Upland Peats - Managerial Assessment. Final Report - Volume 1

Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by English Heritage to conduct
a study to investigate archaeology within areas of upland peat. The project was set up in
response to the recognition that the most extensive peatlands in the UK are within the
uplands, that they protect a significant archaeological resource, and that this resource is
under threat, particularly at the peat edges. This study was intended to assess the impact of
the threats upon the resource and to investigate methodologies that can address the major
issue of site visibility within peatland landscapes. The over-arching aim of the project was
to develop an effective and efficient management strategy that can be applied to upland
peat landscapes throughout England, and, indeed, in similar environments elsewhere.
The study relied on the creation of a GIS and concentrated, for practical reasons, on four
study areas within north-west England, given the wide variety of conditions within the
region. These were deemed to be representative of peat character and the threats to such
environments throughout the uplands of England. The study areas chosen were the South-
West Fells, in West Cumbria, because they had a well-documented archaeological
resource; the Langdale Fells, in the Central Lake District, because they had an artefactual
resource, and generally have considerable visitor pressure; the Forest of Bowland, in North
Lancashire, because it was perceived that it had deep undisturbed peats and could serve as
a control; and finally, Anglezarke Moor, in South Lancashire, because it was an area of
upland peats with a long history of erosion and decay, reflecting its proximity to urban
centres.