This area of woodland was, up until the mid 20th century, part of a more extensive area of woodland which was probably cleared for open cast mining which was common in this area. The woods have been subject to less destructive ironstone mining in their history and may retain earthworks from these activities. This valley is likely to have been well wooded since at least the medieval period. The domesday record for Worsbrough mentions a large stretch of woodland pasture. In the post-medieval period the wood was probably subject to coppicing. Roger Rockley's will of 1522 refers to ironstone mining in the adjacent Friartail wood and the making of charcoal (Umpleby 2000, 170) this would indicate the woods were managed as coppice woodland. There is no since of coppice management in the current woods (Crossley 1995, 388), most coppice management in South Yorkshire finished in the mid 19th century (Jones 1997, 48). The character of the woods was alter in the 1950s with the planting of conifers but many have now been removed with native species replacing them. There is partial legibility of the former woodland as the boundaries on the east side have altered little except for the intrusion of the motorway. This wooded valley was used for deer hunting in the medieval period (South Yorkshire Forest Partnership 2000 - Bell Bank Wood). There is no evidence of an enclosed park. This is probably the origin of the name Old Park Wood.