Aerial mapping tool uncovers Roman settlements in fields near Doncaster

Doncaster of course has a rich Roman history but the nteractive laser map, created by Historic England, brings ancient hidden settlements back to the surface.

The new aerial archaeology maps allow history buffs to 'fly' across England and explore its rich history.

It takes all the discoveries of past 30 years and superimposes them on 500,000 high-resolution photographs.

The map shows ancient settlements to secret Cold War military installations using airborne scanning technology.

The technology, known as lidar, uses laser light to create a 3D representation of the Earth's surface and detects anomalies to reveal Iron Age hillforts, neolithic burial sites and anti-invasion defences from the Second World War.

Roman field systems were also identified near Rotherham and Doncaster between 2005 and 2006.

The aerial survey revealed Iron Age and Roman fields and ditches arranged in a 'brickwork' system, named for its resemblance to the pattern of a brick wall.

The maps also showed small ditched enclosures, which would have been used for livestock, and traces of Iron Age houses.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England said: 'This new aerial archaeology mapping tool lets people fly virtually over England and drink in its many layers of history.

'It will allow everyone to explore the hidden heritage of their local places and what makes them special.

'We hope it will give people a springboard to further investigation, whether for research purposes or simply to satisfy curiosity about what archaeological features they may have noticed around their local area.'

You can access the mapping tool HERE