Many thanks to Dr Inés López-Dóriga and Dr Ed Treasure from Wessex Archaeology for a really interesting webinar on Researching the History of Your Woodland.
Ed began with an overview of the history of British woodland over the last 12,000 years, followed by Inés describing the different types of evidence that can be used to research woodland history: historical documents and maps, and archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data. Some of the online resources that Inés mentioned are:
- National Data Library
- Priority Habitats Inventory (England)
- National Library of Scotland maps (historical maps covering the whole of the UK)
- The National Archives
- British History Online
- The Electronic Sawyer, ASChart (Anglo-Saxon Charters)
- Historic England Historic Environment Records
Ed concluded the talk by showing how palaeoenvironmental evidence such as seeds, spores and charcoal was used to reveal the 800 year history of a woodland in West Sussex, which transitioned from predominantly Oak-Beech wood pasture to more open heathland and back to Birch and conifer woodland through a combination of natural processes and human intervention.
Ed and Inés recommended the book Woodlands by Oliver Rackham for further reading.
If you are interested in using some of these techniques to explore the history of your woodland, please get in touch with Wessex Archaeology or email Sarah for contact details.