It was first recognised as a separate area of study during the 20th century and uses evidence and approaches from other disciplines including archaeology, architecture, ecology, aerial photography, rephotography, local history and historical geography.
[5] The scope of landscape history ranges from specific individual features to areas covering hundreds of square miles.
Documentary desk research involves finding references to landscape features in primary and secondary sources.
The origin of features can often be related to the geology and ecology of the area being studied – for example the importance of springs and the suitability of the soil for different forms of agriculture.
The presence of indicator species can be used to identify previous land use, for example bluebells suggesting ancient woodland, particularly in the East of England and Lincolnshire.