Bourne Woods facts for kids

Bourne Woods are a beautiful area of woodland near Bourne in Lincolnshire, England. They include two main parts: Bourne Wood and Fox Wood. The Forestry Commission owns these woods. They are managed by Forest Enterprise (England) as part of Kesteven Forest.

History of Bourne Woods

How the Woods Formed

The carpark at Bourne Woods.

Bourne Wood sits on a ridge of land west of Bourne, Lincolnshire. This ridge overlooks the town and the flat fenlands. The land isn't very high, but it's still a noticeable rise. The lowest part of the fen is about 7 metres high. The highest point in the wood is about 58 metres.

The ground here is made of clay and sandy clay. It's covered by a layer of "boulder clay." This clay was left behind by huge glaciers long ago. Early farmers found this land too hard to plough. It was also too wet for good pasture. So, much of it stayed as woodland. Wood was very important for fuel and building materials back then.

The wood was perfectly placed on the ridge. This made it easy to bring heavy timber loads down to Bourne. It was also far enough from the town's daily farm work. Getting wood was an important job, but it happened less often than farming tasks.

Bourne Wood is on the east side of the ridge. Another wood, Pillar Wood, is next to it. Pillar Wood serves the nearby parish of Edenham on the western side. Many woods around Bourne follow this pattern. Together, they might be called Bourne Woods, but each wood has its own name.

Nature in the Woods

Some woods in the area are "secondary." This means they grew up later, like Elsea Wood near Northorpe. This wood grew on an old Roman road. However, Bourne Wood seems to be "primary" in some parts. This means it's a leftover from the ancient wildwood. This wildwood grew naturally after the last ice age. You can still see signs of an ancient lake shore in the wood. This lake was formed by the ice cap.

You can find plants that show this long history. These include yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) and bluebells (Endymion non-scriptus). Bluebells grow especially well in Dole Wood in Thurlby. This is because conifers haven't shaded them out there. In 1086, the Domesday Book recorded the woodland as about 4.86 square kilometres. Today, it's about 2.3 square kilometres. This might surprise people who think England was more wooded long ago.

How People Used the Woods

People have managed these woods for a very long time. In ancient times, hunters and gatherers used the woods. They would hunt game and collect fruits. These included hazel nuts (Corylus avellana), cherries (Prunus avium), and blackberries (Rubus species).

Later, with farming, much of the woodland was cleared. It was used for temporary gardens or permanent farms. When pigs were domesticated, the remaining woods were used to feed them. For example, the founder of Bourne Abbey allowed his monks to feed their pigs in Bourne Wood. This feeding of pigs in a wood is called "pannage."

As more people lived in the area, the wood was managed more carefully. People needed wood for cooking and heating. Domesticated pigs provided more meat than wild animals. They could be fattened on acorns in autumn. Then they were killed and salted for winter food. This pattern was even adopted by Christianity for the Lenten fast. For a very long time, the wood had to be managed well. This ensured people could use it without running out of resources.

The Romans also used the local woodland. They cleared wide strips of land next to their new roads. One road ran south of Bourne Wood. Another was north-east of the wood, from Bourne to Ancaster. The north-eastern edge of the modern wood is on this old road. So, this part is secondary woodland. Much timber from Bourne Wood heated Roman pottery kilns. It also made charcoal for forges, kitchens, and home heating.

Changes Over Time

The way people used the woods stayed similar for centuries. But by the early 1900s, things changed. People no longer kept pigs in the woods. They used gas or coal for cooking and heating. Building timber was imported from the Baltic. Coppice timber, used for tool handles and cottage roofs, was not needed. The use of wood in local vehicles also declined.

After World War I, the demand for wood for boatbuilding, trenches, and military camps dropped. The traditional wood trade almost died. The Forestry Commission was set up by Parliament in 1919. Its job was to replant the country's woodlands. Most of Britain's usable timber was gone. Landowners could not replace it quickly.

Growing hardwood trees takes many years. Trees planted in 1920 would not be ready until 2000. However, softwoods (conifers) grew faster. They could provide some income from the 1950s. In 1926, the Forestry Commission bought Bourne Wood. The goal was to produce timber as quickly as possible.

Almost the entire area was planted with conifers. In the 1930s, the Ministry of Labour sent unemployed men to work there. Many came from mining areas. They lived in special camps set up by the Ministry. The camp in Bourne was on land that is now part of the town.

Bourne Woods Today

Today, Bourne Wood is still managed for timber. But it's also used more and more for leisure. People enjoy cycling and walking their dogs there. The woods are home to many mammals and birds. For some years, sculptors worked there. They left their art behind for visitors to see.

Hereward and the Woods

The story of Hereward from the 1100s often mentions the "woods near Bourne." The Latin text says in brunneswald. This refers to Brunneswald, or Bromswold. This wood was many miles from Bourne, in Northamptonshire.

However, one part of the story says Hereward went super brunneswald, juxta brunne. This means "beyond Brunneswald, near Bourne." He went there to gather his men. While there, he was asked to help defend Ely. After a siege, Hereward fought Ogger. Ogger was likely Odger the Breton. He was a major landowner in Bourne in 1086. His land included most of Bourne Wood.