2 August 2025
All Holly Hill.
Holly Hill is outside the geological line of the Keuper Marl which many take as a loose edge for the Arden forest land. Yet, it is on Arden Road, so - although this is an arbitary name added later to reflect the survival of old woodland here - I have added Holly Hill onto the area I navigate as Arden. Also, this is near the western ridge of hills which would have looked across the old wooded landscape, which were likely used as borderland by both encroaching woodland and tribal feet.
The carved wooden sculpture, above, acts as a marker at one of Arden's western reaches. It guards the entrance to Balaam Wood Orchard and, further in, can be found Balaam Wood itself - a piece ancient woodland (pre-1600).
from the Arden Archive
