Traditional voices of England’s countryside are being preserved in a new audio documentary.
The project, titled Pannage, focuses on New Forest Commoners and has been created by Dr Craig Jordan-Baker, a writer and senior lecturer at the University of Brighton.
Pannage documents the lives of Commoners and others whose daily routines are shaped by the ancient system of land rights known as Commoning.
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Dr Jordan-Baker said: "Commoning is a way of life that is deeply rooted in place, but much of it goes unnoticed by those outside it – and often by those within it too, simply because it’s ordinary to them.
"What struck me while making this work was how much knowledge about the land is held in ordinary words and everyday practices – things that can easily go unnoticed, even by the people living them.
"The New Forest is often seen as a place of beauty and escape, but it is also a working landscape shaped by labour, care and centuries of shared knowledge.
"I wanted to create something that captured the sound and texture of that life, and to preserve some of the voices and language that make it possible."
Commoning grants specific traditional rights over shared land, including grazing animals, collecting firewood, and releasing pigs into the forest for acorn foraging.
The project was produced during a year-long artistic commission funded by the New Forest National Park Authority.
It features the voices of Commoners, Agisters, and Verderers, as well as layered environmental sound recordings that capture the atmosphere of work, weather, and community life.
Mary Davies, New Forest National Park Authority member and chair of the Sustainable Communities Fund, said: "It is truly inspirational to read the work of Craig Jordan-Baker, it has the effect of feeling you are in the New Forest, immersed in the Commoning Culture and Traditions so vital to the current and future heritage of the New Forest.
"The National Park Authority is delighted to have supported such a meaningful and insightful project."
Pannage is available to listen to for free on the Resurgence & Ecologist website, along with an article by Dr Jordan-Baker about the project.
