Lady B is very fond of pigs! So we headed for the New Forest to see if we could see some pigs engaging in the ancient practice of pannage.
At this time of year, pigs are released into the New Forest to roam wild and free. so that they can feed on fallen acorns, beechmasts or other nuts.. Historically, this was a right or privilege granted to local people on common land or in royal forests. The idea is that the pigs munch on the acorns etc. This is great free nutrition for the pigs: plus it reduces the chances of the ponies and cattle eating acorns – which are not good for them. Read all about this in the Wikipedia entry. There’s a great blog covering the topic in depth here
We started by having a stroll from Fritham, a very popular spot it seems judging by the number of vehicles on the car park.. The area is interesting not only for its natural beauty but also for its still discernible industrial and wartime heritage. From the 1860s to the 1920s it was home to the Schultze Gunpowder Factory, which manufactured smokeless gunpowder, used for sporting guns. Man-made Eyeworth Pond, provided water for the manufacturing process.
During World War II the establishment of the nearby Ashley Walk Bombing Range shattered the peace of the area even more. A vast area of heathland – over 5,000 acres (equivalent to 2,833 football pitches) was used as a bombing range to test a huge variety of explosives. By the end of the war the land was pockmarked with craters and defaced with rubble and targets.
We saw pigs.