Efforts to uncover the role played by the New Forest during the Second World War have been awarded a first-round pass by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The national park hosted spy schools, prisoner of war camps and secret airfield missions during the conflict, and a new archaeological project is to reveal the area's importance. New Forest National Park Authority can now work on the second phase of its application for £473,000 from the HLF, which will help to fund the proposals.

National Park archaeologist Frank Green said: "Some of the World War II features are well-documented like the 12 airfields that were created in the Forest and the building of the Mulberry Harbours at Lepe for D-Day. "Others we come across by chance - a survey of the Cadland Estate back in 2008 revealed 34 World War II features we didn't know about such as the remains of encampments, infantry trenches and air raid shelters."