How the naked lady of the woods stopped the bulldozers in their tracks

That was until foresters pointed out the wartime carving of the naked woman and the inscription etched on the trunk.

Now the Highways Agency has agreed to alter the path of the tunnel to keep the lady in her place.

Way off the beaten track and screened by a holly bush, the 400-year-old beech and its somewhat younger carving will stand as a silent sentinel at Devil's Punchbowl at Hindhead in Surrey, when the road opens in 2011.

Although the Forestry Commission, the National Trust and some historians were aware of the tree, no one has been unable to unlock its secret.

The carving of the woman, depicted as a typical caricature of a Second World War pin-up, is about two feet tall.

Next to it, in inch-high letters, is the name G Wadham and underneath it the word Southall and the date 5/3/43.

One Forestry Commission ranger said: "We had always assumed that it was done by a soldier on wartime exercise, or by a Canadian because there was a Canadian camp nearby."

But research by the Daily Mail has revealed the pin-up could well be the work of teenager 2011.

Gerald Wadham who was living in Southall, West London, in 1943.

Gerald, who died five years ago, settled in the area after the war and ran a shop and pub.

His daughter, Christine Oliver, of Liphook, Hampshire, said: "It's very intriguing and I think there's a high probability that it was him.

"He would have been nearly 16 in March 1943 but I have no idea what he would have been doing over at the Devil's Punchbowl.

"It has always been a very popular place, so maybe it was just an excursion.

"There was obviously something about the place because he moved out here after the war.

"He certainly loved the outdoor life and used to go out on coach trips."

In fact, there were two other G Wadhams in the family. Gerald's father and older brother were both called George. George junior, now 83, also lives close to Hindhead but was in South Africa in 1943. His wife Joan said: "We knew nothing about the tree but it is fascinating."

Although Forestry Commission rangers had known about the tree for many years, they kept it a secret because they did not want it attacked by vandals.

It was exposed when contractors marking out the line of the 1.1 mile A3 tunnel realised it was in the path of the chainsaws.

After discussions with conservationists, they shifted the boundary slightly so the tree remains untouched.

The move will not cost anything because plans are at such an early stage.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "It's an interesting little piece of history and we have managed to amend the boundary so that the tree can stay."