Peatland Surveys, the Humberhead levels

Last month, Exo travelled up to the Humberhead levels to conduct peat coring on behalf of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. 177 cores were taken at depths of 1 metre, with at least one deep core per site being conducted to establish the thickness and depth of peat layer (if present). This was undertaken to assess the eligibility of sites for restoration grants in accordance with the Peatland Code (more information here).

Source: Humberheadpeatlands.org

The landscape of the area is relatively flat and low lying, with scattered rivers and tributaries draining into the river Humber. In contrast to previous coring which has taken place in the Fenland of East Anglia, the Humberhead peatlands are comprised of lowland raised bog and represent the largest remaining example of remnant lowland raised bog in England. While most of the peat is recognised as being found within the Humberhead Peatlands NNR, coring was undertaken more extensively to establish differences in peat distribution among sites in Humberhead Levels.

Formation of peat

Peat formed in the Humberhead Levels at the end of Britain’s last glacial period, where a large meltwater lake formed in the area. After glacial decline, the lake silted up and the area became dominated by forest of predominantly oak and pine trees. Findings during coring seemed to align with this, with many cores containing sizeable wood fragments. Evidence suggests that humans may have unknowingly encouraged the formation of the peat found in the area through the clearing of vegetation in upland areas, increasing surface runoff into lower lying areas and providing favourable conditions for wetland formation.

Conducting a 4.2m deep core

Drainage and peat extraction

The pre-existing wetland habitat was extensively drained for the purpose of agriculture in the 17th century, much like the Fens. Peat cutting has also had a profound impact on the area, having been established on the moors by the 13th and 14th century for fuel and building. By 1800, peat litter was being used as a substitute for bedding straw and the potential of peat for packing, disinfecting and fertilising were realised. A number of companies started to exploit the land for peat extraction, particularly Thorne and Hatfield Moors.

Recent changes

Thorne and Hatfield Moors were historically regarded as ‘wasteland’, with Yorkshire County Council even suggesting that the area could be used as a dumping ground and later considered Thorne ‘Waste’ (as it was called at the time) as a possible site for a new airport. Local naturist William Bunting played a key part in changing the perceived value of the area, organising protests against Thorne Moors being used for peat-cutting and the planned dumping of 32 million tonnes of fuel-ash.

Now, many of the once exploited areas are designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or National Nature Reserves (NNR), protected by the Natural England and local wildlife trusts.