The following document provides a summary of settlement history in the High Weald explaining why the late development of Wealden towns and villages defies standard typologies and highlighting the importance of understanding individual settlements in planning new development.

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pdf Settlement: Summary of historic settlement development in the High Weald (676 KB)

Weald settlement history

The early development of farmstead sites related strongly to landscape features and resources for agriculture, industry and human habitation such as routeways, water sources (ponds, gills streams and wells) and woodland. In our video Jeremy Lake, from English Heritage, explains the history of farmsteads in the... Read more

Farmstead movements and flows

An understanding of the historical access into and movement or circulation within a farmstead is vital to conserving its character.  Watch an animation showing how livestock and crops were moved between farmstead buildings and neighbouring fields at different times of the year.  Read more

Assessing farmstead change

The present day character of the whole farmstead site and its surrounding landscape is the result of past change. Read more

Researching farmstead history

Late 19th century Ordnance Survey maps (c1985) provide an effective baseline for understanding the historic form of the farmstead, at the end of a major period of investment in farmstead buildings. There was some building on Weald farmsteads between the 1880s and the Second World... Read more