Ashdown Forest

Ashdown Forest contains over 570 archaeological sites preserved by heathland conditions and minimal ploughing [1]. The earliest evidence is a stone hand axe found near Gills Lap, dated to approximately 50,000 years ago [1] [2]. The site features Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age enclosures, prehistoric field systems, and Roman iron workings [2]. Medieval and post-medieval pillow mounds for rabbit breeding survive across the forest [1]. Notably, military kitchen mounds between Camp Hill and Nutley from 1793 are among only a handful surviving in the United Kingdom [1].