About

Within the New Forest National Park, the relationship between humans and trees is as old as the history of humankind. Whether through the clearance of trees during the prehistoric periods to facilitate farming, to the use of the raw material to fuel Roman pottery kilns or construct Tudor ships, or the creation and management of commercial woodland inclosures, something that is still an important aspect of traditional New Forest life today. Today, trees that date back as far as 600 years old can still be found across the New Forest. Interactions between humans with these threes survive in the form of graffiti. Initials, dates, pictures, poems and royal marks can all be found etched into the bark of various trees as a lasting memory of what they have seen, why they are there or who they have influenced. From foresters to Second World War soldiers, people have left a record of their integration with trees.

However, much like archaeological remains, tree graffiti faces threats. Warping of letters, animal and human influences, the felling or blowing over of trees, or the death of a tree all threaten the longevity of these historic records. To date, there is no database or record of the known tree graffiti found across the New Forest. As a result, when they are lost it will not be possible to refer back to these glimpses into the New Forest’s past.

This project looks to record the historic tree graffiti found across the crown lands of the New Forest. All you need to do if photograph what you find whilst out on your walk and share a Instagram post using the hashtag #NFTallTales. Don’t forget to add the location of your posts and any other hashtags you want to. Your posts will help to map and record the lost and forgotten stories of the New Forest woodlands and allow researchers and managing bodies to see how people have interacted with the trees for hundreds of years.