometimes necessary to reduce the 3 Follow the route as it angles left up the Walk straight ahead for 50 metres to go numbers of roe and fallow deer by culling. rise, passing across a larger path and through a gate and 10 metres past the Plants and wildlife Pamber Forest is rich under the overhead wires. From the crest gate take the path to the right. This path in so called ancient woodland species. of the rise you can see two buildings, runs along for about 450 metres with a These include the wild service tree along which the way heads towards, a house small bank on the right to meet a major the ridge edges. On the woodland floor on the left and The Plough on the path where there is a covered wood pile. can be found, amongst others, wild right. Turn right at the fence and pass 8 Turn left on the major path and in about daffodil, primrose, yellow archangel and between two fences to find yourself at 300 metres meet a cattle gate. Go soloman’s seal. Pamber is especially good the front door of The Plough. through the gate and walk straight on for butterflies: the white admiral and 4 Keeping The Plough on your right, walk for 800 metres until you meet a vehicle purple hairstreak which make the most down the road for 100 metres and turn barrier at the edge of the forest. Pass of the wide sunlit rides and the purple right onto a gravelled track. Go through through the barrier and continue on emperor which lives high up in the tree the vehicle barrier ahead and follow with paddocks on your right and then canopy. The forest also supports an the path through the field as it bears to houses on both left and right until you abundance of other wildlife – 19 species of the right, crosses a smaller path, passes come to a metalled road (Forest Lane).