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Why history matters

Dropping Well Farm by Paul Lane

With the help of volunteers, reserves officer Andy has been exploring the history of our heathland sites...
Field walking training at Dropping Well Farm

Field walking training at Dropping Well Farm. Photo by Andy Harris.

With the assistance of our dedicated history volunteers, I have been learning more about the history of The Devil’s Spittleful and the surrounding land. We know varying amounts about the sites we own and manage but as the Trust has owned The Devil’s Spittleful for over 50 years, it's perhaps not surprising that we already have good knowledge about this heathland's past. However, there is more to learn about our comparatively newer acquisitions that neighbour the heathland; Blackstone Farm Fields and Dropping Well Farm. 

Field walking training at Dropping Well Farm

Field walking at Dropping Well Farm. Photo by Andy Harris.

By digging through our own archives, finding wildlife surveys, discussing the site with neighbours and former employees, field walking the site, searching the internet and visiting libraries and museums, we were surprised to discover just how much more information there was to find.

But why bother? Well, many of us already have a fascination with history and our sites hold many stories that are waiting to be explored; tales of armies, invasions and war time events, huge engineering feats and extinct animals, to name a few. There is also, of course, the obvious question - how did The Devil's Spittleful get its name?

We have already discovered so much about this land already. Here are some snippets of what we know so far:

  • Civil war armies marched across the site
  • The cave in The Devil's Spittleful rock was once inhabited
  • The Dropping Well was thought to have cured eye disease 
  • Blackstone rock was a major ford crossing point on the River Severn
  • All the land from Burlish to Bewdley to Kidderminster was one vast open common until the 17th century

In addition to pursuing our personal historical interests, we also have clear conservation aims in mind. Our heathland is known for its special wildlife but we also know that the site has diminished in size over time, with many species declining or disappearing altogether. By exploring the site's history, we may understand more about how it has changed to become what it is now.  If anything has changed for the worse, can we make it right?

So far, our research has been really informative and has offered valuable guidance for future management. We now know that the site was once much wetter with areas of standing water. More plant species were present and pools were home to all manor of waterfowl. Whilst heaths often seem dry, a wetter heath supports a broader range of species. Most animals need water and without easy access, species can struggle. I once recorded foxes digging down to reach water on the heath! We have not worked out what has caused these drier conditions yet but the consequences are clear; species have gone extinct (e.g. sundew) and we have observed that the site is more vulnerable to fire. Whilst some  factors causing the drier conditions may be irreversible, there may be some actions that we can take to help mitigate the loss of water.

The history of our heathland may just be the key to its future. In time, we hope to share more fascinating facts with you. Stay tuned!

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