England's Historic Seascapes: Scarborough to Hartlepool
Cornwall Council, 2007. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000201. How to cite using this DOI
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Primary contact
Charlie
Johns
Cornwall Council
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Truro
TR1 3AY
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 744
- ALSF Project Number: 4731
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000201
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction | Seascapes Character Types
Woodland
- Introduction: defining/distinguishing attributes and principal locations
- Historical processes; components, features and variability
- Values and perceptions
- Research, amenity and education
- Condition & forces for change
- Rarity and vulnerability
- Sources
Introduction: defining/distinguishing attributes and principal locations
Although woodlands are not an obviously maritime type, they have been included where they come down to the water's edge in tidal rivers, and on the coast where they have been established on the cliffs and former coastal rough ground, often to minimise erosion.
The Type Woodland includes the following sub-types:
- Semi-natural woodland;
- Ancient woodland;
- Plantations.
Components of this Type include:
- banks, tracks and paths;
- drainage ditches;
- fences.
This type comprises mainly the remnants of traditionally managed woodlands, usually found in the steep-sided valleys extending inland from rivers or coves, or in some cases via tributaries. It also incorporates ancient woodland and plantations. Many of the ancient woods have been replanted in the later twentieth century with conifer plantations.
Historical processes; components, features and variability
The term ancient semi-natural woodland is applied to those woodland areas which are considered to have been in existence from at least AD 1600, and which remain to the present day without having been cleared at anytime for uses other than wood or timber production. There is an assumption made that if a wood was present in the medieval period it has probably always been there, having developed after the last Ice Age.
The surviving ancient woodlands will have been managed and have formed important elements of the working landscape for many centuries, probably from prehistoric times. Certainly, medieval farmers and craftsmen will have exploited them as pasture grounds (underwood), sources of fuel, coppice wood and timber. Neighbouring mining regions will also have had a close relationship with woods, again from at least the medieval period, needing both timber and charcoal (for smelting).
Woodlands, whose early medieval distribution predominantly in the steeper valleys was probably established in later prehistory, were gradually lost to agricultural clearing and enclosure on the less steep valley sides from the later medieval period into the 19th century. Few valleys, however, lost their tree-cover entirely and often formed estate and parish boundaries (the stream or river usually being the precise bound).
Streams and rivers that run through woodlands often have leats taken off them from at least medieval times to work the water mills used in grinding grain.
Some 18th and 19th century country houses used the opportunities presented by already wooded slopes to establish ornamental parks and gardens in these valleys (e.g. Mulgrave Estate).
Conifer plantations generally form simple landscapes, blocks of firs and pines planted in rows, often on parallel banks created by deep chisel ploughs, and separated by fire breaks and access tracks. There are also usually drainage ditches and fences and some have picnic areas.
In the replanted older woodlands, remains of pre-conifer features often survive, often in fragments, such as earlier wood-banks and tracks. Woodlands replacing ancient broadleaf woods tend to have less rectilinear edges and therefore are more sympathetically moulded into the local topography and character.
Values and Perceptions
Those extensive dark woods on the riverside have the effect of isolating the water from the surrounding, more domesticated landscape. Plantations are sometimes viewed as looming presences which most people know have either obscured or damaged more beautiful, more ecologically varied, and more historically important blocks of the landscape. Some have public access and are appreciated by those who visit. Children enjoy their darkness and there are some ecological benefits (although most would accept that these are outweighed by habitat loss).
Research, amenity and education
Woodlands and communications networks will repay historical and archaeological research especially if they concentrate on their roles in relation to the surrounding farmland and local industries. Woodlands have been particularly neglected in recent years and are therefore likely to contain well-preserved remains.
Access to certain woodlands could be increased and the presentation of their historical aspects improved. On the whole though, the constraints of topography and property boundaries make presentation of features in this Type rather difficult.
.Plantations have more potential for amenity than education.
.Condition & forces for change
Woodlands in this region are generally of a small size although in many cases, are significant landscape features, particularly in the upland valleys and coastal areas. The woodlands here are particularly important habitats for key species such as red squirrel and dormouse. Major issues are the cessation of traditional management, sheep grazing, lack of regeneration, invasion of non-native species, coniferisation and Dutch elm disease.
Woodland is also increasingly becoming neglected. There is, however, increasing pressure for the replanting of woodland. If this is guided by an understanding of the known or likely sites of earlier woodlands, this should be a relatively benign force for change. A recent change of policy by the Forestry Commission now favours restructuring plantations through their gradual transformation from conifer to broad-leaf.
Most of the woodland in this study area has pockets of recognised Ancient Woodland.
Rarity and vulnerability
The coherence of its components is good as is evidence for time-depth and the Type contributes much to general landscape character. Semi-natural ancient woodlands are also considered to be of great importance for wildlife because they have had a long time in which to acquire a diversity of species and to form stable floral and faunal communities.
Plantations are of importance in terms of contribution to the present landscape character and amenity value. Overall, however, their historical value is now quite low.
Recommendations
Relatively little is known about varying patterns of woodland management and forestry techniques in the north east. Basic research should be carried out to establish historic patterns of woodland (Petts and Gerrard 2006, 216).
Encourage retention of broad-leaved woodland. There is potential for replanting broadleaf woodland on the steeper slopes of the valleys in this study area and on those of their tributaries. Such a process of replanting will not only enhance the historic landscape character of the valleys but will also improve their biodiversity, and help reduce the velocity of water throughput.
The spread of conifer plantations should be constrained on historically more important Types, in particular Cliffs and Coastal Rough Ground. The development of a county strategy to guide the location and form of new plantations could be useful, as well as introducing more variety, particularly via broadleaf trees, and especially in the plantations established in more ancient woods.
There is an increasing commitment to returning plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) back to native woodland; this may have implications for historic land use. Any programme of PAWS restoration would benefit from archaeological survey in advance (Petts and Gerrard 2006, 216).
Petts and Gerrard (2006, 216) also recommend that a project should be encouraged to explore the relationship between industry and the demand for wood.
Enhancing public enjoyment of woods to which the public has access could be done by undertaking historical/archaeological research and installing discreet interpretation boards.
Sources
Publications:
Herring P, 1998. Cornwall's Historic Landscape. Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Truro
Petts, D and Gerrard, C, 2006. Shared Visions: The North East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment. Durham County Council
Websites
www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/pdfs/programme/ne/section1_2.pdf
