Heritage

THE development of Barton, which has taken place over the last 130 years, has been quite dramatic.

Watching the choir sing at a service of thanksgiving during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations brought back happy memories for one local man.

A FLAG from a sunken British ship which was displayed for 29 years at a Milford sports club has been returned to the family of the original owner.

THIS is a spectacular architectural gem and well worth a visit.

THEY were the lumberjills: members of the Women’s Timber Corps launched 80 years ago which sent hundreds to work in the New Forest during WWII.

THE clifftop residence in Barton which housed refugees from 1954 to 1991.

A RECENTLY-rediscovered rare gun turret used to help defend New Milton during the Second World War could be restored for display.

HOW German PoWs came to pilot a top-secret helicopter that crash-landed in Beaulieu is one of the wartime anecdotes set to be told at an exhibition.

A VACANCY has been filled for what might be the rarest job in the country.

A SPECIAL group has been launched to ensure memories are “never forgotten” of a hospital which treated thousands of Indian troops in Barton.

HOW a set of fine portraits, including Darwin and Tennyson, came to be gifted to Brockenhurst railway station – and were then lost.

HAMPSHIRE County Council is to make more than 500 years of historic records free to access at its libraries and record office from next year.

A HOARD of ancient coins found buried in the New Forest has been described as one of the “most important historical and archaeological” local finds.

HOW in 1942 Lance Corporal Antony Coulthard went back on his word to help his fellow war camp escapee.

A FORMER Wren from Christchurch has been awarded France’s highest honour in recognition of her work as a wartime codebreaker at Bletchley Park.

A SPECIAL plaque has been unveiled at the former RAF Sopley camp to honour the role it played in helping 2,885 Vietnamese refugees build new lives.

A LYMINGTON antique dealer has put the fighting sword of famous admiral Lord Nelson up for sale with a £50,000 price tag.

AN historic hall with links to the real Alice in Wonderland marked its 100th anniversary by inviting in the community for a celebration of its past.

PLANS for a New Milton heritage centre are back on track with building work at its disused railway station master’s house set to start in the autumn.

ENHANCEMENTS are planned to highlight the historical importance of New Milton’s last wartime air raid shelter and the graves of renowned residents.