Secrets of the High Woods film

Secrets of the High Woods film

September 23, 2016

Over the past three years the Secrets of the High Woods project has captured LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data which has discovered a host of human stories hidden beneath the trees. This film tells the story of the project, from its inception to the volunteer experience and details the archaeological discoveries.

Intrepid volunteers have racked up thousands of miles during ground-truth excavations to confirm if the LiDAR imagery shows a Bronze Age barrow or the stump of an old tree. Archival research volunteers dug through historic maps and deeds and trained in oral histories to discover local knowledge and experience.

The film explains LiDAR and how it was used to discover the archaeological secrets preserved beneath the ancient woodland of the South Downs National Park.

The project has been led by the South Downs National Park Authority, in partnership with Chichester District Council, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. We are very grateful for the support of the landowners who made this project possible.