High Weald

 

 

The High Weald is a valuable historic landscape in the densely populated south east of England and an essentially rural area in the vicinity of London. The landscape still looks medieval and that is one of the reasons why the High Weald is protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and that its natural beauty and its historic character are enhanced. This page introduces you to several stories of the High Wealds. For more information see the website of the High Weald AONB.

 

More information about the Lifescape partner that works in this region

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There are several video films about the High Weald, see Videos.

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The woodland story

 

 

Trees and woodland are a particularly distinctive feature of the High Weald landscape - with woodland, much of which is classified as ancient, covering over a third of this nationally important landscape. Many woods are small - treebelts, shaws and small woodland blocks between the medieval field pattern - the remnants of ancient forest cleared by early farmers.

 

 

The settlement story

 

 

The High Weald has many isolated farmsteads, hamlets and dwellings dotted across the countryside. This characteristic, dispersed settlement pattern, actually supports the highest population of any protected landscape in the UK.

 

 

The geology story

 

 

The High Weald countryside gets its ridges, valleys and rolling landscape from the underlying bands of sandstone and clay. The harder sandstone forms the high land and ridges, which generally run east-west across the High Weald. The lower land between the sandstone ridges is the result of the softer clays having been more easily eroded. The action of the elements over time has unevenly eroded these sandstones and clays to leave the steeply ridged and folded countryside that survives today.

 

The routeways story

 

 

The High Weald has a unique, radiating network of ancient routeways and tracks. These routes were first formed when early settlers from the surrounding lands began to exploit the area's woods as a seasonal source of food for their animals: for, as well as timber and fuel, the woods held another important resource - acorns!

 

The field and heath story

 

 

The High Weald's rolling hills are draped with small, irregular fields - edged with ancient boundary features and often containing flower-rich grassland. Colourful areas of heath - with patches of purple heather and yellow gorse - are found on the high, sandy ridges. This pattern of small, irregular fields grew out of the way the High Weald was settled, and is the result of the patient work of many small farmers.

 

 

The iron story

 

 

It is hard to picture the former iron industry in today's countryside of small fields, woodlands and steep, narrow, gill valleys. But in this landscape exist all the necessary raw materials that allowed iron to be smelted for over 2,000 years.

 

 

Livestock and landscape

 

 

From earliest times, animals have had a hand - or hoof - in shaping the landscape of the High Weald (pic 1).  Eight thousand years ago, the High Weald was an untamed wilderness: mainly wooded but with grassland and heathland clearings. These were kept open by the grazing action of large herbivores such as auroch (the ancestor of modern cattle) tarpan (the ancestor of modern horse) and deer.

 

Materials and landscape

 

 

Underneath the patchwork landscape of the High Weald lie bands of sandstone and clay. Originally formed by water and sediments, then folded by earth movements and finally carved by rivers, these materials give the High Weald its shape. They also strongly influence the vegetation, wildlife, agriculture, industry and even building materials and architecture of the area.