<< Our Photo Pages >> Sweet Track - Ancient Trackway in England in Somerset
Submitted by Andy B on Thursday, 02 August 2007 Page Views: 54962
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Sweet TrackCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 2.437 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Somerset Type: Ancient Trackway
Nearest Town: Street Nearest Village: Westhay
Map Ref: ST424408 Landranger Map Number: 182
Latitude: 51.163533N Longitude: 2.825129W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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AnnabelleStar visited - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4
JimChampion have visited here
Extensive tree ring studies have shown that ash, oak and lime trees were systematically cut, pre-fabricated and transported to the site, where they were built into a narrow footpath supported on crossed poles, driven into heavy poles underwater and pegged together. Finally the oak walking platform was laid on top of the V-shaped notch. All this indicates a high degree of organisation and forward planning.
Some repairs were carried out, but it is clear that the Sweet Track was only in use for around ten years, probably due to the rising water level engulfing it. This waterlogging is what enabled the track to survive until it was accidentally discovered by a peat worker (named Ray Sweet) in 1970. A section of the still-buried track within the Shapwick Heath nature reserve is protected against drying out by a water distribution system.
Sections of the actual Sweet Track are on display in the British Museum, London. The replica photographed above was on display at the Peat Moors Centre (now closed), although it got washed away in a flood previous to that. The original Sweet Track passed through what is now Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve and there are various signposted walks and information boards within the reserve. A new reconstruction has been recently built, see the Avalon Marshes Visitor Centre page for more details.
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