Hi Meredith,
We have plenty of blanket peat here in the Dales – in the order of hundreds of km2 , we don’t record it into the HER, although do record features such as peat cuttings, and where
we find out about them – things from within the peat e.g. evidence of palaeoforests, and including a couple of antiquarian references to bog bodies. A regional moorland project which finished a couple of years back collated all of the published info on pollen
diagrams and one item on my task list is to make sure we have events/sources for all of these.
I’m not sure what the benefit of just identifying peat (for us) in the HER would be when there’s so much of it. I guess there might be more benefit in identifying those locations
that will have particularly complete palaeoenvironmental sequences – raised mires etc. But there is an interesting question in that most of the environmental assessment of peat (here), has focussed on obtaining information from the most complete
sequences, rather than proximity to particular archaeological landscapes.
For the last five years or so, there have been numerous moorland restoration projects on the higher ground - and we try to ensure these are informed by arch survey work – often including
some kind of rapid assessment of the peat – recording of grenzhorizonts – tree remains etc – in HER terms it all goes in as events and sources..
All the best,
Miles
From: Issues
related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Wiggins, Meredith
Sent: 06 June 2014 10:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Friday Question: Recording Peat
Happy Friday!
Question:
How do you record peat?
In my non-HER role, as the Heritage Data Coordinator for the East of England (Lucy Richardson's job share), I'm working with colleagues
from various parts of EH on a plan to digitise our intertidal and coastal peat database. As a prelude to this (and to inform myself on the state of peat recording), I thought I would throw a question out to you- to be answered in brief or at length -- whatever
you decide!
Here in the GLHER peat is recorded as a monument, in a fairly descriptive way...but obviously in rural environments this may not be deemed
to be necessary. Do some of you not record peat at all, or just as a footnote?
I'm particularly interested in hearing from those of you in peat-heavy areas....but more generally, I hope you can all take a minute and
let me know your thoughts!
Thanks!
Meredith
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