Knepp Accord: A call to action to unite history and nature for a climate resilient future

The Knepp Accord has been agreed by 50 specialists from across archaeology, farming, heritage and nature recovery at a workshop at the Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex. This was convened to create a shared framework for using deep-time evidence – from buried plant remains to historic land-use patterns – to guide decisions that will shape our landscape for hundreds of years to come.

Launching on the eve of the Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology (18 July – 2 August), the Knepp Accord has been developed by the National Trust and the UKRI‑funded ‘Rewilding’ Later Prehistory team (Oxford Archaeology, Historic England and Knepp Castle Estate), alongside environmental specialists from more than 30 organisations. Together, they are calling for a sea change in how experts collaborate — reconnecting people, places and nature through a deeper understanding of landscape history.

The Knepp Accord calls for action and collaboration in:

• Using archaeology to help us to understand the environmental history of places and the roles that different people have played in shaping environments over time.
• Using archaeology to help share stories of landscape change through time to engage and inspire people.
• Using archaeology to help inform and inspire practical nature recovery measures and management decisions.
• Recognising and supporting archaeological sites as places where nature can thrive.

Dr Hannah Fluck, Senior National Archaeologist at the National Trust, said: “People have always been part of the environment, and the story of our landscapes is deeply intertwined with the human story. Archaeology gives us the tools to discover and learn from the hundreds of generations who came before us — to understand how they shaped the land, how they adapted, and what knowledge they left behind.

“By drawing on deep‑time evidence, from historic maps to buried plant remains, we can fast‑track nature recovery and build climate resilience. Across our places, we’re locating lost woods, uncovering forgotten watercourses and learning how past human actions can guide nature’s recovery today.

She continued: "For instance in the Upper Plym, Devon, the National Trust has been working with partners to use a deeper understanding of changes in plants and animals to help restore peatlands that will conserve our heritage, store carbon, and help nature recover.

“We are temporary custodians of these landscapes. The decisions we make now will be visible for hundreds of years — and we owe it to past and future generations to ensure those decisions are informed by a deep understanding of people and place.”

Across the UK, archaeologists, rangers and farmers are already applying these principles — from reawakening ghost ponds and planting trees in historic patterns, to analysing ancient pollen to inform future woodland creation. By pooling knowledge, practitioners are rethinking historic land use to support sustainable farming and nature‑rich landscapes today.

Anwen Cooper from Oxford Archaeology, said: “Today’s environmental emergency is a shared challenge that needs creative joint working across diverse practical and social realms. The Knepp Accord’s collective recognition that landscape histories are fundamental to shaping sustainable and nature‑rich futures marks an important step in this direction.”

Charlie Burrell from Knepp Castle Estate, said: “The ideas that come from looking at the past are almost always the most thrilling and transformative learning one can do.”

Jonathan Last, Landscape Strategy Adviser at Historic England, said: “Archaeology informs our understanding of the deep history of places and landscapes, providing knowledge that will benefit people today and future generations. The Knepp Accord clearly sets out how archaeology can play a positive role in nature recovery and outlines practical steps for collaboration across the sector to better integrate the management of the natural and historic environment.”

For more information, visit: The Knepp Accord

Learning from pioneering projects

The Knepp Accord is grounded in real-world projects across the UK that demonstrate how nature recovery and heritage can work hand in hand. Some examples are included as short case studies.

These projects show how understanding the historic environment can:

• Shape habitat creation and species reintroduction
• Reveal lost features and habitats that can be revived
• Strengthen community connection to changing landscapes

Case Studies

Knepp Castle Estate, West Sussex – archaeology inspires new ways to share nature restoration with visitors (Oxford Archaeology)

The UKRI-funded 'Rewilding' Later Prehistory project team (Oxford Archaeology, Historic England and artists, Miranda Creswell and Rose Ferraby) has been working with Knepp Castle Estate to ask how archaeological methods and ideas can be used in new ways to inform Knepp’s pioneering wilding initiative and also what archaeology can learn from wilding practitioners.

Drawing together archaeological science, fieldwork and landscape history approaches the team have published a beautifully illustrated and accessibly written booklet of Archaeology and Wilding at Knepp to engage new audiences and help Knepp’s visitors to appreciate the human histories that underpin wilding today – from farming to iron working to woodland and water management practices.

They have applied geoarchaeological techniques to soils across the estate to investigate the relationship between wilding practices, soil structure and soil health and to improve archaeological identifications of landscape regeneration in the past. Inspired by conversations with Knepp’s fabulous ecologists and safari team, and in collaboration with the Universities of Exeter, Oxford and Toulouse, the team has also produced a definitive history of horses in prehistoric Britain to inform Knepp’s ‘Rewilding and Reintroductions’ and ‘Wild Horses’ safaris. The ‘Archaeology and Wilding’ workshop in September 2025 that spawned the Knepp Accord brought together over 70 diverse nature recovery stakeholders to share expertise, and to help people see this potential.

Upper Plym (Devon) – a story in peat from human industry to peatland recovery for nature and climate (NT)

The Upper Plym landscape on Dartmoor is one of the most highly designated places for both nature and heritage in the UK. Centuries of peat extraction and drainage left its peatlands degraded, threatening wildlife, water quality, carbon storage and the archaeological evidence preserved within them. To better understand the landscape before restoration began, building on previous work by Historic England, English Heritage Trust and others, the National Trust commissioned detailed LiDAR surveys to map more than 4,000 years of human activity and ensure restoration work protected known and potential archaeological features.

The surveys revealed new evidence of how people have shaped the landscape since prehistoric times, helping restoration teams avoid damaging important sites while deepening understanding of Dartmoor's past. Archaeological excavations carried out alongside peatland restoration uncovered previously unstudied charcoal-burning sites known as meilers, with layers beneath them dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Analysis of deep peat cores also revealed how the landscape changed over thousands of years, from woodland and grassland mosaics to periods of intensive human activity and industry. Information about these human-driven changes in the environment over thousands of years are being used to inform how the nature restoration works are being undertaken today to create a resilient landscape for the future

Jim Parry, National Trust Archaeologist, said: "These surveys and excavations show the huge wealth of knowledge locked within these landscapes. They help illustrate how humans over thousands of years have lived within and materially changed the landscape we see today. By working closely with nature-based projects such as peatland restoration, we can enrich our understanding of the past and the lives within it, helping to protect the finite archaeological resource whilst creating a more sustainable and resilient landscape for future generations."

The work continues through a partnership between the National Trust, South West Peatland Partnership, Historic England, Dartmoor National Park Authority and English Heritage Trust, demonstrating how a deeper understanding of a landscape's history can inform nature recovery as well as helping protect the fragments of the past.

Stonehenge Landscape, Wiltshire – world heritage site inspires new grasslands for nature (NT)

The landscape surrounding Stonehenge is one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, home to hundreds of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments. Thousands of years ago, these monuments stood within an open chalk grassland landscape rich in wildlife. Understanding this historic environment has been key to the National Trust’s approach, using evidence of past habitats to guide how the landscape is managed today.

Over the last six years, the National Trust has returned all of its land at Stonehenge to species-rich chalk grassland, one of Europe’s rarest habitats. The project has used locally-sourced seed to create conditions that not only support wildflowers, insects and birds, but also protect fragile archaeological remains from the impacts of ploughing and deep-rooted vegetation. By returning the landscape that originally surrounded the monuments, the project is delivering benefits for both nature and heritage while helping visitors better understand the world in which Stonehenge was built.

Dr Nick Snashall, Archaeologist (Wiltshire Landscape), said: “By taking a lesson from the past, we've turned ploughed fields into a haven for wildlife and ensured these millennia-old monuments will be here for future generations to explore. Understanding this ancient habitat gives us confidence that once again species-rich grassland can thrive in the landscape surrounding the stones. I like to think it would raise a smile on the faces of those prehistoric builders to see the old place brimming with butterflies, hares and skylarks again.”

Find out more: Our work Stonehenge Landscape | Wiltshire | National Trust

Attingham, Shropshire – conserving heritage assets, creating habitats (NT)

At Attingham, plans for large-scale woodland creation - to support nature recovery and carbon capture - were initially constrained by the area's significant archaeological potential. Situated close to Wroxeter, one of the largest cities in Roman Britain, the estate was believed to contain nationally-important buried remains. To better understand the landscape and inform future decisions, the National Trust undertook a landscape-scale geophysical survey to map the nature and extent of archaeological features across the estate.

Jane Birch, Project Manager, said: “The survey transformed our understanding of the historic landscape, revealing major archaeological discoveries, including several Roman villas, while also providing the evidence needed to protect sensitive sites. By using archaeology to identify where remains were located and where risks were lower, we were able to plan woodland creation in a way that safeguards heritage while delivering benefits for nature, climate and people.”

This approach demonstrated how a better understanding of the past can help shape the future. The evidence gathered through the survey increased the area considered suitable for tree planting (purely from an archaeological perspective) by 55 per cent, from 388 to 601 hectares, while ensuring important archaeological features are conserved. The discoveries are also helping to inform future interpretation, access and research opportunities, creating new ways for people to connect with both the cultural and natural heritage of the landscape.

Stepping Stones project, Shropshire – collaboration reveals new opportunities for nature’s recovery (NT)

The Stepping Stones Project in the Shropshire Hills has demonstrated how archaeology, historic landscape evidence and farmers’ own knowledge can help shape more effective nature recovery across farmed landscapes. Since 2018, the project has brought together farmers, archaeologists and environmental advisers to explore the history of individual farms and use that understanding to inform future land management. Historic maps, archaeological records and field names have helped identify opportunities to restore lost habitats, replant hedgerows, and create species-rich grassland that both protects sensitive archaeological sites and supports wildlife.

A key part of the project has been uncovering how the landscape has changed over time. By studying historic field names alongside maps and local knowledge, farmers have been able to identify clues to former wetlands, woodlands, heathland and orchards, helping target nature recovery where habitats are most likely to thrive. This place-based approach has been embedded into Whole Farm Plans, treating heritage as an asset that can guide decisions on biodiversity, water, soil health and climate resilience.

Charlie Bell, Stepping Stones Project Manager, said: “Using archaeology and place-based knowledge as a starting point strengthened farmers’ sense of custodianship of the land and opened up conversations about restoring nature alongside protecting historic features. Understanding the past has helped shape more sustainable futures for local farms.”

More information can be found here: Stepping Stones Project | Shropshire | National Trust

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire – deep time of the fenland connecting people and nature (NT)

At Wicken Fen, a partnership between the National Trust and the University of Cambridge is using archaeology and environmental science to uncover the landscape’s ecological history and help shape its future. Research since 2024 has revealed how today’s wetland was once part of a much larger fenland landscape, and before that an area of woodland, preserved within the peat beneath the surface. By analysing peat cores, archaeological finds and evidence from volunteer excavations, researchers are building a picture of how habitats changed over thousands of years and how people interacted with them, from prehistoric hunters to later fenland communities.

This understanding of past landscapes is now helping inform nature recovery at Wicken Fen. Combining archaeological evidence with hydrological and LiDAR data allows conservation teams to identify former rivers, lakes and areas of deep peat, enabling habitat restoration and peatland recovery to be targeted where it can deliver the greatest benefits for nature, carbon storage and climate resilience. The work is also helping guide future land management, ensuring restoration reflects the character and ecological processes that shaped this internationally important landscape over time.

Angus Wainwright, National Trust Archaeologist, said: “The recent heat waves show the continued struggle to keep water in the fen. The peat cores taken during this project show how periodic drying is destroying evidence from the last thousand years or so, as the peat decays as it dries. This is a challenge affecting many important peatland archaeology sites, including here at Wicken Fen.”

Hinton Ampner, Hampshire – insights from the past enhance nature recovery (NT)

The National Trust, alongside volunteers from numerous local societies, has investigated the history of Hinton Ampner’s landscape, with their discoveries already helping shape a new woodland.

The archaeology has shown that the area was grazed for centuries before being converted to arable then enlarged and now will change again to woodland and pasture. The archaeological work found ancient dew ponds that had been filled in and overlain by field boundaries; these are now incorporated into glades in the new woodland and could be brought back into use. Prehistoric burial mounds (barrows) show that people were living and farming this land for thousands of years – a polished Neolithic hand axe even hints at an early phase of human activity when woodland was being cleared for grazing. The planting of new woodland will help to reduce soil erosion, preserve the ancient burial mounds and bring trees back to the landscape again.

This newfound knowledge has given the National Trust the confidence that Hinton Ampner’s regenerative farmed fields are in harmony with the estate’s historic farming landscape; that the ancient heart of this working landscape still exists.

When Trust archaeologists return to the site, they plan to undertake environmental analysis, as well as more traditional analysis of finds such as pottery. National Trust Archaeologist for London & South East Region, James Brown, said: “Focusing in on small details in a large landscape can unlock fascinating insights; pollen in the archaeological record can tell us about the environment people lived when they built these barrows for their dead. We can map the changing vegetation cover and land management practices, helping to inform and enhance the current nature recovery work and landscape choices.”

Shugborough Estate Duck Covert, Staffordshire – restoring wetlands through natural and cultural heritage (NT)

Shackeymore and Duck Covert at Shugborough Estate lie within the floodplain of the River Trent, an area shaped by centuries of natural river processes. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust worked with the National Trust at Shugborough to carry out wetland and river restoration works at the site. This was jointly funded by the Trent Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase AONB HS2 Environment Enhancement Fund, Environment Agency and Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. The project focused on enhancing an already wet area of grassland to create a richer, more resilient habitat for wildlife.

The restoration reflected the landscape’s historic relationship with the River Trent, including the presence of paleochannels – former river channels that reveal how the river once flowed across the floodplain. By recognising these historic watercourses and the way they shaped the landscape, the project has worked with natural processes rather than against them. Shallow wetland scrapes were created in areas which historically would have been naturally wet, embankments were removed, and the floodplain was reconnected to the river, helping water remain on site for longer and creating valuable habitat for species including amphibians, insects and wading birds. The wider restoration has also increased the floodplain’s capacity to store water, support biodiversity and lock up carbon.

Dr Mark Knight, Senior Cultural Heritage Officer for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s the perfect opportunity for people to discover new ways to understand, interpret and celebrate their shared past. Through this project we can collectively reflect on how heritage is protected locally.”

By combining ecological restoration with an understanding of the historic landscape, the project demonstrates how nature recovery and cultural heritage can work together. The restored floodplain will provide long-term benefits for wildlife while helping people better understand the dynamic relationship between the River Trent and the landscape it has shaped over thousands of years.

Find out more: https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/conservation-work-shugborough-estate-duck-covert

Hepple Estate and Simonside Hills, Northumberland – looking to the future (Oxford Archaeology)

The UKRI-funded ‘Rewilding’ Later Prehistory team (Oxford Archaeology, Historic England, the University of Oxford, and artist and archaeologist Rose Ferraby) have been working with the Hepple Estate since September 2024. Core to this inspiring collaboration so far has been our focus on creating site-specific stories about people and place – past, present and future – and about landscape change.

Hepple’s detailed landscape history pulls together information from existing archaeological accounts and archives with initial findings from a new palaeoenvironmental investigation that sets the current landscape in the context of 10,000 years of shifting human-environment interactions.

Recorded conversations with Hepple’s current custodians – the owners, ecologists, farmers and gamekeepers, who, collectively, have been caring for Hepple for more than 50 years – provide a vital account of the places and people that are essential to this landscape now.

The results of this collaboration are still unfolding: work will continue over the next three years. However, the palaeoenvironmental coring and pollen analysis have already given the Hepple team a new deep-time vegetational perspective – an environmental backbone – that they are hoping to use to inspire future planting schemes and landscape visualisations.

Investigating Hepple’s ‘human background’ has revealed practices from the past – like heathland burning – that tie into current landscape management interests and wider concerns about wildfires. A well-received joint workshop linking archaeology, art and landscape brought new audiences to Hepple. All of this work has fed into two new artworks and a short film which will feature in Hepple’s interpretation centre and on their website.

Working with the ‘Rewilding’ Later Prehistory team has given Hepple’s co-owners, Lucy and Walter Riddell, ‘space to think beyond the science of day-to-day data collection and allowed the identity, spirituality and poetry of place to come to the fore.’

It has also built their courage and sense of ambition to make changes that are more challenging to the current order of things.

The landscape at Hepple and in the Simonside Hills more widely is archaeologically abundant, with famous Neolithic and Bronze Age rock art and burial cairns, as well as Iron Age and Romano-British enclosures, medieval and post-medieval industrial traces, and extensive designed landscapes. This heritage provides an excellent foundation for a future landscape rich in nature and connected to people.

The inaugural meeting of the Rothbury Estate Historic Landscape Advisory Group in January 2026, led by The Wildlife Trusts, marked a significant move towards bringing historic environment expertise routinely into nature recovery planning.

Find out more: https://www.hepplewilds.com/