
Local resident and photographer John Callaway gives us a glimpse into Portsmouth’s hidden places with his stunning photography. This week John heads off to the West Walk in the Forest of Bere with his dog Rufus.
‘Who possesses this landscape? The man who bought it, or I who am possessed by it?’
The above emanates from a poem by Norman MacCaig, a writer I knew nothing of until I read a book by Guy Shrubsole, entitled ‘Who Owns England?’
It turns out that the biggest public sector landowner in England is the Forestry Commission, which owns some 489,814 acres of freehold land in England, with additional rights and leases giving it an overall estate of 626,383 acres {Source: See Shrubsole ibid. p 170-171).
A short drive from home is West Walk, a freehold tenure of around 359 hectares, owned by the Forestry Commission. The whole area is ancient woodland, with around 25% of the woodland area classified as ancient semi-natural woodland and around 75% of the woodland area classified as plantation on an ancient woodland site. And as it, and friends, may soon not be so readily accessible as we seem to be approaching a second lockdown, maybe the weekend was a good time to visit.
Give [a] dog a stick, and he’ll carry it for miles, or at least metres.
Who knew.
This article was originally published on John Callaway’s website, Ideas & images from Portsmouth and beyond. You can read more of John’s writing on his website and also see his live music photography.