North York Moors Forest District

Cultural Heritage Strategy

2006

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SUMMARYThe Forestry Commission is the Government Department in Britain that advises Ministers onforestry policy in England, Scotland and Wales and for implementing policies agreed by theWestminster Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. Itsmission is to protect and expand Britain’s forests1 and woodlands and increase their value tosociety and the environment. In England the mission is achieved through the implementationof the England Forestry Strategy, ‘A New Focus for England’s Woodlands’.

A major part of policy implementation is through the management of the substantial ForestryCommission Estate. The estate contains a great diversity of archaeological, historical andcultural features and landscapes accumulated from prehistory to the present day. Thepractices of forestry and woodland management can present a threat to the conservation ofthese features however, in actuality, the recognition of the value of these landscapes andfeatures and the long management cycles of forest crops have preserved a wealth ofsignificantly important sites within the national estate. The estate also provides unparalleledaccess to this historical array for people from all walks of life. As well as physical access toforests the Forestry Commission also provides intellectual access through web-sites, printedpublications, the dissemination of knowledge through learned organisations and interestgroups, the support of education services and the provision of interpretation both on and offsite.

The North York Moors Forest District is a regionally managed component of the nationalForestry Commission estate. This forest district comprises approximately 21,500 hectares90% of which is in the North York Moors National Park and the remainder in other parts ofnorth and east Yorkshire and Teeside. The District contains a wealth of cultural sites andfeatures, some of which have been designated as nationally important ScheduledMonuments, and extends into two areas of nationally important designated landscape, theNorth York Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB). Joint surveys carried out by the Forestry Commission and the National Park in the1990’s identified in excess of 1800 features of historical features or importance within thisForest District. Of these over 230 sites are considered to be of national importance and havebeen designated as Scheduled Monuments under the 1979 Ancient Monuments andArchaeological Areas Act.

The Forestry Commission has a range of policies and practices in place designed to protectthe cultural heritage in its care. Landscape scale issues are addressed through forest designplans whilst individual features are maintained through site identification and protection.Scheduled Monuments are each afforded individual Management Plans, and work to thesemonuments is regulated by the Scheduled Monument Consent Process, which includesClass 1 Consent for forestry operations. Consultation on both landscape-scale and feature-scale issues takes place between the Forestry Commission and a wide variety ofstakeholders, including English Heritage, Local Authority archaeologists, the North YorkMoors National Park Authority, the Howardian Hills AONB Unit, local history groups,organisations and individuals.

1. The word ‘forest’ in this document is used in the earlier historical context as a landscape of woods, open spaces andhabitation and not in the 20th century sense of a densely planted area of trees.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks are due to all the people who commented on and contributed to the strategy in particularPippa Pemberton and Neil Redfern of English Heritage and Graham Lee from North York MoorsNational Park Authority.

B Walker, Environment Officer, Forestry Commission, North York Moors Forest District, 2006

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CONTENTS

Page Section

iii Summaryiv Acknowledgmentsvii Contentsviii List of Plates and Tables

1 1 The policy framework1 1.1 National policy context1 1.1.1 The England Forest Strategy1 1.1.2 National archaeological policy context2 1.2 Regional policy context3 1.2.1 The Regional Forestry Framework3 1.2.2 The North York Moors National Park Management Plan Review4 1.2.3 The Howardian Hills AONB Management Plan7 2 Understanding the cultural heritage resource7 2.1 Nationally important cultural heritage assets7 2.1.1 Scheduled monuments7 2.1.2 Regionally and locally significant cultural heritage assets9 3 Managing our cultural heritage9 3.1 The strategy9 3.2 Theme A - Heritage in the wider landscape10 3.3 Theme B - Managing Scheduled Monuments12 3.4 Theme C - Managing undesignated historical interests13 3.5 Theme D - Managing documentary and oral historical interests14 3.6 Theme E - Communication15 3.7 Theme F – Staff17 4 The Action Plan

Appendices19 I An example of a Scheduled Monument Management Plan20 II The Cultural Heritage Management section from the

Operational Site Assessment (OPS1) document

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LIST OF PLATES AND TABLES

Page Table

7 1 Scheduled Monuments (SM,s) in North York MoorsForest District

8 2 Cultural heritage in forests

Page Plate

Cover Left - Enclosure Award boundary stone and Fylingdales EarlyWarning Station, 1960’sTop right – Round barrow on Gallow Hill at Boltby ForestBottom right – Allerston Instructional Camp, Dalby Forest, 1934

v 1 Stone circle on the forest boundary, Standingstones Rigg,Harwood Dale Forest. The site is managed by the landownerwith assistance from English Heritage.

2 2 Cup and ring stone, Harwood Dale Forest2 3 A site visit with the C.P.R.E.9 4 The White Horse, Kilburn Forest11 5 Monument No. 33500, a square barrow in need of minor tree

removal11 6 Monument No.33509, an iron age enclosure requiring bracken

control.11 7 Dargate Dykes, Monument number 34682 showing extensive

use by cyclists in 2005 with erosion beginning to affect theprofile of the feature.

11 8 Following consultation with English Heritage a board way hasbeen constructed along the feature to protect the monumentand at the same time allow continued access.

12 9 Cross of Lorraine boundary stone, Gilling Woods12 10 Allerston-Ebberston parish boundary at Crosscliff, Dalby

Forest13 11 Working in the tree nursery in Dalby Forest 194614 12 Blue Lake, an industrial archaeological site in

Guisborough Forest. Restoration work is beingundertaken by a local history group with financial helpfrom the Local Heritage Initiative and support from theForestry Commission.

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1. THE POLICY FRAMEWORK

1.1 NATIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

1.1.1 The England Forestry Strategy

The England Forestry Strategy, ‘A New Focus For England’s Woodlands provides a nationalperspective on all aspects of the nation’s forests. Within the strategy, ‘Forestry for TheEnvironment and Conservation’ places particular emphasis on the important contributionforests make to the environment.

“The character of the countryside which we see today results from the activity ofprevious generations. Evidence of their lives is represented by the remains ofsettlements, burial sites, fortifications, field systems, earlier industrial processesand designed landscapes. We recognise the importance of many of these sitesand their vulnerability to damage by some activities associated with forestry.For the last ten years local authority archaeologists have been consulted aboutplanting proposed under the Woodland grant Scheme, and this has helped toprotect important archaeological sites from damage.

Archaeological sites (some associated with the history of woodlandmanagement) in existing woods and forests require special management toprevent further deterioration. The Forestry Commission is responsible formanaging over 5001 Scheduled Monuments on its land and will agreemanagement plans for all of these with English Heritage. Significantarchaeological sites are interpreted and included in walking trails.”

The strategy has specific actions impacting on cultural heritage; -

Protecting existing woodlands.“introduce Long-Term Plans to guide themanagement of woods and forests”.

Protect cultural heritage. Work with archaeological authorities and others to identifysites of historical importance, …”.

1.1.2 National Archaeological Policy Context

The national archaeological policy context is provided by the 1979 Ancient Monuments andArchaeological Areas Act along with Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (PPG16). The ForestDistrict does not include any listed buildings or battlefields, but does have managementresponsibilities over parts of two areas on the Register of Parks and Gardens of SpecialHistoric Interest and one Conservation Area. The national archaeological policy context forthese areas is provided through guidance documents such as such as PPG15 and thePlanning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The entire legislative contextfor the historic environment is currently under review by the Department of Media, Cultureand Sport and it is intended that new legislation will eventually replace the existing Acts. TheForestry Commission will need to keep abreast of such changes and incorporate them intofuture reviews of the Cultural Heritage Strategy.

1This figure is now around 600.

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The 1979 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act (AMAA) provides the legislativecontext for the management of nationally important archaeology designated as ScheduledMonuments. Under the Act, Scheduled Monuments are designated and added to a'Schedule' by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, advised by EnglishHeritage. Once a site has been scheduled under the Act, Scheduled Monument Consentmust be sought from the Secretary of State for any works that affect it, with the exception ofworks permitted as Class Consents. English Heritage advises the Secretary of State onconsent decisions. No works must be carried out at a scheduled site unless permitted by aClass Consent, without the written permission of the Secretary of State. Forestry operationsare permitted as a Class 1 Consent under the Ancient Monuments (Class Consents) Order1994, which permits certain "agricultural, horticultural and forestry works of the same kind asthose carried our lawfully in the same location and on the same spot within that locationduring the previous six years"." 'Carried out lawfully' means carried out in accordance with the terms of a consent grantedby order under section 3 of the Act or which would have been so carried out if during theperiod in question the monument had been a scheduled monument".

PPG16 provides government guidelines on archaeology in the planning system, and localauthorities are obliged to take this advice into account when developing their local planningframeworks. PPG 16 plays a key role in implementing the provisions of the 1979 AMAA Actwithin the planning system. Any planning applications submitted by the ForestryCommission which are deemed to affect the archaeological resource will be determined bythe local planning authority in light of PPG16. Similarly, any planning applications deemed toaffect other features of the historic environment, such as Conservation Areas or ListedBuildings will be determined in light of PPG15.

Plate 2. Cup and ring stone, Harwood Dale Forest Plate 3. A site visit with the C.P.R.E

1.2 REGIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

The Forestry Commission is one of the largest landowners in the Yorkshire and the HumberRegion and is responsible for a significant proportion of the Scheduled Monuments and otherhistorically important features in the rural area. The majority of the land was plantedfollowing the First and Second World Wars. North York Moors Forest District managesalmost 18,000 hectares of access land in the north of the Region. Additionally around 1400hectares of Forestry Commission land and coalfield restoration land is managed in SouthYorkshire by Sherwood and Lincs Forest District.

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1.2.1 The Regional Forestry Framework‘The value of trees in our changing region’ is the strategic framework for trees, woods andforests in the Yorkshire and the Humber, published by the Forestry Commission in 2005.The document outlines how national policies and regional needs and aspirations can bematched to achieve a sustainable future for the woodland resource. Theme 1 of the strategy,The Regional Context, recognises the importance of woodlands and the historicenvironment. Guiding Principle 5 states

‘the historic environment is appropriately assessed, and historic assets are identified,conserved and enhanced as appropriate as part of any new tree and woodland planting ormanagement scheme’.

Theme 1 also recognises the importance of the cultural environment. Guiding Principle 6states

‘cultural identity and sense of place are given appropriate weight and consideration in anynew tree and woodland planting or management schemes’.

The value of protected and designated sites is also recognised and Guiding Principle 7states

‘all new tree and woodland planting or management schemes will be consistent with andfurther the established priorities for protected sites and designated landscapes.

Theme 2 of the strategy, Trees, Woods and People, highlights the way people in the regionuse and respond to the wooded environment and stresses the importance of recognising thevalue people put on having a cultural ‘sense of place’.

1.2.2 The North York Moors National Park Management Plan Review 2004

The value of cultural heritage in the North York Moors National Park and the objectivesintended to secure its future are covered in Chapter 2, ‘Conservation of Cultural Heritage, ofthe National Park Authority’s Management Plan Review, 2004.

Archaeology and History

‘The North York Moors possesses an exceptionally rich archaeological and historicallandscape resource. This is particularly so for the Bronze Age and Medieval periods,when land use of the moors was more intensive……’

Built Environment

‘The North York Moors has a considerable man-made heritage……the pattern ofdevelopment and the spaces between buildings……give each village and area itsown unique character……buildings can provide homes for statutorily protectedspecies……’

Local Culture and Traditions

‘The first National Park purpose includes “to conserve and enhance…the culturalheritage of the National Park”……The North York Moors is rich in legendary tales,folklore and stories……Dialect and speech…draw heavily from the Viking past…’

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Many of the objectives have relevance to the Forestry Commission estate within the NorthYork Moors National Park.

Archaeology Objective 1To protect and conserve the archaeological and historical resource

Archaeology Objective 2To conserve and enhance archaeological sites and their settings

Archaeology Objective 3To protect and conserve landscapes that are characteristic of the archaeological andhistorical development of the North York Moors

Archaeology Objective 4To advance archaeological knowledge and raise awareness and understanding of thearchaeological and historical resource of the North York Moors

Built Environment Objective 1To protect conserve and enhance the character of the built environment of the North YorkMoors

Built Environment Objective 3To protect and conserve buildings that are characteristic of the vernacular style of theirlocality, or have a particular connection with the economic and cultural heritage of the area

Built Environment Objective 5To conserve and enhance the appearance and character of Conservation Areas

Built Environment Objective 6To conserve settlement patterns – (villages, hamlets and groups of buildings) – that arespecial to the character of the park

Culture and Traditions Objective 1To help and encourage local communities to maintain and celebrate local heritage, customs,traditions and skills

Culture and Traditions Objective 2To help and encourage local communities to collect, maintain and display records about thesocial, cultural and economic history of the North York Moors

Culture and Traditions Objective 3To encourage people to record and pass on the myths, legends and traditions associatedwith the North York Moors down the generations

Culture and Traditions Objective 4To encourage and support the interpretation of the landscape and cultural heritage throughthe visual and performing arts

1.2.3 The Howardian Hills AONB Management Plan

The value of cultural heritage in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty andthe objectives and actions intended to secure its future are covered in part 2 of the area’smanagement plan for 2004 - 2009, ‘Achieving A Vision’.

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‘The Howardian Hills has a remarkable number of archaeological remains andhistoric features, testifying to the continuity of settlement and land use.Prehistoric earthworks, Roman settlements and roads, Medieval castles andmonasteries, historic villages, churches and churchyards, country houses andtheir extensive parklands, rural industries and many smaller features allcontribute to the area’s special character……As well as the physical historicremains there are also cultural traditions that have developed over thecenturies……’2

All of the objectives and a number of the actions have relevance to the Forestry Commissionestate within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Objective CH1Improve the knowledge of the archaeological remains, historic buildings and cultural historyof the AONB

Action CH1.5 Promote the recording of local history and tradition.

Objective CH2Encourage statutory protection of all important monuments and buildings

Action CH2.1 Provide survey information to local authorities and English Heritage, toensure that monuments and buildings receive statutory protection where appropriate.

Objective CH3Encourage local participation in the monitoring, adoption and management of cultural andhistoric heritage sites

Action CH3.1 Approach land managers and local organisations, to encouragecommunity partnership action for monitoring and management of features.

Objective CH4Ensure that the diversity, quality and distinctiveness of the historic heritage is preserved forthe long term.

Action CH4.3 Encourage the preparation of management plans for ScheduledAncient Monuments and other important sites.Action CH4.4 Encourage the preparation of management plans for Historic Parks andGardens.Action CH4.7 Demonstrate ‘best practice’ in managing land or features of culturalheritage value.

2Howardian Hills AONB management plan 2004 –2009, page 37 section 2.2.3 Cultural Heritage.

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2. UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURAL HERITAGERESOUCE

2.1 Nationally Important Cultural Heritage Assets

Nationally important designated heritage assets comprise Scheduled Monuments, Grades Iand II* Listed Buildings. In addition, Grades I and II* landscapes included on the Register ofHistoric Parks and Gardens are also considered to be of national importance. The nationallyimportant designated heritage assets currently in the care of North York Moors Forest Districtare all Scheduled Monuments.

2.1.1 Scheduled MonumentsIn England the Forestry Commission manages over six hundred ScheduledMonuments on its estate, more than two hundred and thirty of which are located in NorthYork Moors Forest District. Regionally, the Forestry Commission is responsible forapproximately 8% of the Scheduled Monuments designated in the wider Yorkshire andHumber Region.

Until the late 1990s almost all of monuments scheduled in the forest district were prehistoricin origin. More recently the importance of structures surviving from the post medieval period,such as remains from the rabbit warrening industry, has been recognised and many of thesefeatures are now also scheduled.

The distribution of Scheduled Monuments within the Forest District is very uneven, as can beseen in the following table. Of particular note are the concentrations of monuments in Dalbyand Wykeham, which range in date from clusters of Bronze Age burial mounds to theremains of more recent warrening activity.

Table 1. Scheduled Monuments (SM,s) in North York moors Forest District

Forest name No. of SM,s Forest name No. of SM,sBumble Wood 0 Deer Park 2Cropton 7 Wass Moor & Pry Rigg 3Sneaton 2 Kilburn & Oldstead 2Langdale 16 Wheldrake 0Harwood Dale 14 Gilling 9Broxa 28 Bishop Wood 0Dalby 76 Allerthorpe 0Wykeham 61 Sand Hutton 0Guisborough 2 Goathland 0Coate Moor 0 Stainburn 0Ingleby Greenhow 0 Coatham Wood 0Arncliffe 0 Faceby 0Silton 0 Hagg Wood 0Boltby 5 South Burdon 0East Moor &Riccal’e 0 Bransdale 0

2.1.2 Regionally and locally significant cultural heritage assets.

In addition to the designated Scheduled Monuments there is an important and extremelydiverse resource of undesignated regionally and locally significant cultural heritage featureslocated within the Forestry Commission's North York Moors estate. The resource ranges

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from single finds from the Mesolithic to post-war forest landscapes. Table 2 providesinformation about local forests and the archaeology and cultural heritage that can be found inthem.

Table 2. Cultural heritage in forests3

Heritage age or typeForest name

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Reg

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II)

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Nat

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Bumble Wood Cropton Sneaton Langdale Harwood Dale Broxa Dalby Wykeham Guisborough Coate Moor Ingleby Greenhow Arncliffe Silton Boltby East Moor &Riccal’e Deer Park WassM’r & Pry Rigg Kilburn & Oldstead Wheldrake Gilling Bishop Wood AllerthorpeSand HuttonGoathland Stainburn Coatham Wood FacebyHagg Wood South Burdon Bransdale

3This list is intended to demonstrate the diversity of cultural heritage interest found in the District’s forest and should not be

seen as definitive or exhaustive.

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3. MANAGING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE

3.1 The strategy

The following chapter of the Cultural Heritage Strategy outlines the processes by which theNorth York Moors Forest District will sustainably manage the cultural heritage resource in itscare. Each section summarises these processes into a number of action points.

3.2 Theme A - Heritage in the wider landscape

Forest Design Plans

The structure of forests and their long-term management is directed and controlled by ForestDesign Plans. During plan development and before approval each plan passes throughformal and informal consultation processes. Statutory consultees include the local planningauthority, Natural England and English Heritage. Plans are placed on the public registerbefore approval. Increasingly parish councils, local interest groups and individuals areconsulted. In areas where there are high levels of public access, or there are close links witha local community, site-based public meetings are held.

Forest Design Plans follow a three-stage process often centred on the cycle of treeharvesting and replanting, though this is not always the case. The first stage is anassessment of what already exists. Soils and tree species, age and distribution and otherfeatures that affect the management of the forest are all included. The second stage thenidentifies the objectives forest managers and consultees wish to achieve in any particularforest. The third stage is how the forest crop can be manipulated to produce the desiredresults.

Plate 4. The White Horse, Kilburn Forest.

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Forest Habitat networks

Following a joint initiative between The Forestry Commission, North York Moors NationalPark Authority, Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Committee and othersDr George Peterken prepared “Native Woodland Development on the North York Moors andHowardian Hills”. The Forest District has adopted this document as part of its strategy forthe restoration of native woodland in woods and forests in its care. A major feature of thiswork is the restoration and extension of forest habitat networks. While the major targets arefocussed on the natural environment there are aspects and areas where the management ofheritage sites is or could be managed at a landscape scale.

Action points

The District will: -

A.1 Continue to recognise the importance of cultural heritage in thelandscape when preparing Forest Design Plans.

A.2 Continue to consult with English Heritage and Local Authorityarchaeologists in the design planning process.

A.3 Improve its links with local history and archaeological societies andgroups.

A.4 Incorporate cultural landscapes and heritage site clusters into habitatnetwork planning elements of Forest Design Plans.

A.5 Work with partners to protect, maintain and enhance and promote thevalues and benefits of a culturally diverse landscape.

3.3 Theme B: Managing Scheduled Monuments

Scheduled Monument Management Plans

The Forestry Commission is committed to the preparation and implementation ofManagement Plans for all Schedule Monuments on its estate in England (England ForestryStrategy, A New Focus for England’s Woodlands). North York Moors Forest District has asubstantial number of Scheduled Monuments in its care. Management Plans are preparedfor each Scheduled Monument and these are reviewed and on a regular basis. Plans cover aperiod not shorter than five years and not longer than ten years. District staff work closelywith English Heritage to carry out these regular joint audits of sites, and the resultingManagement Plans are now being recognised by English Heritage as delivering thesustainable management of Scheduled Monuments. The structure, content and process ofthe Plans are kept under regular review to ensure that the Plans remain the best tool for theconservation of nationally important archaeology within the forest management framework.An example of a Scheduled Monument Management Plan is included in Appendix I.

To create and update the Scheduled Monument Management Plans, all sites are cyclicallyvisited on a rolling programme. During the site visit, a number of factors are assessed,including the condition of the site, its fabric, setting and significance. In addition, issuesfacing the ongoing conservation of the fabric of the site, its setting and its significance arealso identified, as are opportunities for possible future enhancement. On the basis of thisassessment, the Management Plan outlines specific remedial actions required to prevent oraddress damage; to improve accessibility; to restore a cultural ‘sense of place’; or to addressother issues and opportunities identified during the site visit. Specific actions required by the

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Management Plan are inserted into the forest Work Schedule. Management Plans alsocontain generic guidance on the pursuit of forest operations and activities in the areasurrounding the monument.

Plate 5. Monument no. 33500, a square barrow in Plate 6. Monument 33509, an iron age enclosureneed of minor tree removal. requiring bracken control.

OPS1 Assessment process

All forest operations and many recreational activities undergo an assessment process(OPS1), designed to identify the protection requirements of all aspects of the forest includingits archaeological heritage. (See Appendix II). The assessment process also allows ForestryCommission staff and others to identify any opportunities that may be provided by theproposed operation. To assist staff in assessing the potential risks to archaeological featuresa check list and risk assessment procedure is followed. On completion of the assessmentprocess Forestry Commission staff physically identify and mark archaeological sites on theground and these are highlighted to operators and organisers in discussions and at pre-commencement meetings. They are also included in contract maps and schedules. ForestryCommission staff monitor operations and activities to ensure compliance with any protectivemeasures in force.

Plate 7, left. Dargate Dykes, Monumentnumber 34682 showing extensive use bycyclists in 2005 with erosion beginning toaffect the profile of the feature.

Plate 8, below. Following consultation withEnglish Heritage a board way has beenconstructed along the feature to protect themonument and at the same time allowcontinued access.

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Action PointsThe District will: -

B.1 Continue to monitor, maintain, conserve and enhance the ScheduledMonuments in its care.

B.2 Continue to work with English Heritage to develop, where desirable,suitable interpretation of Scheduled Monuments.

B.3 Maintain an accurate record of its activities regarding ScheduledMonuments and make these available to the general public.

3.4 Theme C: Managing undesignated historical interests

Joint surveys by the Forestry Commission and the North York Moors National Park Authorityin the 1990’-s identified over 1,800 other features of historical merit in the forest district. Pre-operational site checks, information from partners and checking old maps during the siteassessment process continue to add to this number. Features may be as small as 18th

century, enclosure award boundary stones or as large as embanked parish boundaries,Second World War military and early 20th century forestry installations. Whilst these featuresare not currently accorded national designation as Scheduled Monuments, they are ofregional and local importance as features of the region's historic landscape and contribute tolocal cultural understandings and sense of place. Future generations may also choose torevalue these remains, according them greater significance than we do currently.

Plate 9. Cross of Lorraine boundary Plate 10. Allerston-Ebberston parish boundary at Crosscliff, Dalbystone, Gilling Woods Forest

The Forestry Commission recognises the importance of these features and protects themfrom harm during any potentially damaging operations through the OPS1 assessmentprocess (see section 3.2). Where there is a conflict of interest between archaeology andother aspects of the Forestry Commission’s work then local archaeologists and others areconsulted before any operations take place. The number of sites make it impossible for theForestry Commission to commit the same level of management to these features as it doesto Scheduled Monuments, however appropriate management is carried out when opportunityarises.

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Action PointsThe District will: -

C.1 Continue to monitor, maintain, protect and enhance the undesignatedhistorical interests in its care.

C.2 Continue to work with English Heritage teams, Local AuthorityArchaeologists and other partners and individuals to identify features ofinterest.

C.3 Continue to maintain a record of all historical features of interest.

C.4 Consider how undesignated historic features can be made available tovisitors as part of the Forest District’s educational and recreational delivery.

3.5 Theme D: Managing documentary and oral historical interests

The Forestry Commission has been established for over ninety years and the organisationhas developed a historic identity and culture through the maintenance of managementrecords and the photographs and memories of its employees, neighbours and the widerpopulation. With the move into a new millennium and the major changes to forest policy,interest in the early history of the Forestry Commission has increased.

In order to protect the cultural and historic identities of the forest and its people there is aneed to record and archive in a secure way a representative and reasonable assemblage ofthe available material. The redevelopment of Dalby Forest Centre has provided theopportunity to develop a community resource centre and it is envisaged that this will play akey role in the gathering, storage and dissemination of this information. Links will be soughtwith Universities and other interested bodies to develop a Research Strategy to help guidethe appropriate collation and selection of material for the archive. This document will alsohelp guide the strategic direction of future research, highlighting the key gaps in ourunderstanding to all those interested in undertaking research through the archive.

Plate 11. Working in the tree nursery in Dalby Forest 1946

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Action pointsThe District will: -

D.1 Work with North Yorkshire County Council Archivists and others to ensurethe preservation of a representative selection of management information suchas forest design plans and photographs.

D.2 Work with partners such as the Friends of Dalby Forest and the ForestryCommission Retirement Association to facilitate the recording and archiving ofmemories and the spoken record.

D.3 Maintain in partnership with others, at the Dalby Forest Centre, an archiveof the historic information in its possession.

D.4 Seek to create a Research Strategy to guide the collation and selection ofmaterial for the archive, and to guide the direction of future research into localforests, their development and social history.

D.5 Make the forest archive available to all researchers, groups and individualsinterested in the history of the forest and its people.

3.6 Theme E: Communication

The implementation and success of this strategy document can only be achieved throughactive communication with and the participation of interested organisations and people. TheForestry Commission maintains a close working relationship with English Heritage, localauthority archaeologists and other groups with an interest in local history and culture. Itactively supports local groups with a wish to undertake forest-based projects. An essentialpart of the work of the Forestry Commission is to provide access to forests to the wider publicwho are the principal stakeholders in its business. Access provision provides the ForestryCommission with the opportunity to identify and interpret a range of historical and culturalfeatures to a wide audience.

Plate 12. Blue Lake, an industrial archaeological site in Guisborough Forest. Restoration work isbeing undertaken by a local history group with financial help from the Local Heritage Initiative and

support from the Forestry Commission.

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Action PointsThe District will: -

E.1 Continue to work closely with existing partners to ensure appropriatemanagement of the historical and cultural elements of the ForestryCommission and the forest estate.

E.2 Seek to identify and build relationships with other partners with an interestin local history and culture.

E.3 Provide partners with an opportunity to comment on forest design plans.

E.4 Identify and promote appropriate historical and cultural features to thegeneral public.

3.7 Theme F: Staff

Management of the Forestry Commission estate is highly complex. The targets set out in theEngland Forest Strategy are extremely diverse and demanding. Effective delivery ofpotentially conflicting targets such as sustainability, timber production, recreational activitiesand conservation of wildlife and heritage can only be achieved by having a staff teamequipped with the tools and knowledge to carry out a wide range of duties. Sympatheticmanagement of the cultural heritage resource forms an important part of the work of theforest district team. The ability to recognise; the historic value of features in the forest andlandscape, when to seek assistance, the ability to identify problems and find solutions, areessential team attributes, without which appropriate management cannot take place.

Action PointsThe District will: -

F.1 Ensure its staff team is aware of the importance of the heritage resource inthe forest district and encourage a work ethic that embraces the importance ofcaring for the historic environment4

F.2 Provide appropriate training for multi-purpose management of the forestfor its staff and encourage participation of contractors and others working inthe forest

4The industry best practice for archaeology is; Forests & Archaeology Guidelines, published in 1995. ISBN 0 85538 329 1. This

document is currently being completely revised.

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4 THE ACTION PLANThe following tables summarise the action points from the preceding chapters. The actionpoints will form the day to day basis for management of the historic environment. To ensurethat action points are being achieved it is essential to enable monitoring to take place.Monitoring and controls need to be easily accessible and assessable without being onerous.The document will be reviewed after five years.

District Actions Controls and monitoringTheme A – Heritage in the widerlandscapeThe District will:-A.1 Continue to recognise the importance of culturalheritage in the landscape when preparing ForestDesign Plans

Cultural heritage is identified in Forest Design Plansand a wide range of stakeholders is consulted to informthe decision-making process before formal planningconsent is sought. Records of consultations aremaintained.

A.2 Continue to consult with English Heritage andLocal Authority archaeologists in the design planningprocess

The existing consultation process will continue bothformally and informally

A.3 Improve its links with local history andarchaeological societies and groups

Records of meetings and other contacts will bemaintained

A.4 Incorporate cultural landscapes and heritage siteclusters into habitat network planning elements ofForest Design Plans

Cultural landscapes and heritage cluster groups, wherethese occur, will be specifically identified in ForestDesign Plans

A.5 Work with partners to protect, maintain andenhance and promote the values and benefits of aculturally diverse landscape

Records of meetings and other contacts will bemaintained

Theme B – Managing ScheduledMonumentsThe District will:-B.1 Continue to monitor, maintain, protect and enhancethe Scheduled Monuments in its care.

Information about Scheduled Monuments is maintainedin an electronic data base. Details of inspections, workprogrammes and work undertaken are maintained.English Heritage carries out site inspections at anumber of sites each year. Risks and opportunitiesfrom forest operations and events are recognised in theOps 1 environmental assessment process.

B.2 Continue to work with English Heritage to develop,where desirable, suitable interpretation of ScheduledMonuments.

The opportunity for interpretation is highlighted in sitemanagement plans

B.3 Maintain an accurate record of its activitiesregarding Scheduled Monuments and make theseavailable to the general public

Details of inspections, work programmes and workundertaken are maintained in formats that are readilyavailable

Theme C – Managing undesignatedhistorical interestsThe District will:-C.1 Continue to monitor, maintain, protect and enhancethe undesignated historical interests in its care.

Information about all features of a historic nature ismaintained in the Forest District GIS data base. Risksand opportunities from forest operations and events arerecognised in the Ops 1 environmental assessmentprocess.

C.2 Continue to work with English Heritage teams,Local Authority archaeologists and other partners andindividuals to identify features of interest

Forest District staff, local historians and others continueto identify and record features and work together toadequately record and protect them.

C.3 Continue to maintain a record of all historicalfeatures of interest

Records of all features of interest are recorded in theForest District GIS data base

C.4 Consider how undesignated historic features canbe made available to visitors as part of the ForestDistrict’s educational and recreational delivery

All features are considered in the planning stage ofrecreational development and during the Ops 1environmental assessment process

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Theme D – Managing documentary andoral historical interestsThe District will:-D.1 Work with North Yorkshire County CouncilArchivists and others to ensure the preservation of arepresentative selection of management informationsuch as Forest Design Plans and photographs

Details of documents and copies of documents passedto County and other archivists will be maintained at theResource Centre in Low Dalby

D.2 Work with partners such as Friends of Dalby Forestand the Forestry Commission Retirement Associationto facilitate the recording and archiving of memoriesand the spoken record

Information gathered will be stored a the ResourceCentre in Low Dalby and published on an occasionalbasis

D.3 Maintain in partnership with others, at the DalbyForest Centre, an archive of the historic information inits possession

Available material will be catalogued for public use bythe end of 2008.

D.4 Seek to create a Research Strategy to guidecollation and selection of material for the archive, andto guide the direction of future research into localforests, their development and social history

A strategy document will be prepared by the end of2009

D.5 Make the forest archive available to allresearchers, groups and individuals interested in thehistory of the forests and their people

The forest archive and other resource materialand equipment will be available from the end of2008

Theme E - CommunicationThe District will:-E.1 Continue to work closely with existing partners toensure appropriate management of the historic andcultural elements of the Forestry Commission and theforest estate

Appropriate records will be maintained

E.2 Seek to identify and build relationships with otherpartners with an interest in local history and culture

Appropriate records will be maintained

E.3 Provide partners with an opportunity to commenton Forest Design Plans

Records of consultations are maintained by theplanning forester

E.4 Identify and promote appropriate historical andcultural features to the general public

Interpretative material will be located whereappropriate or appear in publish literature

Theme F:- StaffThe District will:-F.1 Ensure its staff team is aware of the importance ofthe heritage resource in the forest district andencourage a work ethic that embraces the importanceof caring for the historic environment

The heritage resource and the historicenvironment will feature in staff meetings andevents on an annual basis

F.2 Provide appropriate training for multi-purposemanagement of the forest for its staff and encourageparticipation of contractors and others working in theforest

New staff will be provided with appropriatetraining within 3 months of employment andupdates given every five years or sooner ifappropriate

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APPENDIX I

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APPENDIX II

North York Moors FD Forest EnterpriseOPERATIONAL SITE ASSESSMENT PLAN

4- Cultural Heritage Management

Scheduled Monument(s) YES/NO if Yes, Number……………….

Undesignated feature(s) YES/NO if yes, Brief description

Registered Park and Garden, Conservation Area or other statutory designation YES/NO

Is it necessary to liase with English Heritage? YES/NO

Is Scheduled Monument Consent required? YES/NO

Is it necessary to liase with local authority or other archaeologists/historians? YES/NO

Scheduled Monument(s) Management Plan attached YES/NO

Map attached? YES/NO

Photographs attached? YES/NO

Protection required and opportunities presented and other comments

Forests & Archaeology Guidelines, Forest District Cultural HeritageStrategy and Scheduled Monument Management Plans to be

observed at all times

Signed: ................................................ Environment officer Date.....................................