Blean Woods - Land Bumps and Hollows

Throughout the Blean bumps and hollows on the ground provide clues to activities which may have occured in the past.
Woodlands increased in value during the middle ages so land owners, such as, the Cathedral and St Augustines Abbey built banks around the woods to mark boundaries and keep out grazing animals. Many of these woodbanks can be found today.
Hollows can be seen in other places within the woods and these are the remnants of medieval charcoal kilns and tile pits. Charcoal has been used in the past during the making of iron, steel and gunpowder and also locally for drying hops.