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.

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landform.wmv landform.mov

See how the different layers were laid down to form the High Weald

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geological history.mov

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!

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Story Of Routeways.wmv Story of Routeways.mov

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.

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Story Of Settlement.wmv Story Of Settlement.mov

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.

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Story Of Woodland.wmv Story Of Woodland.mov

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.

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The Field and Heath Story.wmv Story of Fields and Heaths.mov

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.

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Iron.wmv Iron.mov

A coppice worker from the High Weald.

Curriculum links for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8b, Geography 1a, 2d, 3d,e, 5b, 6a, e
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coppice_worker.wmv

Edward, a wealthy Victorian landowner, invites you on to his estate to share how he has developed his garden using the natural features of the High Weald such as the gill streams and their microclimate, sandrock, clay soils, hammer ponds which are the essential components that have helped build the area's great gardens. Discover how he, like many other Victorians, influenced the landscape as well as his thoughts on The Great Exhibition, steam trains and women on bicycles...
Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8, Victorians 11a.

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victorian gardener.wmv victorian gardener.mov

Tarneg is a Mesolithic hunter from 8,000 BC who came into the High Weald to hunt for aurochs. He tells the story of his first hunt and his impressions of the dense woods of the High Weald compared to the chalk downlands.
Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8b

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Tarneg.wmv Tarneg.mov

Edmund is an early Anglo Saxon Drover. The woods where he led his pigs to fatten up on the Autumn acorns and beech masts are still a key landscape feature of the High Weald. Many of the routeways that drovers such as Edmund would have used to drive their pigs from the Downs into the High Weald survive today in the road and Rights of Way system. Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8, Anglo-Saxons 9
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Edmund.wmv Edmund.mov

A Commoner of Ashdown Forest from the Medieval period. Hugh worked hard on Ashdown Forest, one of the many hunting forests spread over the High Weald. As a commoner Hugh had special rights, such as grazing his beasts and collecting an allowance of firewood.
Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8b,
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Hugh.wmv Hugh.mov

A Roman Soldier from the 2nd Century AD, Maximillius is part of the Classis Britannica fleet stationed at the ironworks near Beauport on the edges of Hastings. He describes the Roman iron industry in the High Weald, including the processes they went through to extract the iron from stone. Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8b, Romans 9.

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Max.wmv Max.mov

Edith is a farmer from the Medieval period and is a cheerful soul who farmed the High Weald at the time of the Black Death. Edith leaves you in no doubt that life was hard back then, "all about survival". The High Weald is one of the best surviving examples of medieval landscape in Northern Europe.
Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8b

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Edith.wmv Edith.mov

Jan is a Tudor Iron Master's wife who balances the inconveniences of the noise and smoke of a busy Tudor iron works with the luxuries it brought her in her position as the Ironmaster's wife. She talks about the "mighty appetites" of the new blast furnaces and how wood became a precious commodity that needed careful management. Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8, Britain & the wider world in Tudor Times 10 If you are unable to view flash video you can download alternatives,
Jane.wmv Jane.mov

Ruby is a hop picker from between the wars. Ruby's family came 'hopping' in the High Weald for generations, travelling down from the East End each September. She is astonished by the changes and wonder what in the landscape, if anything is permanent. She reflects on the relationship then between people from the town and country - is it still the same today? Curriculum link for primary schools: Local History Study 7, British History 8, Britain since 1930 11b

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Ruby.wmv Ruby.mov

High Weald Hero Teaching Resources - find out how your school can run its own energy day by viewing this short video on the High Weald Energy Day held at Ashdown Forest Centre.
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High Weald Energy Day 2010.wmv High Weald Energy Day 2010.mov

An introduction to the High Weald including some questions posed that will be answered by the characters in the following videos.

High Weald Hero Actions - find out what your school can do to help conserve and enhance the High Weald.

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Hero_Actions.wmv Hero_Actions.mov

A general introduction to the Forest and its special qualities.

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Intro_to_Ashdown.wmv Intro_to_Ashdown.mov

The story of the traditional charcoal earth burn which took place on Ashdown Forest in 2010.

Find out how the balance between conservation and amenity values of this internationally important area of heathland is managed day to day.

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Management_Ashdown_Forest.wmv Management_Ashdown_Forest.mov

The history of Ashdown Forest and the people who have lived and worked there.

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Ashdown_History.wmv Ashdown_History.mov

Have a say because your views can influence care of the area

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Your.wmv Your.mov

Get involved - support local conservation organisations and help monitor threatened wildlife

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Getting_Involved.wmv Getting_Involved.mov

Take pride in the High Weald - promote its special features and places to family, friends and visitors

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Take_Pride.wmv Take_Pride.mov

Explore features in a house that can help minimize environmental impact.

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Sustainable.wmv Sustainable.mov

Manage your land to benefit the environment and care for the wildlife within it

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Manage.wmv Manage.mov

Purchase local products and services sold by land managers who actively manage their land to benefit the environment

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Purchase_Local_Products.wmv Purchase_Local_Products.mov

Help prevent the spread of invasive and harmful plant and animal species

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Preventing.wmv Preventing.mov

Demands for water lead to high levels of water extraction, damaging the wildlife of the AONB's streams, rivers and wet grasslands

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Use_Less.wmv Use_Less.mov

Reduce, reuse and recycle, and dispose of all litter responsibly

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Reduce.wmv Reduce.mov

Respect other users - follow the Countryside Code

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Respect.wmv Respect.mov

Slow down for people, horses and wildlife

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Slow.wmv Slow.mov

Avoid using the car where possible and consider using renewable energy in your home

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Avoid.wmv Avoid.mov

This introductory presentation gives an overview of meadow management and leads you into the following videos that help you to understand, identify and manage wildflower grasslands.Wildflower grasslands are a rare and threatened habitat. They are continuing to decline as they rely on traditional farming systems and continuous management to maintain their quality.
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Intro-web.wmv Intro-web.mov

This video helps to explains why unimproved neutral and acidic grasslands are now so rare.  These grasslands have formed over many years and include many different types, depending on the soil, local geology and what the land has been used for. Grasslands can go through several transitional stages and the video shows you how to distinguish one type of grassland from another.  If you are unable to view flash video you can download alternatives,
Understanding_Grassland.wmv Understand_Grassland.mov

This video will help you in learning many of the varieties of special neutral grassland plants wildflowers and grasses that you can find in traditional meadows and pastures. It includes guidelines and tips on how to identify these fantastic plants, and includes close up shots of the leaves and flowers. If you are unable to view flash video you can download alternatives,
Identifying_Meadow_Flowers_Web.wmv Identifying_Meadow_Flowers_Web.mov

This video explores these traditional practices and focuses on the timing of the various stages of management and the types of machinery required. Maintaining wildflower grassland requires careful, traditional management.
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Managing_a_Hay_Meadow.wmv Managing_a_Hay_Meadow.mov

In traditional meadows and pastures occasional 'weeds' such as docks and thistles are not usually a problem, If you are unable to view flash video you can download alternatives,
Weed_control.wmv Weed_control.mov

If you are looking to create a new meadow, remember that not all sites are suitable for new species rich grassland. You will need to carefully select the site: is it near to an existing seed sources, is it damp enough and connected to other habitat features? This video will explain the site selection process and give more advice and pointers on choosing a good location - and the aftercare needed to ensure the success of your new grassland.
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Create_Grassland_from_Scratch.wmv Create_Grassland_from_Scratch.mov

This video will explain how your existing meadow can be managed to extend the range of wildflower and meadow species. Tips include the use of Yellow Rattle seed, value of plant plugs and importance of proper aftercare. The video also gives practical examples where this has been successful achieved, such as Great Dixter.

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Diversifying a wildflower meadow.wmv Diversifying a wildflower meadow.mov

 

This video will explain how to practically enhance or create your wildflower meadow on a large scale

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whole_Crop.wmv Whole_Crop2.mov

A building in which hops are dried and stored, usually 19th century in date and detached from the main group in order to minimise the fire risk.

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Oasts.wmv

Barns are the dominant building of Wealden farmsteads. A barn for storing and processing the harvested corn crop over the winter months was the basic requirement of Weald farms,

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Barns.wmv

In this video Jeremy Lake from English Heritage explains the history of farmsteads in the Weald.

A video of Tom Sumner, a local woodland worker.
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Tom.wmv Tom.mov

How to identify Charcoal hearths in woodland

How to identify Woodbanks in ancient woodland