History

Cleatop Wood is described as woodland in 1847. It is marked on the 1st edition OS 6 inch map of 1850 as having the same boundaries as at present. A plan dating 1759 shows the woodland was then about 35% bigger. Before that the wood was likely to be even larger as the 1759 plan shows an area labelled "new paddock" which is possibly recently cleared woodland.

The earliest record of "Cleatop and its wood" are circa 1225 which probably refers to the same area and suggests a history of charcoal burning, while the presence of an old tannery at Anley Hall would have provided a requirement for oak bark.

Parish Wildlife Mapping Word 2002/2003, Craven Conservation Group.