Genesis and characteristics of woodlot forms in the landscape of southern England

Abstract

Background. The paper is a synthesis of the research on the genesis and characteristics of woodlot forms in the traditional English landscape. Historically, their origin is related among other things to the British being inspired by the Arcadian myths popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, as a result of trips to places like Italy or the Far East, and a fascination with nature. At the same time the 16th century was characterized by a progressive and gradual deforestation of the landscape of the island. Therefore, during the 17th and 18th centuries a very particular cultural landscape of England developed, of which the specific pastoral physiognomy found some representation in the archetype of the 19th-century English park. This can be clearly stated on the example of woodlots, which very similar forms can be shown both in English agricultural landscape and in English parks. The aim of this research was to analyse forms and functions of selected examples of woodlots in southern England. Material and methods. The collection of field data took place in April 2015 during scientific workshops organized by the Polish Dendrology Society (PTD), devoted to woody plants of southern England (including Surrey and vicinity). As a result, the physiognomy of the complex system of woodlots was analysed in situ and a rich photo documentation was collected. Results and conclusions. It can be stated that the forms of woodlots occurring in the contemporary English landscape bear a strong resemblance to those presented in 19th-century landscape paintings. This is a phenomenon of effective protection of the physiognomy of the cultural landscape, which has survived virtually unchanged after more than two centuries. As a result, the authors characterized exceptional values of woodlots to traditional rural and parkland landscape in southern England as an example for development and protection of the cultural landscapes in Poland – both in the past and the present.