MMO2518 - 19th Century peat cutting on Madacombe (Monument)

Peat cutting of probably largely 19th Century date can be seen as numerous irregularly shaped large pits and an extensive area of disturbed ground on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards, centred on circa SS 8264 4319. The area of extraction appears to be divided into two, perhaps both physically and temporally, by a probably 19th Century field boundary. To the east of the field boundary the evidence for peat extraction resembles that to the south at circa SS 8279 4279, with the cutting on a relatively small scale. The visible pits are widely spaced and generally subrectangular in shape, on average under 4 metres wide but varying in length from 3 metres to over 25 metres long. The greatest indication of extraction here is the disturbed character of the ground surface, which, with the visible pits, may indicate a level of speculative cutting. To the west of the field boundary the cuttings appear more developed. The individual cuttings are more extensive, some approaching 40 metres in width, and also show evidence of sustained and cumulative exploitation. For instance, several pits have stepped faces, indicating systematic cutting. These larger pits may reflect the cumulative nature of some peat cutting on Exmoor, where one family cuts the same peat beds for generations as part of their commoners' rights. In total, this area of peat cutting covers around 3 hectares of common land. Due to the difficult nature of the evidence which can vary in appearance on aerial photographs from year to year, the transcription attempts only to convey the general area and character of the excavations, and should be taken only as indicative of the extent of individual pits. The heyday of peat cutting on Exmoor was in the first half of the 19th Century, although cutting probably took place on a smaller scale from the medieval period well into the 20th Century. [1-3] A study of the archaeology and history of peat exploitation on Exmoor’s moorlands provides additional background on the practice and sites. [4] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [5]