MMO2506 - 19th Century peat cutting at Alderman's Barrow Allotments (Monument)

A possible area of peat cutting of probable 19th Century date can be seen on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards. The possible peat cuttings are very regular in shape and visible over an area of less than 0.5 hectares.

A small area of possible peat cutting of probable 19th Century date can be seen as very regular pits within an area of disturbed ground on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards. The pits are centred on circa SS 8403 4242 at the head of Chetsford Water combe, to the west of Aldermans Barrow Allotment. Poorly defined but largely rectilinear in shape, the visible features range up to 10 metres in size. In total, this area of possible cuttings covers circa 0.3 hectares of common land. A more extensive and possibly older area of cuttings can be seen approximately 250 metres to the southwest. 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 character and area of the cuttings, and should not be taken as a definitive record of the extent the pits. Peat cutting has probably taken place on Exmoor from the medieval period onwards, but its heyday was probably in the first half of the 19th Century, although small scale cutting probably continued 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] The South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) Historic Environment Officer (HEO) monitored peatland restoration works in and around the historic turf cuttings at Alderman’s Barrow Allotment on the 13th January 2023. Two peat blocks were created within the area of historic turf cutting to block the flow of water exiting the cuttings and allow water to pool on the surface. In addition to the creation of peat blocks within the former turf cuttings, deep trenches were dug close to, but outside, the feature to block peat pipes that were allowing sub-surface water to flow away from the turf cutting area. Up to 2m of peat was observed to remain beneath the former turf cuttings.[6]