Guidance

Historic environment guidance for forestry in England

Published 23 April 2024

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

From 1 October 2024, organisations and individuals should follow this guidance on the historic environment when developing and implementing forestry projects in England. Historic environment organisations should follow it when providing information and advice on forestry projects.

Purpose

This guidance explains how to consider the historic environment when developing and implementing forestry projects in England. Covering all types of forestry projects, including:

• woodland creation
• woodland/forest management plans
• felling
• thinning
• restocking
• roads
• quarries

It reflects the requirements and good practice set out in the UK Forestry Standard 5th edition (UKFS) and provides England-specific advice.

This guidance will help you:

• identify historic environment constraints and opportunities at the earliest stage
• get approval under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations in England and Wales (Forestry)
• apply for a forestry grant or felling licence, if required
• speed up the processing of forestry applications

By providing advice on opportunities, identification, surveys, protection, management and enhancement, this guidance ensures conservation of the historic environment is part of every forestry project. It encourages gathering information early and retaining important heritage features and historic landscapes.

It also aims to support a thriving forestry industry, delivering sustainable forest management, addressing the impacts of climate change, and supporting nature recovery.

We regulate all forestry activity in England and can only approve proposals that meet the UKFS.

Summary

Several thousand years of human activity have contributed to the variety of landscapes found across England today. Surviving elements of the historic environment include:

• ancient woodlands
• ancient and veteran trees
• field patterns
• historic boundaries
• historic buildings
• ruined structures
• archaeological earthworks
• buried archaeological sites
• soils
• palaeoenvironmental sequences

Together these heritage features contribute to the character of the English landscape and inform both our sense of place and our knowledge of the past. We want to leave our historic environment in good condition for future generations to experience, enjoy, and learn from. If heritage features are damaged or destroyed, that legacy is lost forever.

The historic environment offers multiple opportunities to forestry projects. Historic landscapes, historic buildings and archaeological sites are important elements in spirit of place, landscape context, ecosystem services, and natural, cultural and heritage capital. They can provide an anchor for woodland management and creation. They help develop and enhance public access and interpretation materials.

Heritage features often coincide with significant biodiversity interest. Leaving them undisturbed can help maintain soil structure and lock carbon in the soil.

Enhancing and restoring historic landscapes (such as lost historic woodland), historic buildings and archaeological sites can help forestry projects positively impact climate change, biodiversity, landscape character, people, soil, and water.

Legislation

Some of England’s heritage has legal protection:

1. Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 – Scheduled Monuments are buildings, structures or sites of national importance included on the schedule of monuments in the National Heritage List for England. With only a few exceptions, works to Scheduled Monuments require Scheduled Monument Consent from the Secretary of State.

2. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 – Buildings of special architectural and historic interest (listed buildings) are included in the National Heritage List for England. Areas of special architectural and historic interest are designated by local planning authorities as Conservation Areas.

3. Treasure Act 1996 – The discovery of artefacts classified as Treasure must be reported to the coroner within 14 days.

4. Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 – Military aircraft crash sites are protected from disturbance, unless the Ministry of Defence has issued a licence that allows prohibited works.

5. Burial Act 1857 – Human remains on unconsecrated ground are protected. Disturbing or removing them requires a licence from the Ministry of Justice.

Forestry projects typically fall within the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 or Forestry Act 1967, which are administered by the Forestry Commission in England. Forestry projects are not routinely considered under the Town and Country Planning (Environment Impact Assessment) Regulations or the National Planning Policy Framework.

Where forestry projects are included within a planning application, a local planning authority must have regard to the National Planning Policy Framework, in particular its provisions regarding ancient woodland, irreplaceable habitats and the historic environment.

Policy

The UKFS sets out the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. Other policy considerations include:

1. Keepers of Time – The government’s statement on England’s ancient and native woodland and ancient and veteran trees includes a strategic objective to protect, conserve and enhance cultural heritage and a target to reduce the number of designated heritage assets in ancient woodland on the Heritage at Risk register. See our practice guide on managing ancient and native woodland.

2. World Heritage Convention – The UK government is a signatory to UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention, under which sites, places, monuments, and buildings of outstanding universal value to humanity are designated as World Heritage Sites. Some World Heritage Sites have defined buffer zones beyond their core areas.
3. Registered parks and gardens – Historic England has maintained a register of parks and gardens of particular significance since 1983.
4. Registered battlefields – Historic England has maintained a register of important English battlefields since 1995.

Overview of the decision-making framework

This guidance explains how to identify, protect, manage, and enhance heritage features and historic landscapes as part of forestry projects.

It offers a 5-step process:

• step 1: identifying the historic environment
• step 2: visual surveys
• step 3: specialist surveys
• step 4: protecting the historic environment
• step 5: managing the historic environment

You should read this guidance alongside the UKFS guidance for the 7 other elements of sustainable forestry. These are:

• general forestry practice
• biodiversity
• climate change
• landscape
• people
• soil
• water

You should also read guidance on forestry management and creation.

A Landscape Character Appraisal is an efficient way of integrating all forestry interests in woodland creation proposals.

Using this guidance

Step 1: Identifying the historic environment

You should collate information on the historic environment at the earliest stage to ensure your proposal identifies constraints, maximises opportunities, and meets UKFS requirements. Include maps and lists of known heritage features and historic landscapes in your woodland management and creation plans.

Where to find relevant information:

1. Designated heritage assets:
   • MAGIC website
   • National Heritage List for England
2. Non-designated heritage assets (including archaeological sites and historic buildings):
   • local Historic Environment Records (HERs). Contact directly as we do not accept information obtained from online HERs
3. Historic landscape characterisation:
   • Local data: local Historic Environment Records (HERs)
   • Local data: Archaeology Data Service (data must be of sufficient quality and resolution)
   • National data: MAGIC website, under Landscape Classifications (data may not be of sufficient quality and resolution to be accepted alone by us)
   • Overviews: National Character Area profiles

In certain circumstances, during the early stages of developing forestry proposals, you should also contact relevant historic environment organisations for advice on the:

• relative importance of heritage assets
• impact your proposal might have on the historic environment
• opportunities offered by the historic environment

We have published associated advice about contacting 4 historic environment organisations:

• local historic environment services (also known as local archaeological services or county archaeologists)
• Historic England
• World Heritage Sites
• The Gardens Trust

You do not need to commission a desk-based survey by a historic environment professional at this stage unless it is a very complex proposal. Contact Forestry Commission Historic Environment Advisers (FC HEAs) at historic@forestrycommission.gov.uk for advice.

You should include information from MAGIC, the National Heritage List, HERs and historic landscape characterisation, and correspondence with relevant historic environment organisations, with your grant or EIA application. This will help ensure timely processing of your application. We expect this information and correspondence to remain valid for 3 years.

Step 2: Visual surveys

Once you have collated all existing historic environment information and advice, you should establish if and how well heritage features and historic landscapes survive.

We recommend you carry out a visual survey and a rapid walk over to gather basic details of presence or absence.

If you identify previously unrecorded heritage features, these should be noted and reported to the relevant HER. If specialist surveys (step 3) identify previously unrecorded heritage features, you may need to carry out a second visual survey.

Forestry practitioners familiar with heritage features or a suitably qualified and experienced historic environment professional can carry out visual surveys.

Step 3: Specialist surveys

Archaeological surveys

Gathering information and advice and undertaking visual surveys will occasionally identify areas with high potential for previously undiscovered archaeological remains. When this happens, FC HEAs can provide:

• advice on whether to commission archaeological surveys from historic environment professionals
• briefs for surveys funded by the Woodland Creation Planning Grant

Most forestry projects will not need a commissioned archaeological survey. Examples of when one may be needed include:

1). Analytical Archaeological Survey: desk-based assessment followed by visual survey to locate and define visible heritage features. Can involve the targeted inspection and recording of known features, prospective survey of areas of high potential to locate previously unidentified features, or the comprehensive inspection of all areas included in a proposal. Best done when ground vegetation is low in height.

See Historic England’s guidance covering analytical archaeological surveys.

2). Archaeological Geophysical Survey: desk-based assessment followed by site survey. Used to detect below ground features (the potential for which might have been indicated by HER data or cropmarks on aerial photographs). Different survey techniques (magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar) can be used. Best done on arable land without crops or land with low ground vegetation.

See the European Archaeological Council’s guidance on archaeological geophysical survey. Geophysical surveys on Scheduled Monuments require a licence from Historic England.

3). Archaeological Aerial Investigation Survey: thorough desk-based analysis of all available aerial photographs and Lidar (aerial laser scanning) data/images. This should include analytical archaeological survey by a historic environment professional or be followed by a visual survey by a forestry practitioner. 

4). Archaeological metal detecting and fieldwalking survey: desk-based assessment followed by site survey. Might be used in areas where geophysical or analytical surveys are not appropriate. High concentrations of objects may indicate high archaeological sensitivity. Best done on arable land when crops are not present (rarely a suitable technique for existing grassland or woodland). On Scheduled Monuments, these surveys require Scheduled Monument Consent.

5). Archaeological trial trenching and test-pitting: rarely, if ever, needed ahead of forestry projects. Areas important enough to warrant trenching or test-pitting should be avoided by forestry operations and woodland creation.

Setting assessments

The setting of a heritage feature is the surroundings in which it is experienced. It includes, but not limited to:

• topography
• aspect
• landscape character
• land use
• views
• intervisibility
• noise and remoteness

The extent of setting is not fixed and may change as the feature and its surroundings evolve. Elements of setting may make a positive or negative contribution to the importance of a heritage feature, may affect the ability to appreciate that importance, or may be neutral.

In some cases, you will need to commission a formal assessment of the impact a forestry project will have on the setting of designated heritage assets. This can include visits to designated heritage assets, compiling a photographic record, and Historic England’s broad approach to assessing setting.

When appropriate, you can include setting assessments in analytical archaeological surveys. FC HEAs can advise on the need for setting assessments.

World Heritage Sites

Forestry proposals within World Heritage Sites may need to include a Heritage Impact Assessment. World Heritage Site co-ordinators/managers can advise on the level of Heritage Impact Assessment required and how UNESCO’s Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments might apply.

All World Heritage Sites have their own management plans, and some have forestry plans. You should consider the content of these plans in forestry proposals.

Historic landscapes

Forestry proposals within historic landscapes should be informed and supported in the following ways:

1. Registered parks and gardens: conservation management plan.
2. Non-designated designed landscapes: research into the original design intentions. FC HEAs can advise.
3. Registered battlefields: understanding their history, events, topography, structures, archaeology, and commemoration. FC HEAs can advise.
4. National Parks and National Landscapes: historic environment content of management and forestry plans. Under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, we must seek to further the purposes of National Parks and National Landscapes.

Some projects may require a Landscape Character Appraisal, in which the historic environment could be an integral part.

Costs of specialist surveys

Where specialist surveys are commissioned, the project proposer will usually meet the costs. In specific circumstances it might be possible to secure funding through Woodland Creation Planning Grant supplementary payments, Countryside Stewardship (PA1 and PA2), or other grants.

Step 4: Protecting the historic environment

Heritage features

You can protect heritage features by:

• gathering information and advice (step 1), undertaking visual surveys (step 2) and commissioning specialist surveys (step 3)
• outlining protection measures in woodland management and woodland creation plans
• including heritage features in operational site assessments, operational plans and on forestry operations maps
• marking out heritage features on the ground, using spray paint on existing trees, wooden posts, or canes (the use of posts on Scheduled Monuments requires Scheduled Monument Consent)
• briefing forest staff on the location and importance of heritage features ahead of forestry operations
• consciously avoiding damage, disturbance and crossing during operations
• writing a method statement explaining how heritage features will be protected
• developing long-term visions for heritage features, including management plans for Scheduled Monuments (step 5)

You could damage heritage features with activities including:

• cultivation for afforestation and restocking
• driving heavy forestry vehicles
• creating new roads, rides, tracks, thinning racks, header racks, ditches, and quarries
• installing new fencing
• removing tree stumps and tree, scrub, and bracken roots
• carrying out operations when the ground is very wet

If the only option is for forestry vehicles to cross heritage features, you should use existing crossings, gaps, or tracks. Drive vehicles slowly and carefully. You may need to spread brash and logs on the ground before you start, and remove them carefully after use. You can outline your intended approach in a method statement.

To protect Scheduled Monuments and the most important non-designated heritage features, you should consider the following:

1. They are priorities for active conservation management. You should prioritise protecting them from disturbance and providing opportunities for access and delivering biodiversity benefits.
2. There is a presumption against restocking, allowing regeneration and woodland creation on these features. FC HEAs, local historic environment services and historic environment professionals can advise on how to identify the most important non-designated heritage features.
3. Those with trees growing on them may benefit from careful tree felling. Where trees are well-established, stable and their roots bind the soil together or the tree canopy prevents scrub growth, the best option will often be to leave the trees in place. Where ancient and veteran trees are present, managed regeneration through the careful selection of appropriate replacements might be appropriate. FC HEAs can advise on keeping and replacing trees on heritage features. Historic England can provide this for Scheduled Monuments (where tree planting requires Scheduled Monument Consent).
4. In woodland creation proposals, they should be placed in managed open space (if not already in existing woodland). When multiple heritage features occur close to each other, you should include them in a single area of managed open space.
5. Adding a managed open space, unplanted or regeneration-free buffer around them to protect them from disturbance. For Scheduled Monuments, the buffer should be at least 20m wide and, where setting is a consideration (including views and associations with nearby heritage features), larger buffers will be needed. Some non-designated heritage assets can have a 5m, 10m or 20m buffer, but others will require buffers of a site-specific width. In some cases, a formal setting assessment will inform buffer size (step 3).

You may be able to plant right up to wood banks, but hedgerows and veteran trees will require open space buffers to ensure their continued growth and health. You should consider the landscape impact of placing historic boundary features in open space with buffers. While a grid pattern of open space and buffers might suit the geometric and regular landscape character of planned countryside, it may not be suitable in landscapes with irregular field shapes or dominant landform.

Where evidence suggests significant archaeological remains are present but specific features have not been identified, you may need to plant only shrubs and smaller trees. With most tree species having 80-90% of their roots in the top 0.6m of the soil profile, in this context small trees are those whose roots typically extend to a depth of no more than 1m in the soil type proposed for planting.

Some poorly preserved or low significance features may be able to accommodate tree planting. For example, woodland creation and restocking may be appropriate on straight, narrow post medieval ridge and furrow earthworks (with prior recording). FC HEAs can advise if specific heritage features could accommodate tree planting.

Historic landscapes

When you develop and deliver your forestry projects, you should consider historic landscape types that are particularly sensitive to change. Some are particularly favourable to woodland creation (areas of lost historic woodland, for example). Identifying and visually surveying historic landscapes, and including them in woodland management, creation, and operational plans, will maximise opportunities.

Always consider how historic landscapes have changed over time, with felling, restocking and tree diseases often key elements in the evolution of historic landscapes.

Examples of particularly sensitive historic landscape types include World Heritage Sites, designed landscapes and battlefields. Specialist surveys may be required for forestry projects in these landscapes (step 3).

Woodland, parkland, wood pasture and trees are essential components of designed landscapes that need ongoing management and restoration. It is vital to maintain (and potentially replace) woodland in designed landscapes. However, it is usually not appropriate to extend existing woodland onto, or create new woodland on, parkland and wood pasture. This is because they are distinctive historic landscape types and priority habitats. You should retain important views and vistas, which may extend into the surrounding landscape and take in views of distant features. You should also explore opportunities to remove existing trees that are harmful to designed landscapes.

Step 5: Managing the historic environment

You should develop long-term visions for your heritage features and historic landscapes. Outline your intentions for their active conservation management in your woodland management and woodland creation plans. Each Scheduled Monument should have its own site-specific management plan (developed with the involvement of Historic England). This can be appended to the relevant woodland management plan.

Woodland management plans for woods with high densities of historic features may need an appendix covering their management. Registered parks and gardens should have conservation management plans linked to the relevant woodland management plan.

You should practice regular active conservation on open space and buffers containing the most significant heritage features. This will ensure you keep their open nature and prevent the growth of scrub and saplings, as well as support public access. A grass or herbaceous sward managed by grazing is ideal. If that’s not possible, manage with strimming, mowing, and topping. You should take care that management techniques do not cause ground disturbance. Always consider the future management of open space and buffers on heritage features at the early stages of woodland creation and felling projects.

You should also regularly undertake active conservation management of the most important heritage features under tree cover, to reduce the risk of damage. This should include regular monitoring of tree condition, undertaking appropriate follow-up work on unstable trees (to reduce the risk of wind throw), and controlling scrub growth. You should also re-route rides and tracks currently on heritage features.

If historic features are stable and not vulnerable to any current threats, they may not require active conservation management.

Where existing or new woodlands have public access, consider how to provide access to historic features and historic landscapes. Finally, you can significantly enhance forestry projects through panels, leaflets, websites, and social media posts about the historic environment.