Shapwick Heath is a 394.0-

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

(973.6 acre)

biological Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

and national nature reserve between Shapwick and

Westhay Westhay is a village in Somerset, England. It is situated in the parish of Meare, north-west of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels. The name means 'The west field that is enclosed by hedges' from the Old English ''west'' and ''haga''. The 'g' i ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, notified in 1967. It is part of the

Brue Valley Living Landscape The River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England, and reaches the sea some west at Burnham-on-Sea. It originally took a different route from Glastonbury to the sea, but this was changed by Glastonbury Abbey in the twelf ...

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...

project. The project commenced in January 2009 and aims to restore, recreate and reconnect

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

. It aims to ensure that wildlife is enhanced and capable of sustaining itself in the face of

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

while guaranteeing farmers and other landowners can continue to use their land profitably. It is one of an increasing number of

landscape scale conservation Landscape-scale conservation is a holistic approach to landscape management, aiming to reconcile the competing objectives of nature conservation and economic activities across a given landscape. Landscape-scale conservation may sometimes be atte ...

projects in the UK. Shapwick Heath, part of the Avalon Marshes in the

Somerset Levels The Somerset Levels are a coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, England, running south from the Mendips to the Blackdown Hills. The Somerset Levels have an area of about and are bisected by the Polden Hills; the areas to the south ...

Wetlands, and managed as a national nature reserve by Natural England, is a former raised bog lying in the basin of the

River Brue The River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England, and reaches the sea some west at Burnham-on-Sea. It originally took a different route from Glastonbury to the sea, but this was changed by Glastonbury Abbey in the twelfth ...

. The site supports a diverse community of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. National rarities are the Greater Silver Diving Beetle (''Hydrophilus piceus'') and the Lesser Silver Diving Beetle (''Hydrochara caraboides'') which is now confined nationally to the Brue Basin Peat Moors. The

Sweet Track The Sweet Track is an ancient trackway, or causeway, in the Somerset Levels, England, named after its finder, Ray Sweet. It was built in 3807 BC (determined using dendrochronology – tree-ring dating) and is the second-oldest timber track ...

, an ancient

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

crosses the site. It is one of the oldest engineered roads known and the oldest

timber trackway Historic roads (or historic trails in the US and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient track ...

discovered in

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...

. The adjoining

Shapwick Moor Shapwick Moor is an area of of farmland on the Somerset levels bordering Shapwick Heath and Cattcot Heath. It is part of the Brue Valley Living Landscape Conservation biology, conservation project. The project commenced in January 2009 and aims ...

has been purchased by the Hawk and Owl Trust as a reserve. Ham Wall nature reserve is to the east.

References

External links

YouTube video
- pictures and commentary on the Peat Moor visitors centre.
BBC Somerset: Shapwick Heath gallery
{{Authority control Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1967 Somerset Levels National nature reserves in Somerset Wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest