SOMETHING STIRS....

My boyhood village of Hythe on Southampton Water stands `between the forest and the sea.` The sea is, of course, the Solent and the forest is the New Forest. In the early days of post-war Britain, it would be hard to imagine a more interesting, exciting choice of venue to grow up in with the waves of the Solent lapping at the bottom of our garden and with the forest on our doorstep too.
I spent many happy, formative days exploring its heathland, streams, woods and glades. Our boyhood days in the forest were captured by Bill Scammell in his poem `Green over Blue` -

The second coming

if there was to be one

took the form of wave or leaf

or swimmable New Forest streams,

a fallen log across

that clear and meditative face.

What can be done with a tree

but climb it? And a rusty yew

that won`t turn into Robin`s bow

or bend across a naked knee,

with hazel arrows, hard to fledge,

cut green and perfect from the hedge?

Boyhood days indeed. The Forest has a long, intriguing and unique history, from its establishment by William the Conqueror as his `Nova Foresta`in 1079 through to the present day. It is nationally important for its flora and fauna but it is perhaps the way in which the Forest has been governed over the centuries that is most telling. It has almost wholly been Crown land and even today, 98% of the Forest is still owned by the Crown.

But the rights of the commoners (turbary, pannage, estovers, marl etc.) by which the people of the Forest have maintained their way of life have been guarded by the Court of Verderers from their offices in Lyndhurst, the acknowledged `capital` of the Forest, whilst the Agisters have looked after the welfare and management of the Forest animals.

These days, whilst those traditional forms of `authority` are thankfully still in business, there is also the Forestry Commission, with responsibilites for the good management of the Forest and, of course, the usual suspects of Parish, District and County council. But more recently, yet another form of authority has arrived on the scene - the unelected National Park Authority. And it is this outfit that is the cause of `down in the Forest something stirs.`

All roads led to Wilverley Plain, near Brockenhurst, on Saturday as the Forest staged one of the biggest protests the area has ever seen. An estimated 2,000 protesters staged a demonstration to show their anger at proposals they claim would destroy their way of life.

The massive show of strength was organised by the newly formed pressure group Forest Uprising, which is battling ideas put forward by the New Forest National Park Authority. These ideas, forming part of the Park Authority`s 370-page long Recreation Management Plan, include creating `dog-free` car parks in the Forest, introducing yet more stringent restrictions on equestrian activities and charging motorists to use the Forest roads. All of which is severely miffing the British Horse Society, the New Forest Tourism Board, local MPs, local councils, residents and businesses. Just about enyone, in fact, who lives, works or visits the Forest for whatever reason.

Now, it may be that the fledgling National Park Authority is trying to `establish` itself; or it may be that it truly believes its proposals to be in the best interests of the Forest. Either way, it is perceived to be more concerned with the geography of its area of operation (shown in green above) than with the people who live and work in it. Over the centuries, the Verderers, the Agisters, the locally elected councils have all had a part to play in the life of the Forest but the new National Park Authority - perhaps because it is unelected - is struggling to find acceptance and credibility among the local people. And after more than 900 years, maybe their voice should be listened to a little more carefully.