The Place: Mapping the Old Knebworth Landscape
Every landscape has its own character, shaped by geology, history, weather and surrounding land uses. This section introduces the field that lies at the heart of the project, offering a simple map of its features alongside a 360° view from its centre. It is intended as a point of orientation - a way of becoming familiar with the land before exploring the photographs, field notes and seasonal observations that are found throughout the rest of the site. Understanding the place itself provides context for everything else recorded here.
Setting The Scene
Old Knebworth, Hertfordshire. UK
Old Knebworth is a village parish in north Hertfordshire, most famous for its country house and estate which has occupied the area since 1490.
Other than a village pub - The Lytton Arms, suitably named after Lord Lytton who owned the Knebworth estate from 1843 to 1873 - Old Knebworth is predominantly made up of residential properties, a couple of farms, and a patchwork of arable land and woodland.
There is a long history of agriculture within Old Knebworth, from the commoners who worked the land and paid their tithes in the medieval period and Middle Ages, to tenant farmers and the contemporary contract farming agreements seen in operation today.
Old Knebworth's woodland areas are also deeply historic, much of it being the remnant of ancient woodland that once covered great swathes of the parish.
A Knebworth Field is an arable field within Old Knebworth bordered by two areas of woodland and long-established hedgerows. It is in this specific location that I document and photograph the land, and it is this location that I hope you will enjoy exploring with me.
Explore the gallery below to see how this historic landscape looks from above and on the ground.
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The above map is a screenshot from Google Earth and shows the Knebworth Field as it appears in modern times. It's important to note however that depending on the time of year and therefore the arable and seasonal cycles, the land does appear different from above. The red line marks the extent of my land of interest, which focuses predominantly on the arable field, New Wood to the south, Park Wood to the east and the hedgerows, margins and tracks that lie around the edges. I hope that the numbered markers will provide some context for the photographic descriptions and field note locations that I mention throughout the website.
A drone video taken on 23 August 2026 which takes you on a brief journey along the field boundaries, hopefully to give you a greater understanding of the location.
The Arable Field
A cultivated, Agricultural Landscape.
The arable field forms the vast majority of the land within "A Knebworth Field".
Used for both crops and grazing throughout history, this area of land is highly cultivated and has been formed from much smaller historical parcels.
The most significant features that stand out in the wide, open landscape of this field are nine veteran oak trees which once would have stood within the old field boundary hedgerows that criss-crossed this land.
Today the field is almost entirely used for the production of arable crops such as winter wheat and oilseed rape.
Along the very eastern edge of the field and in the north-eastern corner, there is a wildflower buffer strip - an area set aside for nitrogen storing, ecologically beneficial species such as clover and alfalfa.
Along the southern boundary of the field lies a wide grassy margin which acts as a buffer between the arable landscape and New Wood.
The Western Hedgerow
A Mix of Ancient Hedgerow & Historic Residential Cultivation.
The western hedgerow forms the longest boundary of the arable field, its many turns and dog-legs trace historic field boundaries from centuries ago.
This is a diverse place. The majority of the hedgerow on this boundary is ancient, evident from the number of woody species of trees and shrubs such as blackthorn, hazel, oak and holly that can be found here.
In areas, the wild character of the hedge has been subtly reshaped by the residential gardens that grew up behind it. The majority of these neighbouring properties are Victorian, dating to an era defined by a passion for botanical exploration and exotic plant collecting. Over the decades, ornamental trees planted by these historic homeowners - including Australian eucalyptus, large-leaved limes, and dense evergreen spruces - have spilled over their garden walls to stand side-by-side with our native species.
Not every garden introduction represents a 19th-century fashion trend. At the very back of one plot, the heavy branches of a clearly veteran pear tree hang over the boundary fence. It doesn't stand alone, as nearby are wild cherry plums. Given the long lifespan of pears and the traditional practice of planting stone fruit along field margins to shelter domestic crops, this pairing serves as a clear "cultural indicator." These trees are highly likely the ghosts of a forgotten cottage orchard or a working agricultural boundary that pre-dates the Victorian neighbourhood entirely.
Together, they create a unique living timeline where domestic garden history merges directly into the ancient agricultural landscape.
The Southern Boundary - Wide Grassy Margin.
An Expansive Grassy Margin That Sits Between the Arable Field & New Wood.
Nestled between the arable field and New Wood sits a wide, grassy buffer strip.
Left unplowed, this margin has evolved into a vibrant, low-input meadow ecosystem.
In the summer months, a diverse array of low-growing wild plants can be found here, from bright yellow buttercups and native wild grasses to pockets of alsike clover, ribwort plantain, and bird’s-foot trefoil.
This open strip serves as a vital ecotone - a transitional space between open farmland and dense woodland canopy.
To the eastern end of this margin, the woodland is actively reclaiming the clearing.
Here, an abundant scrub layer has taken hold, with large swathes of young goat willow saplings and dense hazel growth gradually advancing outward.
This shifting border provides an irreplaceable sanctuary for birds, small mammals, and late-season pollinators, showcasing the beautiful, fluid boundaries of a thriving local landscape.
The Ecological Buffer- Eastern & Northern Boundary.
A Wide Wildflower, Nitrogen Fixing, Ecological Strip.
Running along the eastern boundary and the north east corner of the northern boundary of the arable field is a dedicated ecological wildflower strip.
Far from being accidental, this wildflower margin is a deliberate conservation measure managed under a modern agricultural subsidy scheme. These schemes encourage farmers to take a percentage of productive field edges out of intensive crop cultivation and give them back to nature, providing a crucial refuge for wildlife in the heart of working farmland.
This uncultivated strip bursts with colour throughout the summer. Left to grow naturally, it forms a rich carpet of nitrogen-fixing plants such as Alsike Clover, Bird's-Foot Trefoil and Alfalfa.
Functioning as a living highway for biodiversity, this strip forms a critical buffer zone between the open crop field and the adjacent woodland canopy (along the eastern boundary) and the road (to the north). The high density of pollen and nectar serves as a late-season lifeline for essential pollinators, including bumblebees and hoverflies. At the same time, the dense, low-growing vegetation offers sheltered nesting and foraging for ground-nesting birds, small mammals, and predatory beetles that act as natural pest control for the farmer.
Beyond supporting biodiversity, the strip serves a vital, hidden role in environmental protection by actively managing agricultural runoff. During heavy downpours, water running off the open field carries away loose topsoil, fertilizers, and crop treatments. The dense, interwoven root systems of these wildflowers act as a natural defence system. They physically slow the flow of surface water, trapping sediment and filtering out excess chemical nutrients before they can wash into the surrounding ecosystem.
The Northern Boundary
The Most "Man-Made" of all the Boundaries.
Bisected by the main track that runs through the arable field from north to south, the northern boundary is split into two halves. The western side of this boundary is very short and formed by the manicured yew and privet hedges of a residential garden, with wild grasses and chamomile growing along the footpath.
The eastern side of the northern boundary is a little more mixed. Along this edge of the field we find a residential car park, ringed with chicken wire fencing and brambles, wooden post and rail fencing enclosing a small section of wild meadow scrubland, veteran hedgerows, residential gardens and the ecological strip to its far eastern end.
This boundary, although heavily marked by human activity, still provides foraging and shelter for birds, small mammals and insects.
The Eastern Boundary - Hedgerow, Green Lane & Park Wood.
An Historic Working Boundary
Directly adjoining the ecological wildflower strip of the arable field on its eastern side sits an ancient hedgerow composed of various ancient hedgerow indicator species such as . The position of this hedgerow has remained unchanged, likely since at least the early 1400s, when it served to separate the Lord's private deer grazing lawns from the bustling cart track and working woodland beyond.
On the other side of this historic hedge lies a wide trackway known today as Dowager’s Lane. While it now provides access to a handful of homes built within Park Wood, it is also a well-loved route for local walkers and dog walkers. The lane acts as an artery, linking Park Wood on its eastern side, the arable field to its west, and New Wood at its southern end.
Historically named Green Lane, this trackway was originally an essential industrial route. It was created specifically to haul timber out of the woodlands without disturbing the Lord’s deer.
As you walk along the lane today, the ancient pollarded trees standing along the route serve as a beautiful, living reminder of its highly managed, commercial past.
To the eastern side of the lane sits Park Wood itself. This was one of the estate's primary historic working woodlands. Here, native species like wych elm, oak, hornbeam, and beech were carefully cultivated and managed for centuries, providing the raw materials for charcoal, fencing poles, and heavy industrial timber.
The Southern Boundary - New Wood
The Remnants of a Working Woodland
Today, New Wood is a dense woodland characterised by thick ground cover, moss-covered fallen branches, and historic banks and ditches.
Evidence of its working past is etched into the landscape. Ancient coppiced trees reveal centuries of traditional management, while earthwork banks and ditches still mark the historic boundaries once laid down to separate the Lord's woodland from common land.
Historically, this was a bustling, productive space. Local owners paid "pannage" to the estate for the privilege of letting their pigs forage for acorns and trees like oak, hornbeam, and beech were commercially managed, providing vital resources for locals and a steady income for the estate.
The woodland has changed dramatically over time. An Ordnance Survey aerial photograph from the 1950s reveals that the canopy was once surprisingly sparse. This serves as a striking reminder that today's dense undergrowth and younger trees are a recent development, flourishing only after foraging livestock were removed from the woods.
Now left to thrive, New Wood has developed into a complex, multi-layered ecosystem that supports a rich diversity of life from the floor to the sky.
On the Woodland Floor Fungi, mosses, and damp leaf litter create a thriving decomposer community, breaking down fallen timber and nourishing the soil for creeping wildflowers and insects and high in the canopy above, the mature crowns of oak, hornbeam and beech interlock to form a protective ceiling, providing sanctuary bats, owls and specialised canopy-dwelling insects.