Waterloo: Was mystery Jedburgh woodland planted to mark Napoleon loss?

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IT is one of history’s best-known battles, immortalised in literature, film, and even a Eurovision-winning song. But could the Battle of Waterloo also be marked by an unusual woodland that left Scottish foresters puzzled?

That’s certainly one of the quirkier suggestions sent into Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) after the organisation appealed for help to solve the mystery of a broadleaved forest within a Sitka plantation. Last year, an aerial survey at Swinnie, near Jedburgh, revealed an earthwork structure of about two hectares, shaped like a puzzle piece.

A further two were found, all within five km of each other, with no obvious explanation as to why they existed in the first place. A public appeal followed, and responses ranged from the idea that it was to grow trees faster than usual, to the (likely) conclusion the woodland was planted for shelter.

But the broadleaves may have their roots in the decisive conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. Several foresters suggested the woodland could have been planted in a regimental position to represent the Allied line during the early 19th century battle, while one linked it to the presence of the Waterloo Monument on the outskirts of Jedburgh. 

“It's a long shot, but there's a chance that the feature may be connected to the ‘nearby’ Peniel Heugh Waterloo Monument - and viewing platform,” wrote one forester. “I don't know if this is well known, but I understand that associated with the Tower are\were a number of woodland features meant to represent the Allied and French armies at the Battle of Waterloo. 

“There's some miles from the Monument to the plantation of course, and if the Monument were meant to represent something in the centre of the Allied line, then the jigsaw feature might represent something on the French left flank.”

Unfortunately, it seems the jigsaw-shaped woodland has a much simpler explanation, albeit an inconclusive one. Overwhelmingly, responses to the FLS appeal agreed the broadleaves had been planted as “stells”, acting as artificial shelter belts to protect sheep from the elements.

The Waterloo Monument, near Jedburgh (Image: FJ)

As well as the Swinnie plantation, forester Bill Rayner identified puzzle piece woodlands at Huntford Burn (NT69445, 10165), North of Roughlee (NT66045, 11322) and at Edgerston Tofts (NT70620, 11248). All of these shelterwoods appear on both the OS 6" 1843 - 1882 and 1888 - 1913, maps, viewable on the National Library of Scotland website.

In addition, and more clearly used as sheep management tools, are the four shelterwoods mapped on the English side of the Border, around Lumsdon Lee, on the OS 6" 1888 - 1913 mapping.

One response went into a little further detail. “The jigsaw puzzle shape breaks up the angularity of the structure a little and probably gives slightly more shelter.”

Others pointed to similarly curiously-shaped plantations at Hawthornside Hill (southwest of Hawthornside farm) and at Ruberslaw, also both in the Scottish Borders, as evidence of past landowners’ penchant for trying something a little bit different. One went so far as to name the Swinnie plantation, saying his dad, a local, had known it as Hainshaw.

Waterloo marked a final defeat for Napoleon Bonaparte (Image: Getty)

Tom Harvey, FLS planning forester for the area, said: “It was certainly an intriguing puzzle for us a the time and some of the suggestions that came to us were quite intriguing even if a bit fanciful.

“But thanks to the people who got in touch we’ve now got an understanding of what this particular feature was and how it was a practical feature of the agricultural landscape.”