Delve into the Past of Exmoor's Moorland

Exmoor is perhaps best known as being - once upon a time - a royal forest for hundreds of years ... but in fact the cultural heritage of moorland stretches back to the Stone Age.

Read more about ways to Discover Prehistory, or seek out the Knight Wall and visit a water-powered sawmill where you can find out about the attempt by Victorian entrepreneurs to tame the moors.

DIG Porlock

The moorlands around Porlock contain a wealth of archaeological evidence showing how people have used this landscape over the last 8,000 years. Sites range from hunter gather camping places, to Bronze Age settlements and the remains of structures built during WWII.

During 2013 an exciting programme of fieldwork will take place on the moor to find out more about these remains. This will provide training and support for local people and others interested in the archaeology of the area, to gain, and build on, skills in a wide range of archaeological techniques including the use of air photographs, field survey, geophysical survey, excavation, identification of finds and artefacts and oral histories. No particular skills are needed as training will be given by Exmoor National Park archaeologists, as well as university staff and experienced volunteers.

The work planned for 2013 will build upon the research and excavations that have been carried out by Dr Paula Gardiner (University of Bristol) and Dr Mark Gillings (University of Leicester) in recent years. This work has shown just how much there is still to learn about this area, and the ways it has been exploited and changed by people over the last 8,000 years.

Look out for more details locally or on www.heartofexmoor.org.uk or contact Faye Balmond, Moorland Heritage Officer email: fbalmond@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk  tel: 01398 322164