Wolves were not always creatures of legend in Great Britain. Once upon a time, they were part of our wildlife. They arrived after the last ice age over 10,000 years ago. Archaeological digs have discovered their remains throughout the country, including the complete skeleton1 of the Helsfell wolf from the 12th century. Such remains illustrate a time when these apex predators existed as part of the British landscape, thriving and maintaining the ecosystem.
Despite their later extinction, the wolf’s presence in Britain was not always feared. This can be seen in the names of many ancient tribes, including the East Anglican King – King Wuffa (Wolf), whose people were known as the ‘Wuffings’ – wolf people. The Wuffings were thought to have originated from Scandinavia. Evidence of this can be found at the amous ship burial site Sutton Hoo – including a purse that was decorated with gold and garnets and an illustration of wolves confronting a human figure. 2
Around 1000 AD, wolves began to disappear as human persecution arose. Farming and permanent settlements were growing and replacing the nomadic lifestyle, thus changing the very landscape and home of wolves. This change in lifestyle shifted humans’ view of wolves. They were no longer admired and respected; instead, they were seen as an inconvenience and a threat to livestock. As a result, wolves were now being feared. Rulers saw this shift in perspective as an opportunity to clear the lands of them. They hired professional wolf hunters, destroyed forests, and rewarded people with land when they cleared it of wolves. Without the forests, the wolf’s home was no longer. They were so eager to clear the lands of wolves that in 1281, King Edward 1st ordered their extermination. The last wolf in England was thought to have been killed as late as the 15th century, and in Scotland in the 17th century.
Removing this apex predator fundamentally changed Britain’s ecosystem. There was no longer a predator to naturally maintain herbivore populations – a keystone species was missing. This led to deer populations rising, overgrazing occurring, and our forests and countryside being significantly affected. These days, deer are a protected species with their populations managed by licensed hunters. The story of Britain’s wolves reminds us why protecting wildlife matters, why looking beyond our instant needs is important. If we are too short-sighted, more animals will disappear, and with it, the very countryside we love. We cannot just hit undo.
- The complete skeleton can be seen at Kendall Museum.
https://kendalmuseum.org.uk/object-of-the-week-helsfell-wolf/ ↩︎ - The famous ship burial at Sutton Hoo has strong links to King Wuffa and his people the Wuffingas, as well as his son who later became king Raedwald. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit Sutton Hoo I would highly recommend going. When we visited around 2012 accessibility was great – we were able to hire an all-terrain scooter/buggy for my mum to use to explore the outer areas.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/sutton-hoo
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