ARCHAEOLOGY
Although Treeton Wood seems to contain no significant archaeological features, there has been a range of finds from prehistoric flint fragments and tools through to a lead weight of Medieval age. The south-eastern boundary of the wood is marked by a bank, which might once have been topped by a wall.

Several deep hollows of unknown origin are present throughout Treeton Wood and other parts of the woodland contain depressions and low mounds suggestive of surface mining.

ANCIENT WOODLAND STATUS
Treeton Wood has a well-documented history and there is no doubt that it is an ancient woodland, that is, one that has been in existence since at least 1600. It is first recorded in a list of woodlands belonging to the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, dating from between 1598 and 1616 in which it was said to cover 50 acres, more or less the same area as now.

The boundaries of Treeton Wood are still thought to be much the same as they have been for at least 400 years.

In terms of location, Treeton Wood is situated exactly where ancient woodlands are generally expected to be. It is located in the corner of the parish of Treeton and also occupies relatively steeply sloping ground, this being less likely than other areas to have been cleared for agriculture.

Ancient woodlands can be distinguished from more recently established woodlands is by their diverse flora and fauna. Indeed, certain plant species, usually those that spread relatively slowly, are known to be either entirely restricted to, or only rarely found outside, ancient woodlands. These are known as 'ancient woodland indicator species'. Where a number of these are found together, there is a high likelihood that the wood in which they occur is of ancient origin. A wide range of these indicator species occurs in Treeton Wood, including Bluebell, Dog's Mercury, Ramsons, Wood Anemone, Wood Sorrel and Yellow Archangel.

WOODLAND MANAGEMENT
The vegetation which developed naturally in the Sheffield region after the last Ice Age is thought to have consisted of wet woodland dominated by Willow and Alder in the valley bottoms; with Oak-Birch woodland on lower valley slopes; and Birch-Rowan scrub on more exposed sites.

The clearance of this 'wildwood' began slowly with the arrival of Neolithic settlers in around 4,000B.C. The rate of clearance accelerated with the growth of agricultural settlements and continued apace until the time of the Norman conquest. By 1086, at the time of the Domesday Book, the Treeton area was, in common with large areas of Rotherham and Sheffield, dominated by wood pasture, in which the upper levels of the woodland were exploited for its trees whilst the lower levels were used as pasture for animals. This type of woodland management was common where woods were widespread and the population sparse and scattered.

As populations grew and as demand for timber increased, woods became scarce and valuable resources. As a result, coppicing, a type of woodland management which gave a continuous and self-renewing supply of trees was introduced. When a wood is coppiced, deciduous trees are cut back to just above their base to form coppice stools which then sprout quickly, forming numerous poles, of value in construction and as a fuel. The process can be repeated again and again, usually at about 15 to 20 year intervals.

Parts of Treeton Wood were certainly being coppiced at the time of the wood's first documentary record in the early 17th century and it is likely that coppicing had already been going on for a considerable time before this. The introduction of coppicing required the fencing or walling of the woods in order to prevent animals entering and preventing regrowth of trees. Because of its substantial size, Treeton Wood was divided into compartments, these being coppiced at different times with animals being allowed to graze in areas of mature coppice.

Records dating from around 1710 and 1882 show that Treeton Wood was also exploited for its oak bark, which was used in the leather tanning industry (Jones, 1995). The practice by local people of collecting hazel nuts within the wood could cause considerable damage to wood boundaries and to the woodland itself and in the autumn of 1812 the Duke of Norfolk posted notices around the boundary of Treeton Wood, warning of prosecution for 'nutters'. A copy of this can be seen in the book, Rotherham's Woodland Heritage.

From at least 1600 until the early 19th century, Treeton Wood was known as Oaken Cliff, a reference to both its composition and steep slope.

Following the middle of the 19th century, coppicing declined because of the substitution of charcoal as a fuel by coke, and also as a result of the way in which products previously made of wood were now being manufactured using iron and steel. Like many other woods in the area, Treeton Wood was converted to high forest by the planting of non-native tree species such as Sycamore, Sweet Chestnut (some of which still remain), Lime and Larch, as well as native species, for example Oak, Ash and Birch.

Much of Treeton Wood is now dominated by young trees with occasional mature standards. This suggests extensive felling in the past century, perhaps during the 1926 General Strike or the Second World War. At these times it is known that large areas of woodland in the Rotherham area, including Canklow Wood, were felled as an unofficial source of domestic fuel.

Having been owned since its first known record by the Dukes of Norfolk and their predecessors, the Talbots, Treeton Wood was sold in 1980 to a private landowner who used the wood for pheasant shooting. It was acquired by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in 1993.