MMO2536 - Peat cutting on Manor Allotment (Monument)
Summary
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Type and Period (1)
Protected Status
Full Description
Evidence of peat cutting can be seen as large, irregularly shaped pits and disturbed ground on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards, covering an area of over 8 hectares area of Manor Allotment, South Common, centred on circa SS 8110 4361. The visible pits are irregularly shaped but mostly rectilinear in plan, whilst often displaying a curved or stepped edge which has been interpreted as evidence of sustained and systematic peat cutting, perhaps by several generations of the same family returning to a preferred location and expanding an existing cutting. The identifiable pits vary in size but range up to 65 metres across. Between the transcribed pits, areas of disturbed ground indicate the presence of further earthworks not readily identifiable from aerial photographs. 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 nineteenth century, although cutting probably took place on a smaller scale from the medieval period well into the twentieth 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]
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SEM6707 Aerial photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 -1948. Vertical Aerial Photography. NMR RAF 106G/UK/1655 (F20) 4080-1 (11 July 1946).
- <2> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. NMR RAF 540/931 (F20) 3062-3 (8November 1952).
- <3> SEM7230 Monograph: Burton, R.A.. 1989. The Heritage of Exmoor. Roger A. Burton. P. 72; 232-3.
- <4> SMO7567 Archive: 2007-2009. Exmoor National Park NMP: SS 84 SW. MD002184.
- <5> SEM8135 Report: Riley, H.. 2014. Turf Cutting on Exmoor: An archaeological and historical study - project report.
Location
Grid reference | Centred SS 8108 4363 (409m by 362m) (Aerial Survey) |
---|---|
Map sheet | SS84SW |
Civil Parish | EXMOOR, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
External Links (1)
- http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1478364 (Original Monarch entry: 1478364)
Other Statuses/References
- National Monuments Record reference: SS 84 SW285
- Pastscape HOBID (was Monarch UID): 1478364
Record last edited
Aug 18 2015 2:44PM
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