Ancient woodland is a term used in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to refer specifically to
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(or 1750 in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
). Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally. The analogous American term is "
old growth forestAn old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
".
For many species of animal and plant, ancient woodland sites provide the sole habitat, and for many others, conditions on these sites are much more suitable than those on other sites. Ancient woodland in the UK, like
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
in the tropics, is home to rare and threatened species, more than any other UK habitat. For these reasons ancient woodland is often described as an irreplaceable resource, or 'critical
natural capitalNatural capital is the extension of the economic notion of capital to goods and services relating to the natural environment. Natural capital is thus the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable ecosystem goods or services into the future...
'.
Ancient woodland is formally defined on maps by
Natural EnglandNatural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
and equivalent bodies. Many ancient woodlands have legal protection of various types, but it is not automatically the case that any ancient woodland is protected.
Characteristics
The definition of ancient woodland includes several sub-types.
Ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW) is composed of native tree species that have not obviously been planted; features of ancient woodland often survive in many of these woods as well, including characteristic
wildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
and structures of archaeological interest.
Species which are particularly characteristic of ancient woodland sites are called ancient woodland indicator (AWI) species, representing a type of
ecological indicatorEcological indicators are used to communicate information about ecosystems and the impact human activity has on ecosystems to groups such as the public or government policy makers. Ecosystems are complex and ecological indicators can help describe them in simpler terms that can be understood and...
. The term tends to be applied more usefully to
desiccationDesiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:...
-sensitive plant species, and particularly
lichenLichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s and bryophytes, than to animals, as they are slower to colonise planted woodlands, and are thus viewed as more reliable indicators of ancient woodland sites. Sequences of
pollen analysisPalynology is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, orbicules, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments...
are also indicators of forest continuity.
Lists of ancient woodland indicator species among
vascular plantVascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s were developed by the
Nature Conservancy CouncilThe Nature Conservancy Council was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 ....
(now
Natural EnglandNatural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
) for each region of England, each list containing the hundred most reliable indicators for that region. The methodology involved studying the
floraFlora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
of known
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
sites and analysing patterns of occurrence to determine which species were most indicative of sites from before 1600. Although ancient woodland
indicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
can and do occur in post-1600 woodlands, and also in non-woodland sites such as hedgerows, it is uncommon for a site which is not ancient woodland to host a double-figure AWI species total.
History
Ancient woods were very valuable properties for their owners, as a source of wood fuel, timber (
estoversIn English law, estovers is wood that a tenant is allowed to take, for life or a period of years, from the land he holds for the repair of his house, the implements of husbandry, hedges and fences, and for firewood....
and loppage) and forage for pigs (
pannagePannage is the practice of turning out domestic pigs in a wood or forest, in order that they may feed on fallen acorns, beechmast, chestnuts or other nuts. Historically, it was a right or privilege granted to local people on common land or in royal forests...
).
HazelThe hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
was grown for
coppicingCoppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
, the branches being used for
wattle and daubWattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
in buildings, for example. Such old coppice stumps are easily recognised for their current overgrown state, now that the practice has largely disappeared. Ancient woods were frequently Royal Parks and hunting grounds and given special protection against poachers, for example. The forest law was very strictly enforced, although various ancient rights to collect firewood are still extant. In
English lawEnglish law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
, it was illegal to assart any part of a
royal forestA royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
. This was the greatest trespass that could be committed in a forest, being more than a waste: for whereas waste of the forest involves felling trees, they can grow again; assarting involves completely rooting up all trees — the total removal of the forested area. Ancient woods were well-defined, often being surrounded by a bank and ditch, so that they could be easily recognised. Such indicators can still be seen in many ancient woodlands. Many ancient woods are described in the
Domesday BookDomesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, as well as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, such was their value to early communities.
Ancient woodland inventories
Ancient woodland sites over 2 hectares (4.9 acre) in size are recorded in Ancient Woodland Inventories, compiled in the 1980s and 1990s by the
Nature Conservancy CouncilThe Nature Conservancy Council was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 ....
in England, Wales, and Scotland; and maintained by its successor organisations in those countries. There was no inventory in
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
until the
Woodland TrustThe Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
completed one in 2006.
Decline
Britain's ancient woodland cover has declined greatly. Since the 1930s almost half of ancient broadleaved woodland in
England and WalesEngland and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
has been planted with conifers or cleared for agriculture. Only 3090 square kilometres (763,555 acre) of ancient semi-natural woodland survive in Britain – less than 20% of the total wooded area. More than eight out of ten ancient woodland sites in England and Wales are less than 200000 square metres (49.4 acre) in area, only 501 exceed 1 square kilometres (247.1 acre) and a mere fourteen are larger than 3 square kilometres (741.3 acre).
Management
Most ancient woodland in the UK has been managed in some way by humans for hundreds (in some cases possibly thousands) of years. Two traditional techniques are
coppicingCoppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
(harvesting wood by cutting trees back to ground level) and
pollardingPollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Great Britain and Europe since medieval times and is practiced today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined...
(harvesting wood at about human head height to prevent new shoots being eaten by grazing species such as deer). Both techniques encourage new growth while allowing the sustainable production of timber and other woodland produce. During the 20th century, use of such traditional management techniques has declined while there has been an increase in large-scale mechanised forestry. These changes in management methods resulted in changes to ancient woodland habitats, and a loss of ancient woodland to forestry.
Examples
- Bedgebury Forest
Bedgebury Forest is a forest surrounding Bedgebury National Pinetum, near Flimwell in Kent. In contrast to the National Pinetum, which contains exclusively coniferous trees, the forest contains both deciduous and coniferous species. It forms part of the High Weald Area Of Outstanding Natural...
, Kent
- Bernwood Forest
Bernwood was one of several forests of the ancient kingdom of England and was a Royal hunting forest. It is thought to have been set aside as Royal hunting land when the Anglo-Saxon kings had a palace at Brill in the 10th century and was a particularly favoured place of Edward the Confessor, who...
, Bucks and Oxon
- Bradfield Woods, Suffolk
- Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase local government district....
, Staffs
- Cherry Tree Wood
Cherry Tree Wood is a park and a remnant of ancient woodland in East Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a Local Nature Reserve....
, London
- Coldfall Wood
Coldfall Wood is an ancient wood in Muswell Hill, North London. It covers an area of approximately 14 hectares and is surrounded by the St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery, the East Finchley public allotments, and the residential roads Creighton Avenue and Barrenger Road...
, London
- Edford Woods and Meadows
Edford Woods and Meadows is a 54.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, between Nettlebridge, Holcombe and Stoke St Michael, Somerset, notified in 1957....
, Somerset
- Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
, Essex
- Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
West Gloucestershire
- Foxley
Foxley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 15 miles north-west of Norwich and 9 miles south-east of Fakenham....
Wood, Norfolk
- Grass Wood, Wharfedale
Grass Wood is an ancient woodland of in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, that has an exceptional ground flora of woodland wildflowers.The area was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1955 for upland broadleaved woodland...
, Yorkshire
- Hatfield Forest
Hatfield Forest in Essex, England lies between the parishes of Little Hallingbury and Takeley, and covers 1,049 acres of woodland, grassland with trees, lake and marsh. It is approximately 40 minutes north east of London by car, just off Junction 8 of the M11 motorway. Bishop's Stortford and...
, Essex
- Hazleborough Wood, Northants, part of Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest is a former medieval hunting forest in the south of the county of Northamptonshire in England. There are tracts of ancient woodland within the forest, and old ditch boundaries can be found at the edges of several of the individual woods...
- Highgate Wood
Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare area of ancient woodland in North London, lying between East Finchley, Highgate Village, and Muswell Hill. It was originally part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex which covered much of London, Hertfordshire and Essex and was mentioned in the Domesday Book...
, London
- Hollington Wood
Hollington Wood is a small patch of ancient woodland about a mile south-east of the village of Emberton near Milton Keynes.-External links:*.* about a new path through the wood.* on http://www.geograph.org.uk/....
- Holt Heath, Dorset
Holt Heath is a common situated four miles north-east of Wimborne Minster in east Dorset, southern England, close to the village of Holt. The reserve includes dry and wet heathland, bog and ancient woodland. The common has several nature conservation designations: National Nature Reserve,...
- King's Wood, Heath and Reach, Beds
- Lower Woods
Lower Woods is a 280.1 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, notified in 1966...
, Gloucestershire
- New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, Hampshire
- Parkhurst Forest
Parkhurst Forest is a woodland to the north-west of Newport, Isle of Wight .The site is partly a site of special scientific interest. It consists of both ancient woodland, relict heathland and plantation woodland. The woodland is freehold owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. It is 395...
, Isle of Wight
- Queen's Wood
Queen's Wood is a 21 hectare area of ancient woodland in North London, abutting Highgate Wood and lying between East Finchley, Highgate Village, Muswell Hill and Crouch End...
, London
- Ryton Woods
Ryton-on-Dunsmore is a village and civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, and is south-east of Coventry, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 1,672 in the parish. The A45 dual carriageway passes through the village....
, Warwickshire
- Salcey Forest
Salcey Forest is a former medieval hunting forest in the south of the county of Northamptonshire in England.It lies to the east of the village of Hartwell, between Northampton and Newport Pagnell...
, Northants
- Savernake forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
, Wiltshire
- Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, Nottinghamshire
- Titnore Wood
Titnore Wood is an area of ancient woodland to the north-west of Worthing in West Sussex. With neighbouring Goring Wood it forms one of the last remaining blocks of ancient woodland on the West Sussex coastal plain....
, West Sussex
- Vincients Wood
Vincients Wood is a small nature reserve, a 12 acre area of semi-natural broadleaved woodland located on the far west of the town of Chippenham, Wiltshire....
, Wiltshire
- Wentwood
Wentwood is a forested area of hills, rising to 309 metres , in Monmouthshire, South Wales. It is located to the north east of, and partly within the boundaries of, the city of Newport.- Geology :...
, Monmouthshire
- Whinfell Forest
Whinfell Forest is now a small area of woodland in the parish of Brougham, Cumbria that lies south east of Penrith in Cumbria and just off the A66 road leading to Appleby-in-Westmorland. The forest is a short distance from the Lake District national park and is surrounded by a large number of...
, Cumbria
- Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
, Berkshire
- Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest is a former medieval hunting forest in the south of the county of Northamptonshire in England. There are tracts of ancient woodland within the forest, and old ditch boundaries can be found at the edges of several of the individual woods...
, Northants
- Wormshill
Wormshill , historically called Wormsell, is a small village and civil parish within the Borough of Maidstone, Kent, England. The parish is approximately south of The Swale and north of Maidstone. The villages of Frinsted and Bicknor are equidistant to the east and west, respectively; while...
, Kent: Barrows Wood, Trundle Wood and High Wood
- Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
bordering Shropshire and Worcestershire
- Yardley Chase
Yardley Chase is a fairly large forest in Northamptonshire , which consists of two similar shaped forests, which are each about long, and wide, in places...
, Northants
See also
- Bluebell wood
A bluebell wood is a woodland that in spring-time has a carpet of bluebells underneath a newly forming leaf canopy...
- Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
- Intact forest landscape
An Intact Forest Landscape—IFL is an unbroken natural landscape of a forest ecosystem and its habitat—plant community components, in a current extant forest zone...
- Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
- Royal Forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
- Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
External links