Herald - Issue 411

Page 14 • The HERALD • 26th August 2021 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk 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 PC PAINTING & DECORATING SERVICES Interior/Exterior Painting Decorating & Small Home Improvements Paul 07783 405977 Free Estimates ~ Fully Insured 30 years experience pcdecor8@gmail.com M.D.S. DIGITAL INSTALLS/SERVICE • DIGITAL AERIALS/FREEVIEW • SKY DIGITAL/FREESAT DIGITAL • EXTRA TELEVISION POINTS • TELEPHONE LINES/POINTS • TELEVISION SYSTEMS SETUP/TUNED • WALL MOUNTED TV’S QUALIFIED, FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE SURVEYS/QUOTES BEAULIEU: 01590 611011 MOBILE: 07717 194441 Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH or email editor@herald-publishing.co.uk Wet clean or Dry clean • Carpets • Rugs • Upholstery • Cushions • Mattresses • Caravans & Motor Homes The Wartime Relics in Marchwood Inclosure by local history enthusiast, Marc Heighway My son and recently I discovered a few relics inMarchwood Inclosure, both of which have wartime connections. You may have seen them yourself; there’s a hexagonal concrete block in the woods that’s approximately 3 foot tall. en as you walk out onto the hill that overlooks Ipley Crossroads, there’s evidence of brick foundations at the foot of the trees. e bricks in the ground overlooking the crossroads were foundations for the site of a Royal Observer Corps position during the Second World War. Known as an ROC post, it was manned by volunteers whose role was to look out for enemy aircra . It would have been an above ground and open structure with brick and wooden sides, letting volunteers monitor the skies for danger. It was built on the site of a Bronze Age burial mound, so there’s two pieces of history when you stand on this spot. You might also nd some bomb craters around this hilltop too. ey are easier to see a er rain, as they become large puddles. But with regards to the concrete block in the woods, there have been different theories published. ese include being a base for a WW2 Spigot Mortar, searchlight position, or a mount for a barrage balloon. Whilst I understand why these theories have been mooted, the design and location doesn’t really work with any of those. In fact, I don’t believe the concrete block was built during the Second World War at all, but instead predates that period and is from the First World War era. I came to this conclusion a er a chance conversation with local historian Anthony Pasmore. He encouraged me to visit the New Forest Heritage Centre’s library in Lyndhurst and read the Verderers’ meeting notes from the last 100 years. With his help, I read a letter dated the 21st of September 1917. It requested permission to place concrete for aircra height nding purposes to the west of Applemore. Here’s an excerpt from that 1917 letter: Dear Sir, Southampton Anti-Aircraft Sites. I am instructed to inform you that it is proposed to place a small concrete base for height finding purposes on the Heath Land immediately to the West of Applemore Hill in the parish of Denny Lodge. ere are then further notes from 1917 where the Verderers make no objection to the concrete being placed to the west of Applemore Hill and Denny Lodge – which I assume relates to the area we know today as Marchwood Inclosure. You might think it sounds strange that anti-aircra precautions were being taken in the New Forest in 1917. However, London was bombed from the air in 1917, so early warning systems were being set-up around Greater London. It’s therefore possible that Southampton docks were considered a risk. at could account for aircra height nding equipment being placed locally to support anti- aircra defences. If you look closely at the concrete block in Marchwood Inclosure, there’s also a cut-out on one side, and evidence of wiring. is could be for early telephony or electrics – both technologies were used in anti-aircra systems in this period. An archaeologist I spoke to believes the concrete mix seen here is typical of that used in the rst quarter of the 1900’s rather than 1930’s and 40’s era. However, what I have yet to establish is what the height nding equipment would have looked like… if indeed the position was ever even needed by the time it was placed there. So, there are still some unanswered questions. If you have any further information, or even want to disagree with me, you can email me on mheighway@ hotmail.com I am not a professional historian. I am not an archaeologist. I am not a metal detectorist, and I don’t dig holes. I am simply passionate about our local history so you can learn and enjoy from what we find too. Marc Heighway and Son Finn (8) investigate the hexagonal structure overlooking Ipley crossroads