Searching this site's forum (sorry if you've already done so?) gives the following hit, I suggest looking up the wellknown Dean Historian, Forestry expert and author Cyril Hart OBE.

Prior thread mention
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=18711

eg "Dr. Hart obtained his forestry and land training under the late Major C. P. Ackers of the Huntley Manor Estate, acting as land agent, and later as Managing Director of the associated companies of Forest Products Ltd., and Woodland Improvement Ltd., at Huntley."
"He went on to become Forestry Lecturer at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester and wrote many books on Forestry in general and the Forest in particular."

See also National Archive holdings for Dr Hart
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=040-d3921&cid=-1#-1

I would suggest this enquiry should be made to the readers of the various local newspapers.

Portrait of Gloucestershire by T.A. Ryder - 1966

'In Huntley, the road from Newent joins that from Gloucester to Ross, part of the old turnpike road to Hereford. This ran along the line of a much older, perhaps Roman, road. The rather straggling village lies in a charming setting with well-wooded hills to the north and west. The Huntley woods are some of the best managed in the country as well they might be since their owner for many years was the late C P ACKERS, who had a national reputation as a silviculturalist and who was the author of a standard book on forestry. His father was also a tree-lover and he planted specimens of many varieties in the park of his home at Huntley Manor. There is, probably, a greater variety of trees in that park than anywhere else in Gloucestershire, with the one exception of the arboretum at Westonbirt, near Tetbury'.

(I just visited Westonbirt on Wednesday to see the autumn leaves, especially the maples and acer trees, which were beautiful colours).

Huntley Manor

http://www.forestprints.co.uk/huntley_manor_v02.htm

1901 Census - Huntley

Benjamin St John ACKERS - Head - 61 - Magistrate Barrister of Law, Late Member of Parliament, Late Member of Royal Commissioners of Blind and Deaf, Farms own Land. Living on own means.

born: Leintwardine, in that portion which is in the County of Salop

Louisa M J ACKERS - wife 58, born - Middlesex, London
Susan E ACKERS - daughter 22 - born Glos. Painswick
Florence ACKERS - daughter - 20 - born Glos. Huntley
Catherine V J ACKERS - 14 - Glos. Huntley

Rosalie H SMITH - Secretary - single, 39, born Sussex, New Shoreham
Julia H KINGSTON, Governess, single 34, born London
Mary A POWIS - Servant, single, cook, 31 - born Herefordshire, Letton
Elizabeth TIPPERSON, single, 40 - Lady's Maid, born Norfolk, Scunthorpe
Sarah MAGNUS - single, 30, Young Ladies Maid, born Hdshire, Dinedor
Helen S.S. WELLING - single, 33, Upper Parlour, born Hdshire, Walford
Emily CLIFTON, single, 30 - Upper Housemaid, born Oxon - Gt. Tew
Sarah A POWLES - Servant, single 24, Upper Laundrey Maid (domestic) born Herefordshire, Woofferton
Louisa TOMKINS - single, 20 - School room - born Bucks
Winifred PARFITT - single, 20, Under Parlour, born Somerset
Eliabeth TARRANT - 18 - Under House, born Glos. Cirencester
Florence MATTHEWS, 18, Kitchen, born Glos. Huntley
Ada S POYNER - single 16, Scullery, born Glos. Newham on Severn
Henry J LAWRENCE - single, 33, Coachman, born Dorset, Weymouth
Thomas A HAREWOOD - single, 22, Groom, born Herts Hatfield

and so and so on ..... with General Manager/Under Gardener etc.

---

On the 1891 census the family are at Manor House

with

Charles P ATKINS, age 8

His Sister Edith age 22 on the 1891 census, had been deaf from fever at 3 months old.

Greetings John, welcome to the forum !
Thanks for your post, very interesting and so nice to read about your happy memories too. I'm afraid I know very little about May Hill, apparently I "climbed it" once as a small child but probably only to a very lowly base camp !. My mother was born in Longhope and married there during Coronation week June 1953, she recalls the planting of commemorative trees that year very well. She also mentions being tasked as kids to count the earlier Queen Victoria trees during picnic expeditions, allegedly one hundred but said to be "impossible to count, as if by magic"... By 1957 mum had moved from Longhope to Cinderford to start the family, her parents ran the Nags Head pub at Longhope from '53 until the mid 70s, so we often visited the area. During these plus many family outings to Gloster and the like we were always told to look out for the "Hill with trees", and I still do when driving over the Cotswolds to visit mum. I was saddened to read in the local papers that those trees don't have a happy future due to the terrible Blight, fingers crossed, or the local skyline may possibly be changed forever.
http://www.forest-and-wye-today.co.uk/featuresdetail.cfm?id=5188

There used to be an excellent Taynton Family History website which included a lovely piece about May Hill by a local author, but sadly that website has closed... The excellent Longhope Village website speaks about the Hill, but doesn't answer your query at all. http://www.longhopevillage.co.uk/history/mayhill/

This 1868 entry for nearby Aston Ingham describes May Hill as the "mariners landmark".
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/AstonIngham/Gaz1868.html

In this site we often refer to the superb Victoria British History website but as yet it doesn't include the Huntley area, probably as the relevant section has only just been finished
http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/counties/gloucestershire/volumes/gloucestershire...
Luckily my mum has a copy of the book, when I visit in the next few weeks I'll look up the Cathedral Enclosure and hopefully will be able to add to this thread.

However further searching has found this delightful website which helps answer your question, I quote

" One of the dancers told us about a remarkable feature – hidden in the forest which adorns the flanks of the hill: a cathedral of trees. A Major CP Ackers, owner of the Huntley estate, planted trees in a full scale layout of Gloucester Cathedral (440 feet long, 200 feet across) – with redwoods, cypress and larch – in memory of his son, Flying Officer David Ackers, who died in action in 1944, aged 22. This beautiful and moving poetic act of remembrance – the ultimate memorial grove – was designed to be seen from the air. It is now hidden amongst the overgrown plantation – but one can catch a sense of it if pointed in the right direction, as I was, by Pete – bless him! This was a magical place to experience May morning – the polyphonic dawn chorus in full swing; the branches dripping with rain; the lush foliage all around me; the swathes of bluebells. Here I connected with the awakening Earth, and with all those who gathered to worship in such groves over Beltane – the organic, self-governing congregation of the cathedral of trees – whose roots stretch across the planet, connecting us all."
"I gladly joined the others in May Hill village hall for a lovely May Day breakfast The hall was beautifully laid out – with real foliage adorning the tables. Looking down over all was a portrait of David Ackers, eternally handsome and honoured (the hall had been also funded by his father)."

Thanks to Kevan for this great tale, the above article dated May 2012 is toward the end of the blog
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1104974.Kevan_Manwaring/blog

Contacting the Village Hall may give further info ?
http://mayhillvillage.com/page5.htm

This site has some stunning aerial photos of the Hill, can you find the Cathedral ?.
http://wyenot.com/mayhill.htm

Finally, here's a photo of Major Ackers OBE in his twilight years, at Huntley Manor fete in the 1950s.
http://www.sungreen.co.uk/Lydney-Glos/Scouts_at_Huntley.html

And a description of Huntley Manor and Estate from 1986.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-368000-219000/page/12

I hope this helps with your pleasant memories,
ttfn Jeff.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them

ACKERS, ROBERT DAVID
Rank:Flying Officer
Trade:Pilot
Service No:152010
Date of Death:18/08/1944
Age:21
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 183 Sqdn.
Grave Reference Cemetery: OCCAGNES (CUI) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:

(only ?) Son of Charles Penrhyn Ackers and Dorothy Jane Ackers, of Huntley, Gloucestershire.

Name:Robert D Ackers
Date of Registration:Apr-May-Jun 1923
Registration District:Cheltenham
Inferred County:Shropshire
Volume Number:6a
Page Number:767

ACKERS Robert D
ACKERS DAVIS 1923
Cheltenham Cheltenham,
Cheltenham 46A 34

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Every so often I feed my name into google to check my cyberspace profile, so today my curiosity was piqued to find I was mentioned in the same "breath" as Major Ackers.

In common with John Martin I was a beneficiary of the forestry legacy of Major CP Ackers. I am also indebted to Trevor Edmondson and Emrys Jones for their efforts in trying to turn an urban public school boy into a student forester

My forestry experience on Huntley Manor Estate provided me with an excellent basis and cultural context for Community Forestry in Nepal and eventually a doctorate in Tibetan ethno-forestry practice. In a week I am off to NW Yunnan to conduct a bio-cultural audit of a natural sacred site in the foothills of the KawaKarpo Mountain Range.

I have good memories of many of the characters John Martin mentions. I think the name of the big guy from main street was Graham Jones but I have no recollection of his JW mate's name.

I regret having so little contact since I left Huntley. I was short-listed for an EU project and they required testimonials from all my previous employers. I wrote to and heard back from Mrs Freeman, who mentioned then that Emrys Jones was living in the village.

Thank you John Martin for including me in this site

Dr John Studley
PhD MA OND CGeog FRGS