Peatlands and the historic environment in England – working together to make the difference

ABSTRACT

Peatlands are widely recognised for their rich biodiversity and their role as carbon stores. They are equally special in terms of their cultural and heritage significance; as historic landscapes, for preserving archaeological remains and palaeoecological records, and for their intangible cultural connections. In 2018 the UK Government published its 25 Year Environment Plan, a key component of which has been the development of the England Peat Action Plan by Defra. This paper outlines some of Historic England and Natural England’s most-recent collaborative work on peatlands and the historic environment. This ultimately resulted in its representation within England’s wider peatland strategy and policy – the first of the UK nations to do so. This paper discusses the authors’ work carried out between 2017 and 2022, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and experiences of cross-sector, multi-agency working. It introduces the documents and guidance, produced jointly, to support the work and schemes ‘on the ground’.

KEYWORDS:

• Peatlands
• historic environment
• archaeology
• palaeoecology
• cultural heritage
• government
• cross-organisation
• collaboration

Acknowledgements

This successful outcome acknowledges and is grateful to all those involved with peatlands and wetland heritage across the following organisations:

Defra: Members of the Soils and Peatlands team.

Natural England: Lesley Blainey (formerly NE, Senior Adviser), Steve Clarke (Major Project Manager), Emma Craig (Senior Adviser), Deborah Land (Senior Adviser), Naomi Oakley (Principal Adviser – Uplands), Mark Phillips (Senior Adviser) and Elaine Willett (Historic Environment Principal Adviser).

Historic England: Gill Campbell (Head of Fort Cumberland Laboratories), Will Fletcher (Team Leader – Development Advice, East of England Region), Hannah Fluck (The National Trust, formerly Historic England’s Head of Environmental Strategy), Jen Heathcote (Head of Investigative Science), Hayley McParland (Science Advisor, South West England), Sue Stallibrass (formerly Historic England’s Science Advisor, North West England), Jim Williams (Senior Science Advisor) and the other regional Science Advisors.

Others: Rosie Everett (Northumbria University), Ralph Fyfe (University of Plymouth), Benjamin Gearey (University College Cork), Martin Gillard (Dartmoor National Park/South West Peatland Partnership) and Tom Hill (PalaeoEnvironmental Research and Consultancy Services Ltd, PERCS).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

KHL: In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and my ethical obligation as a researcher, I am reporting that I am employed by an organisation (Natural England) that may be affected by the research reported in the enclosed paper. I have disclosed those interests fully to Taylor & Francis, and I have in place an approved plan for managing any potential conflicts arising from that involvement.

LB: In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and my ethical obligation as a researcher, I am reporting that I am employed by an organisation (Natural England) that may be affected by the research reported in the enclosed paper. I have disclosed those interests fully to Taylor & Francis, and I have in place an approved plan for managing any potential conflicts arising from that involvement.

ZH undertook this work as part of her role employed by Historic England and for which she has no competing interests to declare. Historic England is a Non-Departmental Public Body established by statute under the National Heritage Act 1983. We are the statutory advisers to Government on the management, protection and advancement of understanding of our historic environment whether built, buried or on the seabed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zoë Hazell

Zoë Hazell has worked for Historic England since its English Heritage days. She has a Geography background (Quaternary Science), with research experience in the reconstruction of past environments and landscapes. Her multidisciplinary interests mean that she has worked on diverse projects, from the use of peatlands to reconstruct past climatic conditions (her PhD was on past climate records from New Zealand peatlands), to the study of wood use and selection preferences through the identification of archaeological wood/charcoal remains (including at the Bronze Age pile dwelling at Must Farm, Cambridgeshire and the Iron Age ‘lake village’ at Glastonbury, Somerset). She has also led projects investigating post-medieval charcoal production at Barbon, Cumbria, and a pilot project recording intertidal peat deposits using aerial survey techniques.

Louise Brown

Louise Brown is enthusiastic about holistic approaches to studying and delivering benefits to landscapes, and has worked on two NLHF-funded (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Landscape Partnership Schemes in Nidderdale and the South Pennines. She has worked on research projects in the North Atlantic region for a number of years – most notably the University of Bradford’s Old Scatness Broch and Jarlshof Environs Project. Louise maintains her links with the University of Bradford where she is an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow and continues to work with the North Atlantic research team on the coastal erosion site of the Knowe of Swandro, Rousay, Orkney. Louise has worked for Natural England since 2020 where she is currently a Senior Specialist.

Christine (Kat) Hopwood-Lewis

Kat Hopwood-Lewis is a former field archaeologist with an MA in Archaeology and Heritage Management. She has excavated across the UK, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. She joined Natural England in 2010 and, after roles in regional delivery (including involvement in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park landscape restoration, awarded Museum of the Year 2014), as a national historic environment specialist, and as lead for Beauty Heritage and Engagement technical guidance development, she now leads on Natural England’s peatland historic environment strategy and delivery.