It is hard to imagine but the now tranquil Brede High Woods owned by the Woodland Trust were once filled with the sights, sounds and smells, and even the occasional explosion, of iron production and its associated industries.
This is according to the archaeological report produced recently by landscape archaeologist, Dr Nicola Bannister - and local walkers got the chance this month to explore her findings in a walk at Brede led by David Brown from the Wealden Iron Research Group.
The 200 page report has taken a year to produce, and Dr Bannister has painstakingly studied maps and manuscripts to
identify how the wood was managed since at least the 13th century. She has now recorded a treasure trove of preserved archaeology on the ground relating to Brede’s long agrarian and industrial past which reached its height in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Dr Bannister explained how the site has developed over time: "A complex mosaic of woodland and mixed farmland was intermixed with industrial activity that can still be pieced together today via the deserted farmsteads, field and wood boundaries, tar tanks, bell pits, quarries, hollow ways, pond bays, saw pits, charcoal hearths, iron smelting sites and even a tennis court."
All of these have been systematically uncovered by Dr Bannister together with her colleague Angus Foad and Dave Bonsall, the Woodland Trust’s woodland officer for Brede.
Together they reflect the multiple uses to which the woodland was once put – fuel for Brede Furnace and the subsequent gunpowder mill alongside areas of arable, pasture, hops, orchards and gardens.
The conversion of a mixed woodland and farmland landscape to one of high forest was the result of the construction by the Hastings Corporation in the 1930s of the Powdermill Reservoir to provide fresh water for Hastings. In order to protect the catchment area the farmsteads were demolished and the fields planted to conifers and broadleaves. But beneath the tree canopy the old field boundaries, gateways, and farm tracks were hidden and preserved.
The Woodland Trust acquired the 262 ha (648 acre) site, which lies in the heart of the East Sussex High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just north of Hastings, in December 2007, with the intention of restoring some of the traditional open habitats of unimproved acidic meadows and woody heathland, as well as removing non-native conifers and improving public access.
The Trust commissioned Dr Bannister’s report in order to understand the cultural heritage of the woods to inform its future management plans and to provide an education and interpretation resource for the public. It was funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and The Tubney Charitable Trust
A summary of the report’s findings will be available in 2010 and the public will also have the chance to join a free guided walk led by Dr Bannister in March.
For more information on future events at Brede and on its history and unique ecology: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/wood/brede-high-woods
There is free and open access for the public to all Woodland Trust sites throughout the year.
Notes to editors:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. Since 1993 more the 26,000 projects have allocated over £4 billion across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk
The Tubney Charitable Trust is a grant making charity seeking to support activities that have a long term, sustainable, positive impact on the biodiversity of the UK and on the welfare of farmed animals both in the UK and internationally. For more information, visit the Trust’s website at www.tubney.org.uk