Thank you Dave and Logan!😊 What an interesting walk! The colours of the trees were beautiful! The WW11 finds were soo interesting. The story of the cat at the Huff Puff was great! Logan looked super snug in his fleece!😊 Thanks again.... We were really enriched by that walk and glad you both kept dry!
What an interesting Walk Dave, I enjoyed you showing us around the RAF Command HQ bunker, a shame these Historic sites are ruined by Mindless vandalism etc, but still humbling they survive and we can still explore them Dave. Thank you for all your History research & explaining how these places were used
Aside from it's fascinating war history, some famous names raced there post-war, including future World Champions. In 1952, Mike Hawthorn won the Ibsley Grand Prix and John Surtees made his bike racing debut
Great to see this video😀 I spend 3 weeks in this area (Furze Hill) every year and Have walked to the Huff Duff and shelter many times, I have been told that Adders live in the shelter. The graffiti in the Huff Duff near the information plaque that is very faint reads: Darkness conceals the world, but reveals the universe. The whole area is a great walk when the weather is dry and bright.
Thanks. Yes - I can see why Adders would like the inside of the small Air raid shelter by the Huff-Duff. Fortunately it was too small (some of the brickwork inside appeared to have collapsed) for me to venture much beyond the entrance!
Thank you. It is great that some of the history of Ibsley can still be explored (eg the Battle Command HQ) unlike many of the other "New Forest WW2 Airfields," where so little remains.
Discovered your RAF Ibsley tour this am Dave. I think my father was maybe based there during the war. The only info I had about him was a photo of an RAF football team, which I can identify him in on the back of which was the note :- "234 Squadron RAF Cup Winners 1941-42 & League Winners 1941-42 IBSLEY", and that led me to your great tour. Unfortunately, my father died in 1950 and I never had the chance to really get to know him, so your great video was priceless to me.
Chris, if you contact "Friends of New Forest Airfields" (they have a website) or "RAF Ibsley Historical Group", they may be able to find more information about your Father's time at RAF Ibsley. I believe it was a fairly large base and so there would have been significant numbers of personnel working there - enough for a few football teams I suspect!
Somewhere in the New Forest is a huge crater, from the first test drop of a "Tallboy", or earthquake bomb, designed by Barnes Wallis. It is now a big round pond!
Yes indeed Nicholas. If you check out my video of "Ashley Walk" (link th-cam.com/video/N1umv3MvDGc/w-d-xo.html ), I tell the story of the 12,000lb Tallboy bomb as well as the 22,000lb Grand Slam / Earthquake bomb (whizz through to about 15 mins into the video). Thanks for watching.
Great video Dave, very enjoyable. There are some small sections of the runway left. If you are driving along Ellingham Drove from the A338, on the right hand side there is a small area of land behind a bank. This lands contains a small section of all 3 runways. Its clearly visible on Google using the satellite imagery. It's private land and the land owner has done his best to hide it. Sadly my first job after leaving college was working for the aggregate company that was digging out what are the lakes. We were also involved in dismantling RAF Tangmere.
@@DaveFord I love it around the Forest. So much WWII history, sad that we are always in such a rush to rub away all signs of the past. With Beaulieu Airfield I never understood why they tore up most of the perimeter track. Such a great place for families and it was much better than the gravel track they replaced it with. Nevermind, it is what is. And I guess they think it is more environmentally friendly, even though its not.
I must have driven past those lakes a hundred times and never realised what was once there. How quickly we forget what a massive amount of military infrastructure there was in the south of England during the Second World War. I suppose its not that surprising how much still exists - I must keep my eyes peeled!
There is a bus route (X3) that runs regularly from Salisbury (in the North) to Ringwood (in the South) - every half hour I believe. Get off at Ibsley Church bus stop on that route (it is on the A338). Very close to that stop is Mockbeggar Lane - (a straight minor road that leads East off the A338). Walk down that lane for about 3/4 mile (you will see the lakes where the runways used to be on your right with the control tower in the distance) & you will eventually get to the memorial at a T junction. You should be able to work you way around the area from there. To see the Battle HQ, continue right at that T junction along a road. Pass Forelock Farm on your left. After 1/2 a mile (max) look for a path on your left that leads up into woods (signposted Solent Way). As you get to the woods, follow the footpath right and then through a gate that takes you into the woods. There is a steep climb as you go up alongside the woods. You will find the Battle Command HQ without too much problem in those woods on your left. Hope that helps!
Thank you Dave and Logan!😊
What an interesting walk! The colours of the trees were beautiful!
The WW11 finds were soo interesting. The story of the cat at the Huff Puff was great!
Logan looked super snug in his fleece!😊
Thanks again.... We were really enriched by that walk and glad you both kept dry!
Thank you Susan. It is an amazing place to explore around there.
What an interesting Walk Dave, I enjoyed you showing us around the RAF Command HQ bunker, a shame these Historic sites are ruined by Mindless vandalism etc, but still humbling they survive and we can still explore them Dave. Thank you for all your History research & explaining how these places were used
Thank you Peter. It is a fascinating place to explore.
What a marvellous video. Thanks Dave.
Thank you. :)
Aside from it's fascinating war history, some famous names raced there post-war, including future World Champions. In 1952, Mike Hawthorn won the Ibsley Grand Prix and John Surtees made his bike racing debut
Thanks for that information - so much history to the place for sure.
Very informative and interesting. Thank you.
Thank you Duncan. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Great to see this video😀 I spend 3 weeks in this area (Furze Hill) every year and Have walked to the Huff Duff and shelter many times, I have been told that Adders live in the shelter. The graffiti in the Huff Duff near the information plaque that is very faint reads: Darkness conceals the world, but reveals the universe. The whole area is a great walk when the weather is dry and bright.
Thanks. Yes - I can see why Adders would like the inside of the small Air raid shelter by the Huff-Duff. Fortunately it was too small (some of the brickwork inside appeared to have collapsed) for me to venture much beyond the entrance!
I work on that farm where you saw the horses in their raincoats, their names are pascoe, Duvie and Bailey 😊
They looked very snug in their coats!
Another fine video Dave and Logan so much history I was aware the lakes were dug out for the gravel but had no idea Ibsley had an airfield.
Thank you. It is great that some of the history of Ibsley can still be explored (eg the Battle Command HQ) unlike many of the other "New Forest WW2 Airfields," where so little remains.
Wonderful! I never new all this was available to see. We left England in 2007, maybe it was put up after. Great stuff.
Thank you. It is certainly an interesting area with lots of history.
Discovered your RAF Ibsley tour this am Dave. I think my father was maybe based there during the war.
The only info I had about him was a photo of an RAF football team, which I can identify him in on the back
of which was the note :-
"234 Squadron RAF Cup Winners 1941-42 & League Winners 1941-42 IBSLEY",
and that led me to your great tour.
Unfortunately, my father died in 1950 and I never had the chance to really get to know him, so your great video
was priceless to me.
Chris, if you contact "Friends of New Forest Airfields" (they have a website) or "RAF Ibsley Historical Group", they may be able to find more information about your Father's time at RAF Ibsley. I believe it was a fairly large base and so there would have been significant numbers of personnel working there - enough for a few football teams I suspect!
Somewhere in the New Forest is a huge crater, from the first test drop of a "Tallboy", or earthquake bomb, designed by Barnes Wallis. It is now a big round pond!
Yes indeed Nicholas. If you check out my video of "Ashley Walk" (link th-cam.com/video/N1umv3MvDGc/w-d-xo.html ), I tell the story of the 12,000lb Tallboy bomb as well as the 22,000lb Grand Slam / Earthquake bomb (whizz through to about 15 mins into the video). Thanks for watching.
Great video Dave, very enjoyable. There are some small sections of the runway left. If you are driving along Ellingham Drove from the A338, on the right hand side there is a small area of land behind a bank. This lands contains a small section of all 3 runways. Its clearly visible on Google using the satellite imagery. It's private land and the land owner has done his best to hide it.
Sadly my first job after leaving college was working for the aggregate company that was digging out what are the lakes. We were also involved in dismantling RAF Tangmere.
Thank you Russell. How interesting that you had a connection with the airfield - so much history to the place.
@@DaveFord I love it around the Forest. So much WWII history, sad that we are always in such a rush to rub away all signs of the past. With Beaulieu Airfield I never understood why they tore up most of the perimeter track. Such a great place for families and it was much better than the gravel track they replaced it with. Nevermind, it is what is. And I guess they think it is more environmentally friendly, even though its not.
Lov ur videos Dave absolutely brill. Was up at the battle hq yesterday and today and can’t believe the rubbish up there .😡
Thanks Mark. Yes... it is a shame that it is in that state. Too far out of sight I fear.
Brilliant 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you. A fascinating place to explore!
I must have driven past those lakes a hundred times and never realised what was once there. How quickly we forget what a massive amount of military infrastructure there was in the south of England during the Second World War. I suppose its not that surprising how much still exists - I must keep my eyes peeled!
Yes indeed Ian. It is great that there are now "Information Boards" at both the Battle Command HQ & the Huff-Duff that keep the memory alive.
Nice one Dave, very interesting. At least you don't make a drama out of filming in the rain. All looks good and natural to me.
Many thanks.
How easy is it to get to by bus or mini bus for photography
There is a bus route (X3) that runs regularly from Salisbury (in the North) to Ringwood (in the South) - every half hour I believe. Get off at Ibsley Church bus stop on that route (it is on the A338). Very close to that stop is Mockbeggar Lane - (a straight minor road that leads East off the A338). Walk down that lane for about 3/4 mile (you will see the lakes where the runways used to be on your right with the control tower in the distance) & you will eventually get to the memorial at a T junction. You should be able to work you way around the area from there. To see the Battle HQ, continue right at that T junction along a road. Pass Forelock Farm on your left. After 1/2 a mile (max) look for a path on your left that leads up into woods (signposted Solent Way). As you get to the woods, follow the footpath right and then through a gate that takes you into the woods. There is a steep climb as you go up alongside the woods. You will find the Battle Command HQ without too much problem in those woods on your left. Hope that helps!