From heathlands to downlands and ancient woodlands to forestry plantations, the nation’s forests are spread over many different landscapes. And every one of them has a hidden history. Beneath the trees and woodland paths lie clues to thousands of years of human activity, from Bronze Age burial mounds and Iron Age hillforts to wartime structures and evidence of historic woodland management.
Look a little closer and you might see funny shaped lumps and bumps in the ground, arrow straight banks, feature trees or concrete pads. These are all evidence of human intervention through history. So how did these non-naturally occurring features get there, and what were they for?
Wood banks
These long, straight earthworks are often spotted running off into woodlands and are evidence of historic forest management practices.
See for yourself
Head to historic Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire to see well-preserved wood banks.
Military infrastructure
In the past, many of our forests were used during different war efforts. Evidence of these uses can be spotted in the form of standing buildings as well as brick or concreate foundations hidden beneath the leaf litter.
See for yourself
Evidence of a First World War military training camp can be see in scattered concrete remains at Cannock Chase Forest. Author J.R.R Tolkien trained there and is said to have taken inspiration from the forest for his writing.
Hillforts
Woodlands often obscure larger monuments that may have once stood in open landscapes. We care for more than 30 hillforts which survive intact, protected from other influences that may have impacted them.
Today these can be identified as large banked and ditched earthworks, sometimes with multiple elaborate defensive ramparts.
See for yourself
Bury Ditches in Shropshire is one of the best preserved hillforts in the country.
Feature trees
Alongside archaeological sites, the trees found within our forests can also tell a story about the past. Large ancient trees, and evidence of historic pollarding, coppicing, designed landscapes and even historic tree graffiti can all provide clues as to why a woodland is the way it is.
See for yourself
Savernake Forest in Wiltshire is home to the Big Bellied Oak - one of the oldest trees in the country at more than 1,000 years old.
Burial mounds
There are nearly 450 prehistoric burial mounds across the nation’s forests. These earth mounds, known as tumuli, mark the burial places of important individuals and are the most common protected heritage sites in our care.
Most date to the Bronze Age, around 4,000 years ago, although some were built during the Iron Age. Created by hand using simple tools, they were once prominent landmarks visible across the landscape.
Many burial mounds now lie hidden within our forests. Some show signs of past disturbance, but technologies such as LiDAR help us map, identify and protect these nationally significant sites for future generations.
See for yourself
Walk the archaeological trail at ancient Micheldever Wood in Hampshire and discover Iron Age burial mounds as you explore.
How to spot earthworks
Want to know more about historic earthworks and how to spot them? This short video has the answers.
Find a forest
Next time you visit a Forestry England forest, look beyond the trees. Hidden beneath your feet may be evidence of Bronze Age communities, Iron Age defences, historic woodland management or even Britain's wartime past. Every forest has a story waiting to be discovered.
