MMO2534 - 19th Century peat cutting north of Larkbarrow Farm (Monument)

Evidence of peat cutting can be seen as large, irregularly shaped pits on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards, covering an area of circa 2.5 hectares approximately 400 metres to the north of Larkbarrow Farm at circa SS 8206 4333. The pits are irregularly shaped but appear to be associated with drainage ditches of probable nineteenth century date, and it is probable that the peat cutters opportunistically exploited these linear earthworks following their abandonment, probably in the second half of the 19th Century. The expansion of the relict drainage ditches resulted in the pattern of earthworks now visible. They are mostly rectilinear in plan and often display a stepped edge which has been interpreted as evidence of sustained and systematic peat cutting, perhaps by several generations of the same family in a preferred location, as part of their commoners' rights. The identifiable pits vary in size but range up to 25 metres wide and over 70 metres in length. 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. [1-4] A study of the archaeology and history of peat exploitation on Exmoor’s moorlands provides additional background on the practice and sites. [5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. N.B. The GIS data recorded against Monument 1478350 on the NRHE database is in the shape of a small diamond. This is clearly an error. The correct GIS data appears to have been recorded against record 1478356, which also includes textual data from 1478372. The GIS data for 1478356 has therefore been added to this record (MMO2534). [7,8]