All This Beauty is of God
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The Grid above is for the "Cache" site.
You will go through/pass the Gate at N 50 51 836 W 001 40 256 that has these words carved on it, in the Beautiful New Forest. so from this gate go through to north side and then south westerly following the fence line on your left towards the stream. Remember you're in the forest so wear suitable footwear. After the gate to the Cache maybe wellies if we get a wet winter.
How to get to the gate, Well it's a grand walk from where ever you choose, it's south of Sandy Ridge, at Blackensford Hill, North Oakley Inclosure, you could come from the North. South. East. or West. there are good tracks, there's a gravel track S.W. from the Canadian Memorial all the way to gate, I will let you decide your own route, from which ever way you choose, you will see that - All This Beauty is of God.
So Study The Ordnance Survey Explorer OL22 Map to choose your best route.
I came across this carving on the gate many many years ago, and could not have written it better myself, after years of wonderful walking in the lovely New Forest. I had always wondered who put it there, then it was damaged but replaced by another one. I remember it being the 'motto' on the coat of arms on the Isle of Wight, where I was brought up.
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So I was pleased when I came across Ian Thew's articles that were written for The Burley Village Magazine. One month he wrote the following chapter, and here below I have his permission to let you read it.
Those of you who have nothing better to do than read my ramblings may well recall that I have on occasion, mentioned Gods' Gate, which is situated in the boundary fence of North Oakley Inclosure.You may remember me telling you that it gets this name from the legend " ALL THIS BEAUTY IS OF GOD" that, many years ago had been carved into a small piece of wood and fixed to the underside of the top rail of the small, wicket gate that hangs alongside the larger, vehicular gate.
Gods' Gate is a beautiful spot and I often think about the author of the legend. Indeed, I have made numerous enquires, on this subject, among the older members of the community, but the identity of the creator of the words remaina a mystery. But go yourself and lean on the gate (you'll have to imagine that the tiny lorriescrawling along the distant A31 are not there) and you'll look over a view that is hard to match in this Forest of ours. The graveled track known as Sandy Ridge snakes across open Forest towards the ancient hulk of Bratley Wood. To the right of this track open heath land drops gently away in the direction of Bratley Water; whilst, to the left, the heather-clad ground tumbles steeply into Backley Bottom, Soldiers' Bog and Stinking Edge Wood. Not really names for a beauty spot but go and see for yourself you won't be disappointed. Now turn around. Rest your back on the gate and look up into the magnificent Douglas Firs, that are said to be direct descendants of the original plants imported by Douglas himself and are among the tallest of trees in the Forest, and, like me, you might just begin to appreciate how, long ago, someone - perhaps a woodman or keeper - was sufficiently moved to take a piece of wood and carve into it " ALL THIS BEAUTY IS OF GOD" I have to tell you that if you do go there you'll still find the old wicket gate hanging on its venerable hinges which were, no doubt, hand-forged with pride by a local blacksmith who must be long-since gone; and, if you look carefully, you'll still be able to find the small length of timber which was carefully fixed, all those years ago, under the top rail of the gate. But no matter how hard you look you will not be able to read those simple words that were written with such feeling; for some mindless individual, for whatever reason, has seen fit to take a knife and obliterate the carving !
It saddens me to think that all the painstaking and heartfelt work by the originator should be destroyed for no apparent reason other than shear vandalism and, as one of our keepers pointed out when I mentioned it to him, the orgin of the name Gods' Gate will, like so many other place names, be lost in the passing of time. So I think it should be replaced and that's what I have done.
My thanks to Ian Thew for above article, which was taken from the Burley Village Magazine.
Note :: Cache placed in accordance with the GAGB New Forest guidelines, Please note there is NO night caching allowed in the New Forest.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
sebz tngr sbyybj srapr yvar qbja gb bnx gerr ba yrsg onax ol srapr, gura evtug gb n ynml bnx jvgu fnja bss ybj gehax. Pnpur 6 sg nybat gehax sne fvqr sebz fnja raq, haqre zbffl onex.