Wood has been the mainstay of human settlement building since the mesolithic period. It was the first material that early humans used to build their homes and farms. When humans came out from the Caves they needed to build structures. The abundant forests of the UK at the time provided them with it. They were soon felling Elms, Oaks and Ash quicker than we do today. This massive deforestation has shaped the Britain that we know now.
The first buildings to use timber were round houses. The wood formed the structure and wattle and daub was used to fill in the spaces and provide walls for shelter. Bound Willow was used to thatch the roof. This form of dwelling was used, and expanded on, right up until the Roman Empire came and showed the then Iron Age Britons how to build with stone.
This was not the end of using timber, just ask Timber Merchants Southampton based firm https://www.timbco.co.uk/. The stone structures needed wooden framing and the roofs required wooden beams. When the Dark Ages came there was a switch back to using wood, pretty much exclusively, right through to the 17th century until the Great Fire of London and brick became cheaper. Wood is still used to build our homes today though mainly as floorboards and for the frame of the roof in combination with brick.