Ancient woods are at least four hundred years old and many of them are living links with the forests of prehistory. Together they form our richest wildlife resource and also provide a fascinating record of human use extending back into the Middle Ages, and sometimes even earlier. We have lost nearly half of our ancient woodland since 1945, and much of the remainder lies neglected. So, in 1980 the Nature Conservancy Council began a national survey of Britain's ancient woodland. Woodland Heritage, the first book in the series, takes a fresh and original look at this absorbing subject, explaining how our woods have been shaped and modified over the centuries, and why so many of our native plants and animals are confined mainly to ancient and natural woodland. Woodland Heritage is a celebration of our ancient woodlands and an encouragement to explore their secrets further.