Stepping onto history
The world beneath our feet is amazing. The lumps and bumps we hop over on our way to 1000 miles tell stories that go back millennia. Here’s what to look for on your next outing.
IN RURAL WILTSHIRE there’s a beautiful beech forest called West Woods. Ask anyone local about it and they’ll tell you it has fabulous bluebell displays in spring. Far fewer people are aware that this unassuming forest was the source of one of the world’s greatest ancient monuments. And fewer still would be aware, as they gaze adoringly at trees no more than 100 years old, that the bank they might be standing on was hand-made more than a thousand years ago.
“There’s tons of amazing stuff there, and it’s easily walked through,” explains Lawrence Shaw, the Lead Historic Environment Advisor at Forestry England. “There are mediaeval boundaries, Anglo Saxon boundaries, Neolithic burial mounds. In part of it you are able to walk along a stonking big bank known as Wansdyke – once one of the boundaries between Wessex and Mercia – without thinking twice that this thing is 1500 years old. And research has indicated that the really massive stones at Stonehenge probably came from this quiet little forest.”
Though West Woods might be a particularly spectacular example, it’s not alone in housing hidden history. Whichever woodlands you choose to explore on your 1000-mile adventure this year, never believe the forest floor on which you’re walking is just a blank canvas where trees were planted. Each contains centuries of human endeavour and, once you start looking, you’ll find clues you never realised were there.
“Always question your surroundings,” says Lawrence. “If you see a mound, some lumpy ground, a bank disappearing off into the forest, or what looks like an old hole in the ground, question why it’s there and how it came to be. None of them are naturally occurring and something has taken place in the past that is almost certainly going to predate the woodland they’re surrounded by.”
And it’s not just ancient sites to be found either. Forestry England alone has more than 700 nationally designated scheduled monuments on its land, including Second World War defence infrastructure such as airfields and bombing facilities.
“The role of Forestry England managed land during the Second World War was huge,” explains Lawrence.
“If you see a concrete patch on the ground it might identify past military endeavours. Historic tree graffiti is also a great one to look out for as servicemen would carve their initials into trees.”
The organisation looks after all kinds of monuments, from late neanderthal caves to burial mounds, Iron Age hill forts, motte and bailey castles, mediaeval hunting lodges, longhouses, fisheries, field systems, churches, abbeys, First World War trenches – the list goes on. And forests are particularly good at preserving them too.
“What’s great about forestry is it’s generally less impactful in terms of land use compared to farming and housing,” says Lawrence. “Once the trees are in, the features around those trees are just left to do their thing.”
New technology has made finding these ancient treasures easier. Lidar uses laser beams from the air that can
penetrate through the trees and show a 3D depiction of the land beneath. It means we can now spot and map manmade features we didn’t previously know existed. The technology has been around for a while, but it’s only in the last decade that it’s become readily available for use.
“Places such as Sherwood Forest, New Forest and Forest of Dean have all been mapped extensively and the results are spectacular,” enthuses Lawrence, who believes it’s vital people walk to see these ancient monuments for themselves. “It’s about experiencing our heritage. Hidden away in our forest are tens of thousands of archaeological sites and monuments. They’re all there for you to see – it’s just a case of getting your eye in.”
Lawrence also notes that “as with all the special environments that Forestry England looks after, the historic sites found in our forests represent a delicate resource. Whilst we encourage everyone to explore, learn about and enjoy our historic environment, we ask that visitors look but don’t touch.
“Many of these sites have been here for hundreds or thousands of years and we want to make sure people can enjoy them for many more years to come.”
There’s tons of amazing stuff there, and it’s easily walked through.