Page 28 • The HERALD • 23rd April 2026 v BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS TO YOU SINCE 1994 v PVCu FASCIAS & GUTTERING CLEANING SERVICE Gutters checked for leaks and repaired Also new installations Driveway, Patio and Decking Cleaning and Restoration Service Very reliable and fully insured Good Rates and Professional Service Special Rates for OAP’s Call us now for a free quote Holbury 07884 112416 Next Level Scaffolding Ash 07702 082961 Next Level Scaffolding Josh 07896 883508 ashcarroll@nextlevel-ltd.co.uk SOLENT SKIP HIRE LTD FOR ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC WASTE MINI ~ MIDI ~ MAXI SKIPS ALSO CUBIC YARD BAGS OWN BAG COLLECTION AVAILABLE 023 8066 0123 01590 619700 • 01962 588288 Email: office@solentskiphire.co.uk THE BEAULIEU LETTERS by Marc Heighway Marc is available as a guest speaker to deliver local history talks. Find out more at: nfhwa.org/speakers On the o chance you’ve ever own over the Hatchet Pond or East Boldre area of the New Forest, you might have spotted the large letters carved into the heathland, and lled with chalk, spelling out BEAULIEU. Given most readers won’t have own over the New Forest in a light aircra , chances are, you might never have seen this archaeological gem. Even at ground level they can be easy to miss, unless you know where to look. To see them, the easiest way is to park up at Hatchet Moor, cross the road over to the heath as if heading to East Boldre, and walk along a trackway in south westerly direction. If you’re unsure, search YouTube for “Beaulieu Letters No Drone”. You will nd a video my son and I recorded there in 2022, showing you how to get there. But why are there large letters spelling BEAULIEU, carved into the landscape and lined with chalk? It’s a story that takes us back to the very earliest days of aviation in the New Forest. e letters date to around 1910, when East Boldre became one of Britain’s rst ying schools – I previously wrote about this in e Herald. At that time, aviation was still in its infancy. Aircra were fragile, unreliable, and own largely by sight. Pilots had no radio communication, no modern instruments, and only basic maps. Navigation was, quite literally, a matter of looking down and recognising the landscape below. It’s possible that the BEAULIEU letters were created as a visual aid for these early aviators. Each letter was cut into the turf and originally lled with a light material, most likely chalk, so that it stood out clearly from above. From the cockpit of a primitive aircra , the word “BEAULIEU” would have been visible from some distance, helping pilots nd their bearings and locate the ying ground at East Boldre. ere is, however, another theory. It’s suggested the letters may have marked a turning point for early air races held over the New Forest. In an era before permanent pylons or markers were common (or permitted), such a large and clearly de ned feature would have served as an ideal navigation point for competitive ying. What is clear is that the letters sit at the heart of a landscape steeped in aviation history. e open heathland around East Boldre was used extensively during the First World War for training by the Royal Flying Corps. en, three decades later, the area over the road took on renewed importance during the Second World War, when RAF Beaulieu was constructed on Hatchet Moor. Over time, the letters faded from view, reclaimed by the heathland. For many years, few people even knew they existed. It was not until 2012 that a local community e ort brought the letters back to life. Carefully uncovered and restored, they once again became visible, though still subtle unless viewed from above or in the right light. If you do visit the letters this summer, why not pay a visit to East Boldre Village Hall? e building is the last survivor from when the heathland was an air eld during WW1. e hall is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment project which is planned to nish by early summertime. For more information, search East Boldre Village Hall on Facebook. The BEAULIEU Letters
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