This is a result of the area around the brook being used as a training ground by British Home Guard and Canadian infantry during World War II.

Prior to the planting of trees the area was to have been the site of a reservoir, though this plan was rejected due to unsuitable underlying geology.

Parts of the Burbage Valley are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and are home to the water vole, which resulted in a decision to remove the felled trunks by helicopter in order to minimise the environmental impact of the wood's clearance.

Stumps of the trees have not been uprooted as the Moors for the Future report suggested that the area covered by the plantation might contain important archaeological remains.

[3] The valley is overlooked by Higger Tor and Carl Wark to the west and Burbage Rocks to the east, one of the birth places of modern British climbing.