New Forest’s forgotten archaeology preserved

Previous finds have included prehistoric field systems, an Iron Age hill fort and World War II bomb test sites. This year has seen another 433 sites and features identified, including some of the best preserved Bronze Age barrows in the New Forest.

The heritage mapping project uses many different sources of information to identify, record and manage archaeological features found on the open Crown lands of the National Park.

The project is funded by the New Forest Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme, a 10-year agreement with Natural England worth £19m. The scheme is held by the Verderers of the New Forest and managed by them in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the New Forest National Park Authority.

Many of the historical sites discovered so far were hidden under dense forest and thick heather until HLS archaeologists used a plane to fire harmless laser beams onto the ground to build a 3D map of its surface. The Light Detection and Ranging technology (Lidar) can penetrate the tree canopy, revealing features which cannot be seen by other means.

In order to get a fuller picture of how archaeological sites have been used over the years, Lidar must be combined with more traditional survey techniques. This includes aerial photography, infra-red images and field work to check features on the ground.

Official Verderer Dominic May, said: “This has been a successful year for this project and builds on what has already been achieved since 2011. Combined with previous years’ work, we have now completed 12,000 hectares of LiDAR analysis, which is over 60 per cent of the HLS area, and we are on target to complete the analysis by 2020.

“Over the last year volunteers have proven invaluable in this project, helping with tasks ranging from survey work to data cleaning and heritage events where they have represented the projects work. Lawrence Shaw at the National Park Authority is running this project, and, together with these volunteers, they are making a lasting difference to the New Forest.”

Lawrence Shaw, Heritage Mapping and Data Officer for the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘The creation of the New Forest in 1079 produced a unique situation where archaeological sites have been almost frozen in time, mostly free from pressures such as intensive modern farming techniques and urban development.

‘As a result we have been able to find fantastically well-preserved sites that have been undisturbed for hundreds of years. The Lidar data gives us an opportunity to peel back the layers of the New Forest’s history and see how it has been shaped by human activity from the Bronze Age all the way through to World War II. The last year’s work has seen our understanding continue to grow and has made a real difference to how we manage these important sites and features in the future.”

Through the HLS Scheme and other projects, the New Forest has become the first National Park in the country to have its entire landscape surveyed by Lidar. The survey also mapped surrounding communities – an area the size of 92,000 hectares or 350 square miles.

The public can see the results for themselves online, zooming in to interesting locations at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/heritagemapping.