Resource List

To help our volunteer community access supporting information we have collated a list of useful resources. This will be added to as the project progresses so please email Rebecca with any suggestions.

Archaeology of the Chase Resources

The following resources provide a grounding in the archaeology of the Chase (our understanding of which will of course be enhanced with your contributions to mapping features from the LiDAR!).

Books

Barrett, John C., Richard Bradley, and Martin Green. Landscape, Monuments, and Society : The Prehistory of Cranborne Chase. Cambridge [England] ; New York: Cambridge UP, 1991.

Barrett, John, Richard Bradley, and Melanie. Hall. Papers on the Prehistoric Archaeology of Cranborne Chase. Oxford: Oxbow, 1991. Print. Oxbow Monograph ; 11.

Green, Martin, and Michael J. Allen. A Landscape Revealed : 10,000 Years on a Chalkland Farm. Stroud: Tempus, 2000. Print.

Sumner, George Heywood M. The Ancient Earthworks of Cranborne Chase (described by H. Sumner). Lond, 1913. Print.

Other Media

This presentation was given by Phil Planel for the Chase & Chalke Talks: Spring Series 2021. exploration of how the great archaeologists that have made their names on and around Cranborne Chase were inspired by the landscape around them and how we, in turn, in a different age can also be inspired by the landscapes around us.

Interview with Martin Green of Down Farm, a farmer and archaeologist, who has spent decades investigating and excavation the incredible archaeology on his farm. He speaks specifically about how his farming knowledge helped him to understand a “dubious cropmark” (no spoilers here you’ll have to listen in!).

Chalk Landscape Aerial Archaeology Projects

The results of these projects can be viewed on the Historic England Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer which shows the mapping of archaeological features and provides textual information for all monuments that have been identified using aerial photographs and LiDAR by Historic England projects (also known as the National Mapping Programme).

Secrets of the High Woods

Host Organisation: South Downs National Park
Area: chalk downs north of Chichester

Historic England Project Report Secrets of the High Woods

Changing Chalk

Host Organisation: National Trust,
Area: chalk downs north of Brighton

Historic England Project Report Changing Chalk – Downs from Above

Chilterns Beacons

Host Organisation: Chilterns AONB (2018-2023)
Area: Chilterns ANOB

Archaeological Feature Descriptions Videos (High Weald AONB)

GIS, Map and Database Resources

The following resources were collated by the Beacons of the Past Project, A citizen Science project in the Chilterns AONB which ran from 2018-2022.

Satellite/Aerial Images

Geology & Soils

Historic Maps

Historic Boundaries

Historic Environment Record

GIS Heritage Projects

Public Rights of Way (these are the published legal records to PRW, but many ancient rights of way may show up in the LiDAR data which are not recorded)

Other documentary sources

Public Utility infrastructure (linear features in the LiDAR data are not always archaeological – these are links to GIS shapefiles)

Why is it
important?

LiDAR is just the starting point – there’s so much to learn and discover about our historic landscapes and how people lived in the past.

Get involved

The Cranborne Chase LiDAR portal was developed as part of the Chase & Chalke project ‘Champions of the Past’, a major archaeological project which aims to provide opportunities for people to learn about and engage with archaeology. 

To find out more about the project and Chase & Chalke, click below.

MORE INFO