Shaping the Landscape
So how has the geology of the New Forest influenced its history?
The different types of rocks lying just below the surface of the New Forest influence the shape of the land, the soil and its vegetation. They also provide useful building materials.
Most of the geological layers underlying the New Forest consist of clay, gravel and sand. The Romans used clay for making pottery 2000 years ago and in more recent times it was used for bricks and tiles. Gravel was quarried for surfacing roads and tracks. Sand, which usually produces poor soils and is found under most of the heathland, was used in building foundations and for making concrete.