{"id":2639,"date":"2026-02-26T14:18:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/?page_id=2639"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:54:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:54:30","slug":"the-story-so-far","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/resources\/the-story-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-6678691\" data-block-id=\"6678691\"><style>.stk-6678691 {height:22px !important;}@media screen and (max-width: 1023px){.stk-6678691 {height:80px !important;}}<\/style><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-ad9fe3a\" id=\"the-first-phase-of-the-ri\" data-block-id=\"ad9fe3a\"><style>.stk-ad9fe3a {margin-bottom:35px !important;}.stk-ad9fe3a .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:40px !important;line-height:1.2em !important;}@media screen and (max-width: 1023px){.stk-ad9fe3a .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:30px !important;}}<\/style><h2 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-align-center-mobile\">The first phase of the Ridgeway Portal was completed in 2025<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the first year of the Ridgeway portal our incredible team of volunteers mapped 8916 relict field boundaries and 460 other features of interest from the lidar data. You can read more about it in the report from volunteer Simon below. Work is currently paused but the project team has plans for an expansion and new projects in 2026-7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-5ab4590\" id=\"ridgeway-lidar-project-field-mapping-br-simon-cains\" data-block-id=\"5ab4590\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-align-center\">Ridgeway Lidar project \u2013 field mapping<br>Simon Cains<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ridgeway-lidar-project-field-mapping-br-simon-cains\">The volunteers were taken through a training course on Lidar basics, using the mapping portal, and identifying historical features.\u00a0 We were first set a task of digitising any straight field boundaries on the Lidar data, with no attempt to apply any dating or classification.\u00a0 This was a way to introduce the volunteers to the principles of Lidar, and to using the mapping system, before we would move onto the more \u201cexciting\u201d features such as neolithic burial mounds, hill forts etc. We were specifically looking for raised boundary banks, some of which may have been the remains of hedgerows, showing up as white on the Lidar local relief model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>However, this first phase of field mapping has perhaps added most to the known historical database of the study area.\u00a0 (The important archaeological features have been recognised by archaeologists and on the old Ordnance survey maps).\u00a0Some of the areas of fields have been identified on the Historic England aerial survey but just as a confused set of overlapping polygons, or as single points with a description. These low-relief lost field boundaries are nearly invisible on aerial photos or are hidden in the woods. This project may be the first detailed mapping of every potential field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few of the volunteers then acted as reviewers, to decide which of the picked lines did seem to be genuine field boundaries, or were probably something else, e.g. pipelines, tracks, ploughmarks, rainwater gullies, individual furrows in a ridge and furrow system etc etc.\u00a0 The figures shown below have all the interpreted field boundaries, before the review process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the project we had regular video meetings with Rebecca, and she could show us features live on the mapping system and talk about areas that we highlighted.\u00a0 We also used Discord to chat to Rebecca and each other, including posting pictures of odd things.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is this ?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In the woodland<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Field boundaries within later woodland were generally sharp and clear, easy to spot, although Lidar data in woodland tends to be more noisy due to some spots on the ground being hidden by trees, but there was also some confusion with forest works, tracks and footpaths and other activity.&nbsp; And of course we could not see anything on the aerial view to help interpret these features, but we could compare them to the old OS maps in the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Farmed land<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Former field boundaries in agricultural land were of course degraded to varying extents by centuries of ploughing.\u00a0 Sometimes a boundary in woodland could be directly traced into the open fields. The field boundary banks will have been smeared out by ploughing, becoming broad and faint, often near the limit of visibility on the Lidar data.\u00a0 I sometimes found it useful to take a screenshot and enhance it in a photo package, increasing the contrast and make it slightly darker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:37px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751-1024x584.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751-1024x584.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751-768x438.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751-1536x877.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-114751.png 1810w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lidar local relief model for Unhill Wood and Ham Wood, nr Streatley showing features preserved beneath the trees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115011.png 1929w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Previously unrecorded field boundaries digitised by volunteers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So for a project looking specifically for these faint features, I would recommend increasing the Lidar contrast, even if that means over-exposing the brighter features (which are probably modern).\u00a0 Perhaps give the volunteers a second higher-contrast image to choose, or even have a contrast adjustment control, to vary the display as they wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708-1024x570.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708-768x427.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708-1536x854.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115708.png 1938w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ploughed fields in the farmed land appeared less distinct in the lidar visualisation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2644\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-115842.png 1945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The same image with increased contrast and made slightly darker, using external image processing tools.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other landuses &#8211; racehorse training<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Parts of our study area were extensively used for racehorse training, the land was made into racehorse gallops, which gave some misleading features and hid the field boundaries.\u00a0 On the pictures below there is just a thin sliver of surviving fields running NW to SE around the gallops and ploughed fields. The Historic England aerial feature polygons confirm these are Roman or prehistoric field systems, but their mapped areas are confusing and overlapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"569\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712-1024x569.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712-1024x569.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712-1536x853.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-120712.png 1684w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">racehorse gallops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"564\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856-1024x564.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856-1024x564.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856-768x423.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856-1536x845.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-140856.png 1948w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">transcription showing the relict fields with better preservation beneath the gallops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not ancient but important<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We also \u201cdiscovered\u201d several pipelines crossing the area, presumably gas, water, electricity etc.&nbsp; There don\u2019t seem to be any detailed publicly-available maps of utilities to check these, perhaps for national security reasons. Instead we looked at the historical imagery on google earth pro (free) where sometimes we could see an obvious trench on the year it was laid, then it softening over time.&nbsp; Another trick was to use google streetview, where a pipeline crosses a road there will be a red and white pole and sometimes a warning notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are faint pipelines running from NW to SE right across this picture, starting at the \u201cRidgeway Lidar Portal\u201d top left.&nbsp; One archaeological report did give a map of the pipeline that they were working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google Earth also showed a large area of temporary roads, which were for erecting a new set of electricity pylons, and still showed faintly on the Lidar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052-1024x567.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052-1024x567.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052-768x425.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052-1536x850.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141052.png 1952w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">pipeline routes can also be seen in the lidar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Perhaps the most intriguing feature we spotted seemed to be a human figure, on the right-hand side of this picture, but unlike any early art forms.&nbsp; ( A sign of alien visitors ?). It was finally identified as a set of dispersal points for the wartime RAF airfield, to park individual aircraft rather than be crowded together giving a target for enemy bombers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The large circle in the centre of the picture is the Diamond Light X-ray source, one of the most powerful in the world, the latest high technology sitting just outside this historic Ridgeway landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"758\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-1024x758.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2651\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3514571456774294;width:464px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-1024x758.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-300x222.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-768x568.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.png 1465w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">plan of Beaulieu Aerodrome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327-1024x581.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327-1024x581.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327-768x436.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327-1536x872.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.kentlidar.org.uk\/ridgeway\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-26-141327.png 1884w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">strange humanoid anomaly&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first phase of the Ridgeway Portal was completed in 2025 In the first year of the Ridgeway portal our incredible team of volunteers mapped 8916 relict field boundaries and 460 other features of interest from the lidar data. You can read more about it in the report from volunteer Simon below. Work is currently [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1463,"parent":1147,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2639","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Story So Far - Ridgeway LiDAR Portal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is based on the principle of measuring distance through the speed and intensity recorded for a pulse of light to be fired from sensor equipment and reaching a target, before sending a return signal. 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