Right hello everyone and welcome to this special
video podcast, video or vlog whatever it is
we are calling it, as part of the council
for British archaeology festival of British
archaeology which is a digital week it's been
postponed as a result of Covid 19 and lockdowns
and restrictions but myself and Gareth Owen
who is here as well, hello Gareth are you
alright? Yes hello. We are going to do a special
video for you all today to go through some
of our online archives, available resources
so when you are at home and you have a bit
of time on your hands you can explore it a
bit more. We thought it was quite relevant
as part of this digital week being run by
the Council for British archaeology. So we
are going to go through a few different things
leaning largely on the New Forest Knowledge
website and go through some other bits and
bobs that you might want to explore and perhaps
talk about we can transfer it into your walks
and things like that. The best starting place
is a bit like Blue Peter, here is one I made
earlier! Ha ha there we are. So, Gareth talk
us through what we are looking at on the screen
right now. So this is the New Forest Knowledge
website so this is an online digital archive
of as much as we can cram together about the
New Forest it's in conjunction with The New
Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst and it
has a raft of information about the New Forest,
it's history and it's heritage for people
to access while at home and if you have a
digital connection you can obviously access
it while out walking in the New Forest. That's
right and we have done a previous video right
at the start of lockdown which shows this
map in action. So if you haven't seen it yet
do onto the New Forest National Park's YouTube's
channel it will be one of the more recently
uploaded videos and this explains how this
map in particular works so we've got the whole
website which we are going to look at a bit
more but we are just going to use this area
that you can see as our case study. This particular
area what we've got up on if we chose our
layers, we have got scheduled monuments and
we've got the modern national mapping layer
turned on. To give you an idea of where we
are this is Southampton Ridge across here
sort of underneath Pitts Wood enclosure and
we've got a series of blue what are classed
as modern features and if we click on that
central bit of that those concentric circles
we get the boring range of Ashley Walk. Can
you give us a background of Ashley Walk Gareth?
So Ashley Walk was a it's about 5,000 acres
of forest area that was requisitioned in the
second world war for use as a bombing range
there was an awful lot of disagreement about
it being used as a bombing range but eventually
the MOD took it over they completely enfenced
the entire area and then spent a considerable
amount of time making sure all the livestock
ponies, cows, etc, etc were cleared from the
area and the fence established. Apparently
for some of the aural histories we have the
fence was great at keeping out ponies’ cattle
pigs and that kind of stuff it wasn't very
good at keeping out 6-year-old boys! Who would
raid into the area to look for fragmentary
devices and all that kind of stuff to add
to their collection? But what we've got here
is Ashley Walk so it was a bombing range was
used for testing everything that would be
dropped from a British RAF aircraft except
live incendiary devices. They would drop inert
but nothing live due to a potential fire risk.
We've got the main sort of bulls eye there
in the main area there and that's basically
think about it as a bulls eye target how close
can you get to the central bulls eye for checking
and evaluating targeting and so on. You've
then got just at about 7 o'clock going towards
the bullseye you've got a long line target
there and just pointing out brilliant Lawrence
that's the one, so that's the line target
that was used for aircraft practicing their
runs against things like railways and roads
and those kinds of things linear targets and
then dotted around the place just to the right
of the bullseye you've got a sort of an area
enclosed in sort of a lower right hand corner,
that's right Lawrence, just there, that's
called a fragmentation target so that was
used for testing ordnance that would fragment
when it landed and they'd put all sorts of
targets so body targets, vehicle targets,
and as the ordnance landed they would then
record how well it fragmentated and how much
damage it did. And then the other fragment
area is just at the bottom there by the end
of the line target and this one was testing
enemy defences so they have some gun emplacements
and have some other defences etc etc that
they would then test our target our ordnances
against enemy targets. And there's a classic
story about there being some American planes
were given to the British to use and the British
forces hated them so they parked them all
there and tried to blow them up which is just
classic until of course the Americans visited
at which point they then had to quickly hide
them all away, (laughs) Glue them back together!
that's it!! And there' other targets there's
ship target, there's the wall target which
was used for the bouncing bombs Barnes Wall
is bouncing bombs and a number of other illuminating
targets and other bits like that so it's quite
an extensive area. Post war it was then cleared
up the fence taken down and was returned to
commoning and actually is now one of the most
tranquil parts of the New Forest which is
a real sort of contrast to what was one of
the loudest and most destructive parts of
the Forest. That's right. So as you say Gareth
it's a huge area and hugely diverse in terms
of its content and whilst the national mapping
is great in identifying some of these features
so we have the bombing target there and if
I was able to click on the line target hopefully
it would tell you that it's the line target
perhaps it doesn't but that sort of highlights
the limitations of the map mode but what we
would like to do is show you how you can get
a bit more out of the website so if you were
to go to the back to the top here and go to
the search engine or search bar at the top
and search Ashley Walk bombing range what
we'd get is a series of different articles
and one of those which would come up is the
Ashley Walk Bombing Range overview tile and
there's loads of great content in here and
we just wanted to really share with everyone
the variety of content because some people
might learn in different ways you also might
have different disabilities there's things
in there for people who might be visually
impaired as well as have hearing difficulties
cause there's written descriptions there as
well as audio and narratives but to start
with all these pages it's worth just clicking
on the tile images. And this is actually what
you produced Gareth isn't it? So yes so this
is one we produced looking at all that we
knew about the site it's all that we had captured
through the lidar ground survey as well as
then previous publications this is a map you
can download via the site you can save it
as an image, print it out and if you are that
inclined you can then go out and take it as
you go through the site and find you know
all the gate entrances on the perimeter fencing
and all the features that are there. And it's
worth saying that a lot of this doesn't survive
today but it’s a good idea of where they
might have been, gives you an idea of bit
of a phenomenological approach to the landscape
if you will. It's always good starting with
these images because you can scroll through
and there's always a variety of different
contexts so we've got historic aerial photographs
this is pre the lifting of that central bombing
target concrete that's not there anymore that
was removed in 2010/2011. Yeah fairly recently
that was removed you can see in the top area
of that you've got that that quite large cross
and that's the end of the line target as well
as numerous other targets identified there.
You can see what the site looks like today
we will come back to this particular feature
in the landscape as well as some of the ammunitions
they were using at the time, surviving infrastructure
this is the illuminated target, and the arrow
pointing to that, again we will come back
to that. And some reconstructions so there
is plenty there to give you an idea of what's
going on. But there's also plenty of background
text you can read and learn about as well
as associated articles and again we will come
back to this area in a second but I just want
to talk about these bits and what we also
do at the New Forest National Park has hopefully
you seeing whilst watching this video has
great a great you Tube channel as part of
that there's different content and so you
don't necessary have to look at it all on
the New Forest Knowledge website you can also
explore loads of different ones on the You
Tube channel. The Knowledge sites quite handy
because it associates the videos with appropriate
content and the first one that might be worth
checking out is this is one of many New Forest
History Hits which has been produced by some
geezer called James Brown I've never heard
of him before but he's produced loads of great
videos across the National Park and for those
of you want a nice introduction to this particular
second world war installation and is part
of the Forest it's a great start. If you're
not up for that so much you can take a lovely
drone tour just like this where there's written
descriptions underneath there that explains
what it is your looking at and again there's
plenty of infrastructure about the stuff so
we've got fragmentation hut just appearing
there if we skip on, this is the arrow that
we mentioned so there's loads of cool content
to consume there. As I say this is the overview
one and we're just using Ashley Walk as our
example so lots of other sites of other area
where we produce this sort of content and
connections. But the next thing that's important
or that's nice to look is this associated
links and articles and the one I'm going to
just skip to is this submarine pen link just
here, hopefully this will load up just fine,
again we have another really rich interactive
page . Gareth do you want to give us a quick
overview as to what the submarine pen or perhaps
it might have a different name is? This feature
known locally as sub pen or submarine pen
it is a huge mound in the landscape I mean
its 40 foot-square in plan and stands about
8 -9 feet 12 feet high and it started its
life as an experiment on air raid shelters
that's what it was originally so they very
very carefully monitored how they constructed
it the reinforced steel that they used the
concrete mixing the drying time and so on
and they also then tested how wide the gaps
could be so there are four tunnels going through
it. Think about it visually as a motorway
tunnel so there are four lanes going through
it of different widths and when they constructed
it they used a variety of different concrete
mixes different reinforcement and so on and
lined it inside to sort of hide the concrete
and then they tried to blow it up they failed
miserably on landing ordnances on it from
British aircraft the siting devices weren't
good enough at the time of its original construction
and so they ended up having to blow some holes
in the top of it, place enemy bombs in those
craters on top of it and explode those as
if they were bomb craters you can see the
image on the screen now you can see the craters
in the top of it, the closest one came was
one of those smaller ones on the side of it
and the end result was that the construction
of air raid shelters being used was perfectly
adequate the most dangerous and hazardous
thing they discovered actually lining the
air raid shelters putting a sort of false
roof in because that would fall in with the
explosion and that's why bomb shelters that
survive today are not lined or fitted out
in any way inside they then tried to demolish
it and failed miserably and so left it we
then move right towards the end of the war
and Nazis were producing the V1 and the V2
rockets and the doodlebugs and so on we needed
a way of penetrating into the ground quite
some distance to blow stuff up and so we created
what's called the tall boy which was a 12-15,000
bomb but it wasn't big enough and so we eventually
came up with this. This is the grand slam
this image here is of the grand slam which
was the largest audanance ever dropped by
the British forces during the second world
war and the very first one was dropped here
at Ashley walk this is the image of it actually
dropping it was released over Fordingbridge
with the flight path and it hit literally
a couple of meters away from the target and
lifted the entire target up by 3 feet so you
can see the very large crater there it's just
one of these grand slam explosions and the
other smaller explosions you will see round
there are tall boy and other testing's but
because the crews were told that hey we've
got this mock up submarine pen they were using
here so sort of the sub marine pens that the
Germans had on the French coast people thought
it was a submarine, it was a mock up submarine
pen and so that connection between submarine
pen is how it gets its name but originally
it was used for air raid testing. It's funny
how aural history can change an understanding,
or the interpretation of a site isn't it?
Yes yes, but what's great about this page
as well is that there's some really good other
bits of interpretations so again we've got
videos and this is actually Gareth whose a
dab hand at recreating archaeological sites
in 3D format so this is one he made earlier
as part of the second world war project but
there's some video that talks through the
construction of this site all the way from
the the initial infer structure and the lining
of the concrete to the finishing of that site
itself again that's available on our YouTube
channel also in the past we've had geophysics
survey done by Wessex archology and there's
a great video again from National Park YouTube
channel that will allow you to understand
what geophysics were done and there's a report
online for this and if you want to see some
examples of some of the data there you can
even see it in the top images so this shows
the areas in the voids that Gareth mentioned
almost the motorway tunnels within the mounds
that still survive today. But the other really
cool thing that this particular page brings
us onto is our link to sketch fab and sketch
fab is an online resource a hosting's website
that allows us to upload some of our 3D models
for people to explore for themselves so as
this is loading up this is Gareth's model
which you just saw a video of but you are
actually able to explore it and manipulate
it for yourselves so you can see how big the
structure was compared to that individual
and there's some of the bomb testing impact
sites there that Gareth mentioned and it is
totally worth just clicking on this link and
the top of the model itself because what it
will do is take you to that model on the sketch
fab but you can scroll down and click on New
Forest arch logo over here and it will take
you to our sketch fab webpage or hosting's
page and there's loads of other cool models
on here this is Gareth's reconstruction of
a roman, what is that, that's a pottery reconstruction
a pottery kiln reconstruction, pottery kiln
yeah.
We've got a structure for motion of second
world war structures graves carter stone and
the cooking oven at Hurst Spit and then stuff
we've been doing with drones as well so this
is then here Keyhaven Salt marshes I think
or High Lea Salterns and when it loads up
in a second you will see there are point of
interest that you can see where the salterns
were in that image you can see what 3D earth
works still survive and hopefully this will
come through in a second typically. The sketch
fab has been a great little tool for us to
allow us to get these 3 dimensional models
we've been able to use photography and using
that mapping it into landscapes so that we
can then look at all landscapes in a wider
scale as I was just saying that the information
points here you can just zoom it into with
additional information and we are always paying
attention to these and taking on board thoughts
and comments to update relevant bits as we
come across them and find them, but you can
go from huge landscapes all the way down to
even the smallest pots and those kinds of
things so it's a great tool this sketch fab
and have great fun making some 3D models and
photography and so on. I'm going to leave
some potential excitement for that one there
are two very good ones of the Lepe now and
as they would have been during the hard constructions
and what not so I recommend exploring both
of those but there's loads of cool 3D bits
and bobs. I think that's what we wanted to
highlight it's well worth a investigation
and a search but hopefully that's given you
a bit of a taste for some of the content particular
round this world war site that is available
on there and it doesn't just have to be second
world war the reason I include these scheduled
monuments in this area because it allows you
to look at some of the more nationally important
sites that are found there in particular we've
got the things over here which are the roman
pottery kilns in the north of the Forest and
these are in Sloden in Amberwood there are
even a few in Pitts Woods so and again we've
got this use and this reuse and manipulation
of the landscape over thousands of years in
the New Forest we are a cultural landscape
whilst everyone says we are beautifully natural
and untouched a lot of it has been created
by humans influence even if it's just the
ponies being put there by William the Conqueror
but these pottery kilns would have been a
really big industry and they were excavated
just over 100 years ago for the first time
and we've actually created if your searched
Durden on the New Forest Knowledge website
this is a chap that did or had a collection
of excavated pots that he donated to the British
museum and these a whole article on Durden
collection itself and our work when we went
to the British museum to record some of these
with volunteers using photographic 3D recording
techniques and we've got a plug-in so rather
than going to the sketch fab itself you can
explore this online archive this online collection
of accurate 3D reconstructions of these pots
which are hidden away in archives in the British
museum stores which will never really be seen
unless you are a researcher going to specifically
look at these items so it's a really cool
bit of insight access and we are hoping to
develop this further as we get access to more
collections. Being able to see these models,
it's so close up and you can zoom in, if I
recall one of them you can actually even see
a thumb print that's right on this one here,
this one in the middle the pinch beaker I
won't spoil the surprise for people but if,
no let them go find it. It's just a great
resource there's further details and bits
to be found we try and link as many things
as possible there are geophysics reports of
Sloden's pottery kilns there done by placement
students there are local research groups which
have added items and if you compare what we've
shown you today with the map video the interactive
GIS video we produced just at the beginning
of lockdown there's loads of content and research
that you can get and understand and hopefully
it can inform some of your walking plans going
forwards. That's the nice thing about it you
can really help as you explore the Forest
the other thing that you can throw in there
is that you can actually log into the site
register and you can contribute if you go
to a site or if you have any work etc you
can actually contribute to the New Forest
Knowledge website submit articles works etc
that you may have done or you may be involved
with sort of history archaeology those kind
of groups but getting out and walking these
sites is another great aspect and on the National
Park Authority's website we've got our walking
page that lists the routes that you can go
and walk with information about those and
we are developing these on sort of a case
by case basis expanding what we've got to
offer improving and developing them as we
go forward. That's right, castle hill for
example lovely hill fort up here and if you
were to go back to the New Forest website
and turn on the prehistoric layer you could
see some of the lidar some of the other bits
and bobs to support your walk and you can
download this PDF or download the app and
just enrich your walk walking experience as
well. But you've been working on other walking
bits haven't you Gareth? So yeah as part of
a project supported by the Heritage Lottery
Our Past Our Future we've been developing
historic routes these are five trails that
use existing rights of ways and we've been
able to trace the routes that are now rights
of way back in time. Some of these we have
actually been able to get back to the mid
17 hundred where you can see the lines on
the maps and those lines are now rights of
way. So from those we've identified five locations
where we think we can manage to put together
an nice engaging walk that you can go and
explore some history some heritage and have
a really good explanation of the Forest as
it were. Some of these are literally are Tatchbury,
Tatchbury Mount is a lovely one which is right
near to the Totton housing estate and you
go underneath the bypass , the Totton bypass
and you're straight into the New Forest National
Park it's one of those place that once you
get out to it you can forget that hubbub of
Totton and business as it were of the bypass
and you are walking through medieval landscapes
iron age landscapes and it's lovely place
to go and walk. The rights of way need improvement
and work and we are working to do that but
these five trails give you an enhanced experience
so we're putting together a history, we're
putting together a heritage we're putting
together a myths and legends and folk law
about some of these areas etc. So that as
you're going round you'll be able to read
or listen to audio descriptions historical
information via either a downloaded little
leaflet that you can print and take with you
or we are now working to some audio content
which you might be able to listen to and download
onto your phone or an mp3 player and take
it with you and play it at particular points
along it. But these are work in progress the
aim is that the project is due to end in December
now with the small extension due to Covid
but we're hoping that people will really enjoy
these five new trails and be really able to
get out into the Forest hopefully without
the need for a car, you can just go out your
front door in Totton and be walking in the
New Forest. That's it I think obviously things
are opening up a bit and it’s important
to stick to Government guidelines and be sensible
with your walking but obviously exercise and
getting out is also part of it so we do say
be responsible with your approaches be responsible
even being in the National Park the whole
mantra of take nothing but photos and leave
nothing but footprints is very much an important
one when walking in the New Forest. We very
much encourage you to make use of these resources
to enhance and improve your day to day walking
experiences. The only other thing we would
like to highlight is that we've got this tree
graffiti citizen science project going on
so the Forest has got such a rich history
of humans interactions, I mentioned this earlier
this perceived natural landscape and it's
not natural and trees give us a really nice
insight into how people have been interacting
with these woodlands with these whether there
ancient beech woodlands or more recent plantations
and the style of the trees which are there
but one thing we are particular interested
in is historic tree graffiti and we've got
this citizen science website so if you go
to the newforestnpa.gov.uk/tree-graffiti a
bit of a mouthful but it's not too bad or
if you just google New Forest tree graffiti
it might be an easier one to do! But we've
got this citizen science page so there's examples
of tree graffiti that you might be able see,
instructions of what to do, how to look out
for it, why it's important and there this
citizen science form to fill in so you can
activate this map (don't worry too much about
those bits) that's just if you’re doing
it on your mobile it's a bit different but
you can zoom in and maybe not to that particular
country we might go to the New Forest but
you can zoom in and get a nice detailed map
up and actually identify where you were on
your walks for example if you just headed
out past Lyndhurst Golf Course into the woodlands
here and you know you've come up this track
and you've spotted some tree graffiti just
there, place a pin by clicking in that area
upload a photo of your discovery and some
information about yourself and we'll include
this to a database that's going to be publicly
available but it's also going to inform researchers
and just general our understanding of peoples
interactions over time so well worth considering
why you're out and about and just hunting
around see what you can find. This has been
hugely successful the amount of input and
responses we've had we're a bit blown away
by it by that I think the important thing
to stress we are not in any way encouraging
new graffiti so please don't go out and do
any new graffiti but if you do spot anything
do let us know about it it's amazing what
it out there and what we're discovering and
it really sort of arcs back to added history
and added heritage to the New Forest. That's
right exactly that and yeah just enhancing
your experience and appreciation but I think
that's about it there's loads more going on
as part of the festival for archaeology so
the main one is much later down the line now
but in terms of this week when this video
has come out and those dates which keep popping
up on the screen for you there do check out
the council for British archaeology website
maybe ignore that particular picture that's
on the screen at the moment but (I have no
idea who that is there!!) 11th - 19th July
there's loads of cool stuff going on so check
out that website check out things that are
going on social media and there will be loads
of things to keep you busy - just get out
there have fun explore it online as it were,
as we are still on lockdown and when we can
get out and be safe enjoy yourselves. That's
right we look forward to seeing you all soon
when we can bye bye everybody bye.
