Source/Archive record SEM8135 - Turf Cutting on Exmoor: An archaeological and historical study - project report

A study of the archaeology and history of peat exploitation on Exmoor’s moorlands has examined the documentary evidence for turbary on Exmoor Forest and the commons; looked at turf cutting implements from Exmoor in several museums, researched oral histories and collections of historic photographs, and carried out field investigation and large scale survey of several disused turf pits and associated features. Turf cutting and the right of turbary is recorded in documents relating to Exmoor Forest and the implementation of Forest Law from the 13th century onwards. The free suitors of Withypool and Hawkridge had the rights of turbary on Exmoor Forest for each suit attached to their respective tenements in the 17th century, but courts and customs had probably existed with little change from the 12th and 13th centuries. Turbary was often part of a ‘package’ of common rights, given with properties from at least as early as the 15th century on the commons. The turf cutting implements, historic photographs of turf cutting and oral histories from moorland edge farmers and Exmoor Estate workers combine to give a vivid picture of how important turf was a fuel for many of Exmoor’s farms and villages in the early 20th century. The archaeological remains of turf cutting on Exmoor range from large areas of disused turf pits, which can contain details of the last season of cutting in the form of spade marks, to small mounds which are the remains of turf stacks. Some of the moorland edge farms had dedicated stores for turf in the farm yard, known as turf houses and several of these have been identified.