Updated 1st June 2009
BINSTED INCLUDED IN THE SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK. ALICE HOLT LOOKS LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED TOO: SUPPORT THIS PLAN!
LOCAL EVENTS: BENTLEY, BINSTED, KINGSLEY, ROWLEDGE, OAKHANGER etc PLUS EVENTS AT ALICE HOLT VISITOR CENTRE >>CLICK HERE
BENTLEY "GREENING CAMPAIGN" : Details further down the page under "Community"
"DOCKENFIELD DAY" is Saturday 6th June 2pm-6pm
Note this is an INDEPENDENT website, run to benefit all those who are interested in this unique part of our heritage.
We are not connected to the Forestry Commission or to any of the franchisees who operate in Alice Holt
Aliceholt.org is two years old! We started this site in Feb '07 in a desperate attempt to update people about a campsite planning application that was threatening the Forest at the time. We decided to keep the site going to act as a general site for everyone who knows and loves this unique place.
We've now received nearly over 50,000 visitors from over 80 different countries including places as far away as Mauritius, Botswana and even the Caribbean islands of St Kitts and Nevis! Thanks to all our visitors and e-mail correspondents.
We are building up a collection of interesting articles about the Forest, it's history, ecology, wildlife and points of interest. We would like to receive any contributions you may have. No matter how long or short;serious or lighthearted. Nature sightings, recollections of the Forest in past times, interesting facts, events and notices, pictures, poems,scholarly treatises or kids' stuff...please use the contact us link or put it in the "Snail mail". Go to Contact us details
HIGHLIGHTS IN BRIEF
UPDATED: SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK ANNOUNCED
>> The Forest News page has details of the Government's decision on the boundaries of the South Downs National Park. The good news is, the Park will be much bigger than was feared.
The Western Weald around Petersfield including the Woolmer Forest has been re-included.
And (thanks in part to those who filled in the petition on this website) the "Norther Hangers" around Binsted are also included, which seemed like a lost cause at one point.
Better still, Alice Holt Forest originally scoped out at a very early stage has been recommended for re-inclusion. That's not a "done deal" so have your say on our >> Forest News page
Map (c) DEFRA/Natural England
UPDATED: LATEST ON ARBORETUM PLANS >>Click here
The Alice Holt Community Forum is discussing plans to restore this important site to its former glory >>Click Here to read about the way plans are taking shape for this exciting community project
CYCLING FOR ALL IN ALICE HOLT FOREST
You can enjoy miles of traffic free cycling in the Forest. Find out about access and the new CTC scheme ...including contact details for cycle hire now that "Forestry Adventure" has ceased operating. There's also details of the forthcoming Project Peru sponsored cycling event. >>Click here to go to our cycling page
GUIDE TO BIRDWATCHING IN ALICE HOLT FOREST
There are always birds to look out for in the woods. See our guide to all the most distinctive, unusual and beautiful of our forest feathered friends.
Bird of the month: The TURTLE DOVE
>>Click Here for the birdwatching page
>> Click here to see some new photos in to the Photo Gallery including this Nuthatch close up.
SUNNY OR COLD...IT'S ALWAYS "PUB WEATHER"! : FIND THE BEST PLACES TO EAT & DRINK AFTER A WALK IN ALICE HOLT
Never mind the weather, get the family out in the fresh air for a brisk walk in the Forest followed by a pint and a bit of nosh by a roaring fire. This is TheBlue Bell at Batt's Corner, just one of the wonderful pubs in the Alice Holt area .
>>Click here for our guide to the best pubs around Alice Holt. (all tested personally by your's truly! Ed) We've also included local B&B accommodation for those looking to stay in the Alice Holt Forest area.
NATURE NEWS:
The Forest is moving into high Summer, with new wild flowers, exotic migrant butterflies, strange nocturnal birds and cute young animals all to see
To see what wildlife to look out for in the Forest now, take a look at the nature news section further down this home page
CONTENTS
UPDATED! Community Features (just below this section: scroll down)
If the Arboretum Project goes ahead, a fundraiser will be needed
Help wanted: Alton Community Care & Binsted Fete
Project Peru: forthcoming sponsored cycle ride
Bentley "Greening" project will launch on July 24th
South Downs National Park Announcement: Support plans to include Alice Holt Forest!
What's going on in the Lodge Inclosure? Report on felling and thinning work
Old Arboretum to be revived. Read about the progress being made by the AHCF
Latest meeting of Alice Holt Community Forum
Latest status of Kennels Pond & the Swampweed problem
DIARY OF ACTIVITIES & EVENTS IN ALICE HOLT & SURROUNDING AREA
Includes latest "Holt Happenings" Newsletter with all the Visitor Centre events: now downloadable
Guide to the best local pubs . Great places to take the family for lunch. Or enjoy a pint of real ale. Also includes where to find local accommodation
Photo Gallery: More New Photos
Alice Holt in the Roman Period: the Alice Holt & Farnham Potteries
Wildlife Feature of the Month : Cuckoos ,Swallows and Spring Flowers
Archive: Identifying Winter Trees and Small Forest Birds
NEW! Birdwatching in Alice Holt: Top 10 plus complete species list
Bird of the month: the Turtle Dove
Bird of the month archive: Fieldfare, Pheasant, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Rook, Chiffchaff
Want to Contribute to this Site?
COMMUNITY
ARE YOU AN EXPERIENCED FUNDRAISING
MANAGER WITH VOLUNTARY TIME TO GIVE?
Although nothing is "Official", the Arboretum Project seems to be gaining momentum. No final decisions have been taken yet but the options for restoring the Arboretum all point to the need for a degree of funding from outside the Forestry Commission's coffers.
Anyone who's interested in getting involved in this project and who has useful skills and experience might like to get in touch informally with the Alice Holt Community Forum. It's likely that someone with financial management skills and/or experience of previous fundraising projects would suit the task in hand. There's likely to be considerable work exploring the various Government and other official sources of grants for community and environmental projects, with the support of the Forestry Commissions staff. Whilst this may not be a full time affair it's going to take commitment and a good deal of voluntary time, so anyone interested in offering their services would need to be in a position to dedicate themselves to seeing the job through.
If you're interested in getting seriously involved in the financial side of this project drop an email in confidence to Colin Hall of the AHCF.
Help Wanted!
Alton Community Care helps people from Alton and surrounding villages get to their medical appointments, either locally or to hospitals further afield (mainly Basingstoke). They urgently need more volunteer drivers and coordinators (who do a shift on the phones every few weeks taking requests for lifts and booking volunteer drivers) For more information call Hugh Bethell 01420 563932 or Ian Robertson 01420 88896
Binsted Fete is happening on Saturday July 25th at 2.00pm. Schedules are now available from the Cedars and other pubs in the vicinity, or by calling Patrick Butler on 01420 520483. Anyone who'd like to help with the Fete please contact Jo Balls 07970 233544 or Yvonne Puley: 07802 288989
Project Peru:
¡Pan y dignidad! ¡Agua y libertad! ¡Casa hogar y seguridad!
Project Peru is a Guildford-based registered charity which aims are to provide financial and material support, while at the same time encouraging voluntary effort and raising awareness of development issues in this poverty-stricken Latin American country.
Founded in 1992 as an Anglo-Peruvian effort to address some of the enduring issues that the country faces, Project Peru focuses on Zapallal, near the Capital City, Lima, where they have established a refuge from poverty and disadvantage. Regularly providing food, shelter and support for children and families in need, they also distribute a variety of supplies in more remote areas in the interior of Peru.
It's a tangible initiative that reflects both the immediate and longer term needs of its beneficiaries. They always try to respond to the expressed needs of the people themselves in the light of the social, economic and political climate in Peru.
Their slogan above translates as.... "Bread and Dignity! Water and Freedom! Shelter and Security!"
On our Cycling in Alice Holt Forest Page you can read about their forthcoming Sponsored Cycle Ride which takes place this year on Sunday June 21st 2009 or you can go straight to their website by clicking here
Greening Bentley Campaign
Now you CAN do something to help beat Climate Change
The "Greening" campaign began in Petersfield when Terena Plowright decided to do something in her own town to try and ‘make a difference’. The campaign was so successful that since then many other villages and towns, including Alton have joined together together to begin finding easy ways to reduce their CO2 emissions and water they waste...and save money to boot.
Terena addressed a well attended meeting in March, organised by Robert Simpson and Parish Councillor Dave Darrah at which ten action points were adopted. These are things any home in Bentley can do, from insulating the loft properly to boiling only the amount of water needed when making a cuppa.
TO READ MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE GREENING BENTLEY CAMPAIGN...
The Greening Campaign kicks off properly at a launch event on the 4th July.Now's the time for Community Groups who want to support this brilliant initative to get in touch with the organisers. If you're interested in this exciting project contact Robert Simpson on 01420 22094 or send him an email
Alice Holt Forest lies between Farham in West Surrey and Alton in North East Hampshire and is best accessed from Bentley Railway Station or, by car from the A325. The area has been more-or-less continuously wooded since trees first colonised Southern England after the last Ice Age (around 7000 years ago). Man has dwelt in the forest precincts from Lower Palaeolithic ("Old Stone age") times. The Romans used the local clay for large scale production of pottery in kilns fired by the abundant wood, but this sloping ground with wet clay below and stony gravels on the higher tops has never been attractive for farming, helping to keep the site largely wooded . During the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods the area was preserved for hunting, eventually passing to the King and becoming a Royal Forest protected by the strict "Forest Law". The woods have been managed by man for centuries and in the 18th & 19th Centuries provided oak for the Navy. Many famous historical figures had associations with the Forest, from a 10th century Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Caterbury (from who's name 'Aelfsige's Holt' the placename 'Alice Holt' derives, through to Gilbert White, the 18th Century naturalist of Selborne and William Cobbett the 19th Century firebrand political commentator.
The Forest was "enclosed" in 1812, taking away many of the rights of the local "commoners". Conifers were introduced to the Forest in the latter part of the 19th Century and there are many fine mature specimens. Alice Holt Forest was acquired by the Forestry Commission in 1924, and a Research Station set up there in 1946. In common with so many ancient Forests under the Forestry Commission's management, more and more became given over to conifers in the post-War drive for State-subsidised timber production. The Commission and their commercial arm Forest Enterprise have however maintained a good mix of conifers and broadleaved trees within which blocks are periodically felled and replanted.
Pressure to find alternative income and to exploit the recreational potential of the woods has led to an increasing provision of organised leisure and educational facilities (Including shop, classroom, Forest Cafe and "Go Ape" adventure) at the Visitor Centre near Dockenfield . However the rest of Forest retains much of its peace and charm. It is accessible to visitors on foot, cycle and horseback and is a haven for a huge variety of wildlife including important rarities and nationally threatened species such as dormice, hobbies, nightjars and purple emperor butterflies. It is designated as a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC), close to the planned South Downs National Park (Into which many people hoped it could be incorporated) and adjacent to the Bentley Station Meadow, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Alice Holt Forest is not just any woodland but a historic 'Ancient Woodland'. If you're thinking "..but how is a Forestry Commission pine plantation 'Ancient' woodland?"....well Ancient Woodlands is defined as
"... land continuously wooded since 1600AD..... that is able to support more threatened species than any other UK habitat. The unique species interactions that occur within ancient woodlands have developed over hundreds of years ..... These eco-systems cannot be re-created and with only just over 2% of the land area in Great Britain remaining preserving the remaining areas is vital." (Source: Woodland Trust)
Alice Holt Forest in Old County
Maps of Hampshire
See how Alice Holt mysteriously disappeared off the county maps of Hampshire between 1575 and 1759
Alice Holt Forest in Roman Times
the History of the Alice Holt & Farnham Potteries
See how Alice Holt was, for four hundred years a thriving industrial centre, manufacturing pottery on a vast scale for the citizens of Roman Britannia
NATURE NEWS
ABOVE: This is how one will normally glimpse the NIGHTJAR (Caprimulgus europaeus) Hawking insects in the dark of a warm Summer night.
BELOW: You'd be very lucky to see it in daylight ,as it hides up in the dense undergrowth, hence one name "Fern Owl"
The CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus) is almost falcon-like with it's long wings, but a weak flyer, generally found in the open country of trees, scrub and fields around Alice Holt Forest
The SWALLOW's(Hirundo rustica) nest is open topped and quite a messy affair, whereas the little black-and-white HOUSE MARTIN (Delichon urbica) with its short cleft tail and white rump makes a very neat mud cup nest with a smaller entrance. The SAND MARTIN (Riparia riparia) is brown and is a very localised bird found near water where it nests colonially in holes in sandy river banks or gravel pits. The SWIFT (Apus apus) is not closely related to the swallows and martins, and is uniformly dark with stiff, scimitar wings.
TOP: MALE FERN (Dryopteris felix-mas) unfurls delicately from a central clump to form a noble, curving display of soft green fronds BOTTOM: The BRACKEN fronds were only just poking through the leaf litter of last year in April but now it forms a dense, sweet-smelling tangle of fern which provides cover for the breeding Roe Deer
In May and June much cuteness occurs in the Forest as young animals and birds venture out of their nests. A ROE DEER FAWN will normally lie up all day in the bracken, while FOX CUBS come out and romp even in daylight. Young RABBITS are everywhere. All the above are vulnerable to dogs: so take care!
A magnificent HAWTHORN (or "May Tree"). According to the Celtic "tree calendar" Hawthorn or "Huath's" month lasts until June 9th
The familiar ELDER with its flat "Umbels" of florets and pungent smell is coming into full blossom now. The GUELDER ROSE (RIGHT) is less common nationally, but often found wild in Alice Holt Forest. It's told from the Elder by the exaggerated size of the outer florets.
Birds do it, bees do it...the EARLY BUMBLE BEE (Bombus pratorus) here seen in copulation is common in the meadows and gardens along the Forest edge, while the brown coloured COMMON CARDER BEE (Bombus pascuorum) RIGHT prefers the Forest itself
A glorious PAINTED LADY. THis butterfly is an immigrant which appears in very variable numbers each summer, as successive waves migrate northwards from Africa, breeding along the way. This year there are huge numbers of them in the sunny parts of the Forest.
The PENDULOUS SEDGE with it's long tassel flowers in the most spectacular of the many grasses on show in the Forest now
TOP (L to R) COW PARSLEY; COMMON SPOTTED ORCHID; SHEEP'S SORREL; HERB ROBERT; BUGLE
BOTTOM (L to R) CREEPING BUTTERCUP (closeup) CREEPING BUTTERCUP (en masse) FOXGLOVES; WOOD SPURGE
Wildlife Feature Of The Month -
"While o'er the cliff th'awakened churn-owl hung
Through the still gloom protracts his chattering song"
Gilbert White of Selborne (1720-1793) to Thomas Pennant, Esq
Churn-owl, night hawk, jarr-owl, goatsucker and fern owl. The Nightjar goes by many names and was the subject of many superstitions.
The hot days from late May onwards are generally precursor to the magical sound of Alice Holt's most famous bird calling in the night.
It's hardly suprising that the Nightjar was the subject of folk lore: it hides up, very still and almost invisible in the undergrowth all day and emerges well into the dusk.
First one hears a gentle "poop" call, followed by a clapping sound which is indeed the males clapping their long wings together. Then it starts the famous "churring" or "jarring" call: a mechanical vibrating noise which goes on for several minutes at a time. It's only to be seen with difficulty: flitting on its long, hawk-like wings against the night sky, hunting moths and other flying insects.
Its adaptations for this nocturnal, insect-hunting life are the root of its tendency to attract superstition. Huge, bulging black eyes for seeing at night, a frog-like gaping mouth and sensitive bristles around the beak all make it a pretty unusual bird and one which people thought sucked the milk of cows and goats at night.
It's nationally a rare bird, suited to the lowland heaths of England such as Oakhanger Common and the Woolmer Forest. But it's taken to Forestry Commission plantations, especially the dry, prickly scrub where conifers have been cleared or where young conifers have been planted. The population now stands at some 5,000 breeding pairs and rising.
"Then be the time to steal adown the vale,
And listen to the vagrant cuckoo's tale"
Gilbert White of Selborne (1720-1793) to Thomas Pennant, Esq
Last month I featured the Cuckoo and it seems worth leaving that section in, as they've been very frequent this year.
A neighbour heard him as early as March 26th. I Say "Him" for it's the male who has the "cuck-coo" call, one of the most haunting sounds of summer in Britain. The female makes a kind of babbling call.
Often heard, not so often seen, the Cuckoo is a medium-sized grey bird (juveniles and some, but not all females are reddish) It's long tail and long pointed wings that mean it's sometimes mistaken for a bird of prey. It's flight is rather weak and it enjoys a landscape with a mixture of woodland and open country with plenty of trees, bushes or hedges. A great eater of caterpillars, its digestive system is adapted to cope with the toxins found in many of the less appetising brightly coloured and hairy caterpillars which would be harmful to most other birds.
And of course it's technically a "parasite", laying its eggs one at a time in various other birds' nests such as the dunnock (hedge sparrow) reed warbler, blackcap or meadow pipit.
The cuckoo is probably foremost amongst British wildlife as a herald or harbinger of the warm weather. In other countries the stork fulfils that iconic status. And of course arrival of the Swallows one of which "does not a summer make" is literally proverbial. The first, single bird arrived at Binsted Church (where they make their rather messy grass and mud nests in the rafters of the porch) on the1st April this year, waiting patiently for others to fly in from the West African grounds where they winter (a few spend the winter in Southern Spain) The Swallow's long pointed wings, beaten fast and powerfully make it a strong flyer with great stamina over long distances and great manoeuvrability when chasing the airborne insects on which it feeds. Gilbert White of Selborne devoted much time to pondering whether Swallows and the closely related House Martins migrate or hibernate. We might laugh at the latter but there were plenty of yokels who attested to finding them sleeping the winter away in the thatch of a roof or even the mud at the bottom of a pond.
The Swift always arrives a good deal later than the Swallows and Martins. It's not that closely related, although it's evolved some similar features to cope with long distance migration and almost continuous life in the air, twisting and turning in search of flies and other insects. It's larger and darker than the House Martin with longer, slimmer, stiffly-held, scimitar-shaped wings. They're hole nesters, adapted to mountains and coastal crags but very happy to adopt the spire of Holy Cross Church in Binsted around which they'll be wheeling and screaming in the hot weather. This year everyone seems to be commenting that they're late: they're just arriving now.
“She jerked away from me like a startled fawn might,
if I had a startled fawn and it jerked away from me.”
Raymond Chandler (1888-1959)
The Forest is full of green ferns now.The most noble looking ones with their arching green fronds are the Male Ferns Dryopteris felix-mas. But far more ubiquitous than any other member of the fern group (Technically the Phyllum Pteridophyta)is the Bracken. Now bracken has a bit of a bad name: it's invasive, especially in upland moors and pastures and potentially carciogenic too if eaten by cattle. But in the Forest it serves as cover for many creatures, not least the lovely native Roe Deer, which have their fawns hidden in the bracken now.
Both the male (buck) and the female (doe) adults may get seriously upset if you inadvertantly approach the fawn's hiding place: the male especially will rush about "barking" to both alert the female and distract the intruder.
They're well hidden and have little to fear from people, but are of course vulnerable to dogs, so be careful if your pet tends to go off hunting in the undergrowth.
Other mammals have youngsters too: I've had several sightings of Fox cubs recently: they're impossibly cute at this time of year as they come out of the burrow (or "earth") to tumble and skip about just like kittens.
And Rabbits too have youngsters. They are not a native, rather they're a food species introduced into preserved "warrens" probably first by the Romans, and re-introduced by the Normans. But they're a completely familiar fixture of the countryside now, and the little kitts are to be seen everywhere feeding in the grassy glades and rides of the Forest.
Bread and Cheese, Gaxels, Hagthorn,
Halves, Haw, Hazels, Huath, Ladies' Meat, May, Mayblossom, May Bush, Mayflower,
May Tree, Quick, Thorn, Tree of Chastity.
The myriad names under which that most familiar of shrubs, the Hawthorn goes indicate its focal position in the folklore of Spring. There have been reams of folksy stuff written about its role in mystical practices: from the decorated fairy hawthorns and saints' trees of Ireland and Wales to its use in promoting fertility, driving out witches or ensuring the perfect baking temperature of a bread oven.
It's been a spectacular season for these "May" bushes which have been positively straining under the weight of creamy white blossom. Now the petals are falling: the Celtic month of May is supposed to last from May 13th-June 9th. While it's in blossom it's a veritable feast of nectar and pollen for many insect species. The small flies and midges one sees on Hawthorn blossom are a key to one of its magical associations: volatile chemicals in the perfume of the flowers have in fact evolved to mimic the scent given off by a newly decaying corpse. Hence the attraction to flies and the reason surely why many people find the smell slightly sickly and associated it in the past with death.
Other blossoming trees of late have been the Horse Chestnut . It's May showers that "betumble the chestnut spikes" in Thomas Hardy's peom Weathers, (more commonly known by its first line "This is the weather the cuckoo likes" ). They will develop into Autumn's horse chestnuts or "conkers". The "Bonny Rowan tree" too has about finished its brief period of blossom when its flat heads (or "umbels") of florets look like creamy foam.They are already turning into green berries which will be brilliant orange in early autumn. Now the Guelder Rose is in flower. Not a well known shrub, it's a native and the umbels are distinctive in having large showy florets on the outside and smaller ones in the middle. That distinguishes it from the Elder: like the Hawthorn a tree of very magical associations. It's not so frequent in the wider countryside and you'll not see so many in the Forest. But where there's a light soil enriched by human habitation, such as old farmyards, or even some of the Roman archaeological sites hereabouts, the Elder is to be found. Its association with humans must account for much of its folklore: especially that to cut it down without permission was to invite witches or mischievous fairies to invade the homestead. Both the Hawthorn and the Elder have been considered personifications of the Summery, fertile, female aspect of the old Forest God or "Green Man" who's male form is represented by the Oak and the Winter Holly.The transformation of the stern old Oak-spirit of the Winter Forest into the softer, playful character of the Summer woods seemed summed up for me today when I saw, tangled amongst the Ivy on an old stag-headed Oak, the first budding Wild Roses of the year.
"I'll be floating like a butterfly
and stinging like a bee".
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr (Muhammad Ali)
Much concern exists about the fate of the Honey Bee, which is responsible, by some calculations for 33% of the food we consume. If that sounds far fetched, a fascinating TV documentary pointed out that in areas of mooculture, such as the vast almond groves of California, no crop would be possible unless some 70% plus of all the nation's bees were shipped out there in hives for the pollination season. All kinds of mysterious diseases are striking down bee hives.
But domestic honey bees are not alone in suffering: we know that persistent use of herbicides and pesticides, plus now the loss of "set aside" land due to the latest short-term DEFRA and EU thinking has devastated the Hoverfly populations of our countryside. And changes to water quality through abstraction, farm chemicals and treated effluent are wiping out the great clouds of Mayflies that once swarmed above our trout streams in May and June.
Even things as seemingly innocent as horses are implicated: many are fed so many anti-biotics and anti-parasitical preparations that their manure no longer supports the dung flies, midges and beetles it once did.
So I was pleased to see that this year there have been enormous numbers of Bumblebees. In the meadows and gardens surrounding the Forest there are great numbers of Early Bumble Bees (despite its name, not the earliest of our species) It has a yellow stripe and a red tail and as I write there are a good dozen or so feeding on my lavender. It's communal ,nesting in old mouse nests ,heaps of grass and even birds' nests, but it doesn't like to go too deep into the woods. As soon as you get into the shady Forest you'll see a similarly sized ginger-brown bumblebee: the Common Carder Bee. They feed avidly on the woodland flowers and are also communal: perhaps 200 workers at most living with a queen and drones in old turf tussocks, mouse tunnels and similar undisturbed dry grassy patches.
Butterflies are one of the joys of the countryside and Alice Holt is of course a nationally important site for such rarities as the White Admiral and Purple Emperor. Right now the early Brimstones, Orange Tips, Speckled Woods and Small Tortoiseshells have been joined by a welcome foreign migrant. There are literally hundreds of Painted Ladies suddenly arriving, sweeping in from the Continent. As I sat on my lawn on May 24th they were coming in at the rate of perhaps two or three per minute all afternoon; all coming up from the South East. They winter in the Northern Sahara and as each generation breeds, it's progeny move forward in a "wave" stopping to breed again before the next generation moves on. It's looking like a hot summer and in years such as this the 4th and 5th generations may reach the high Arctic.
"I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain"
Roy Wood (1946-)
Insects now have a much wider range of flowers to feed on in the Forest. The delicate "pre-vernals" such as Violets, Primroses and Bluebells are now overtaken by ranker vegetation which thrives given our mixture of showers and sunshine. Everywhere Stinging Nettle, Cleavers, Wood Dock, Butterbur, Cow Parsley, Red Campion and similar highly competitive fast growing plants are forming a lush tangle wherever the full sunlight pentrates to the ground. The meadows around the Forest are a solid mass of yellow as moisture-loving, golden Creeping Buttercups compete with the grasses for height. Even the grasses themselves can be quite specacular: hay fever sufferers may not appreciate them but there are some beautiful forms around now, most notably the magnificent Pendulous Sedge which grows at least a metre high, with long dangling "tails" for flowers.
Where the sunlight is dappled, more delicate Forest edge species such as Slender Speedwell, Herb Robert, Herb Bennett, Greater Stichwort, Ground Ivy, Bugle and Yellow Pimpernel are to be found, while the animal-grazed, open, grassy patches have their own specialities such as Heath Bedstraw, Tormentil and Sheep's Sorrel on the drier gravelly soils of the plateau top and Common Spotted Orchids which are just emerging in the damp spots of the Bentley Station Meadow.
Deep in the Forest shade, apart from the Ferns, only specialised flowers will thrive: two to look for are Pignut (Like a tiny, feather-leaved Cow Parsley) and the very conspicuous Wood Spurge with its tall green flowers and pungent ,acrid smell.
There's so much to see ,smell and hear right now in Alice Holt Forest! I haven't even mentioned the Carp and baby Moorhens on the ponds, the Bats and "roding" Woodcock in the evenings or the Buzzards and Stock Doves to be heard calling during the day.
One I can't fail to cover is the Turtle Dove, who's purring call from the leafy Oak-tops seems to "make" a hot Summer's day...but that's out featured Bird of the Month on the "Birdwatching in Alice Holt" page.
Every day brings something different ...so get out and about now to experience a Forest Spring in all its glory.
Please do contact us if you see any interesting wildlife sights...
"Twitchers' Corner" Bird List ( PLEASE CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU'VE SEEN!)
March 07: Red kite
April 07: Golden pheasant
May 07: Little egret
June 07: Little egret
December 07: Little Egrets again in River Wey
April 08: Treecreeper near Bentley Station
July 08: Long-Eared Owl calling near Home Hanger
August 08: Spotted Flycatcher.Alice Holt Lodge
October/Nov/Dec 08: Female Sparrowhawk(s) frequently in Lodge, Goose Green & Abbott's Wood
November 08: Two Little Egrets return again to winter in River Wey
December 08: Flock(s) of Crossbills in Holt Pound, Lodge and Abbott's Wood; About 50 Golden Plover at Telegraph Hill, Binsted
March 09: Hen Harrier and (possible) Goshawk
Do drop us an e-mail if you've spotted any rarities
TO SEE OUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO
BIRD WATCHING IN ALICE HOLT
FOREST >>Click here
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SITE?
Got a photo you want posted? Know any favourite Forest walks you'd like to tell people about? Any interesting wildlife you've seen recently? Any news or events you'd like to publicise? Any issues you'd like to get onto the soapbox about?
How about your kids? Any drawings or poems they're especially proud of you'd like to see online?
We positively welcome any and every contribution to this website. Never mind if you're writing skills are not those of a professional ...you may have noticed my spelling's not too hot either!
Just send an e-mail
to which you can attach any of the commonly used types of files like
word, powerpoint, jpegs etc . Send it to info@aliceholt.org.
If computers aren't your strong point, you can send anything via post
to www.aliceholt.org, 1 Blacknest Cottages, Blacknest
Road, Blacknest, Alton GU34 4PZ. We can re-type, scan etc and
if you like even return your originals. Please do contribute: the more
stuff we get the more we can turn aliceholt.org into an interesting
site for both local people and those far and wide who are interested
in the Forest.
.....was formed to fight a the threat some years ago that a "Center Parcs"-style holiday camp might be built in the Forest. The Group continues to be the most active and authoritative group monitoring planning proposals that affect the Forest. Several of their memebers are represented on the Alice Holt Community Forum which meets regularly with the Forestry Commission to discuss matters of interest and concern. This website is independent from AHAG but we fully support their aims.
Contact Chairman, Colin Hall at CHall3422@AOL.com
Other oganisations concerned with conserving ancient woodlands such as Alice Holt
The Woodland Trust is the UK's foremost
charity devoted to the conservation of native and broadleaved woodland.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is the County wildlife trust owning and managing many important sites and campaigning folr protection for important and threatened habitats such as Langstone Harbour.
>>Visit HIOW Wildlife Trust's website
Other Useful Links
Official Forestry Commission Site (Main Home Page)
Official Forestry Commission Site (Alice Holt Section)
Bentley & Binsted's shared parish website
A New Site run by Bentley Parish Council
Greening Bentley Page of the Bentley Parish Council Site
The Main "Greening Campaign" Website
Hampshire & IOW Butterfly Conservation
has a good website with in-depth feature on the Bentley Station Meadow nature reserve
Click here on this link to go straight to the Bentley Station Meadow Page
Farnham & District Ramblers Association
interesting site run by Woolmer Forest Heritage Society full of historical info about Alice Holt's "near neighbour" Royal Forest
Download site for Walks in Hampshire
Excellent site about the River Wey, it's history, wildlife, places of interest etc
Stubbs Farm , tranquil local accommodation
Dragon Lodge , self catering iaccommodation at the distinctive Dragon House, Frensham
Mike Young's New Site More brilliant photos from local wildlife photographer
Sharon Young's Website featuring the work of this local artist
Oldknobbley.com Useful? Well that's not always the point. But fun, definitely. A website devoted not to a Forest but to just one tree
Wildaboutbritain.co.uk great site full of interesting photos, news ,links, forums etc about every aspect of the outdoors for those who are truly "wild" about Britain
Wildlifeonline.me.uk Slightly off the wall wildlife site with really interesting stuff, going into fascinating depth on subjects that reflect author Marc Baldwin's varied interest in natural history.
Definitely worth perusing for those "I never knew that" nuggets of wildlife info
Best of Farnham Online guide to local shops, businesses and attractions in Farnham and surroundings.
CONTACTING US
By Email: info@aliceholt.org
We would be DELIGHTED to get more comments, opinions, feedback and so on about our website! We'll do our best to answer if you ask for as response, and to pass on your e-mails to other people where relevant. But please bear with us as we're normal people with jobs and families too!
IMPORTANT: If your communication is of a sensitive nature, please make plain if YOU WANT COMMENTS TO BE TREATED IN STRICT CONFIDENCE or if you WANT YOUR COMMENTS TO BE PUBLICISED ANONYMOUSLY. We will of course respect that.
Your e-mail address
or other contact details will be ONLY be used by us to contact you about
issues directly related to Alice Holt Forest.
If you prefer not to be contacted at all, please say so.
Contacting us by Post
www.aliceholt.org,
1 Blacknest Cottages,
Blacknest Road,
Blacknest,
Alton,
Hampshire. GU34 4PZ
