Much of the remaining ancient woodland in Britain was originally managed as coppice wood-land with standards. This means that the majority of the trees were coppiced cut off at the base to promote the growth of multiple straight stems, which could be used for poles and firewood. These coppiced trees would be interspersed with large trees, or standards , which were left to grow until the main trunk was large enough to yield timber for building, when they would be felled. This traditional management style did not nurture the development of very old trees and the species associated with old, deadwood. Also trees were pollarded cut across the main stem above the height of browsing animals and allowed to grow multiple branches to provide successive crops of wood.
Pollards also feature in hedgerows and old boundaries, and along rivers.
Pollarding can prolong the life of a tree considerably, and provide a wide range of microhabitats. Regular cutting stimulates new growth while at the same time exposing wood which is more easily colonised by fungi and insects. The uneven crown shape is more effective at retaining water, which helps in the development of rot holes and heart decay, and cutting produces sap runs and loosens bark providing more habitat for invertebrates. Veteran trees are found throughout Britain, but particularly in England and Wales. The lack of records means that nobody knows how many there are, nor beyond certain well-known concentrations, is there a clear picture of their distribution.