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| *****SWAAG_ID***** | 388 |
| Date Entered | 07/12/2011 |
| Updated on | 08/12/2011 |
| Recorded by | Tim Laurie |
| Category | Tree Site Record |
| Record Type | Botanical HER |
| Site Access | Public Access Land |
| Record Date | 29/09/2011 |
| Location | Birkdale Common, Lodge Hags |
| Civil Parish | Muker |
| Brit. National Grid | NY 8072 0242 |
| Altitude | 622M |
| Geology | Blanket peat over Pickersett Edge (Water Crag) Grit. |
| Record Name | MUK003 Birkdale Common. Willow carr and peat infilled basin or tarn exposed below 3m deep blanket peat. |
| Record Description | Peat infilled basin or fossil tarn revealed by the erosion of overlying blanket peat which itself is approximately 3.0m deep down to but not below the level of standing water.
The erosion surface of the peat is curently at the level of standing water, however the contemporary prehistoric peat surface must have developed such that it was above the contemporary prehistoric water level and this surface had dried sufficiently to allow the development of dense willow carr.
The dense remains of this willow carr is today revealed by the erosion of the overlying peat across an area of some300m *300m.
In the writer's opinion this is a unique location which offers the opportunity to record and date an ancient land surface visible on plan rather than as usual in section at the base of a peat gulley.
This surface may, on the basis of the dated basal blanket peat deposits with pine and willow at Whirley Gill and elsewhere in the NE Pennines Pennines (for example: Honeyman unpublished thesis) prove to date to the Mesolithic circa 9000 radiocarbon yrs bp.
Small branch samples from the edge of the tarn have been confirmed as Willow. Fossil wood from erosion surfaces at the base of the blanket peat on rising ground at 630mAOD to the south of the 'Tarn' have been identified as Pine. |
| Dimensions | See photos |
| Geographical area | Upper Swaledale |
| Species | Fossil Willow Carr below 3m dp blanket peat |
| Scientific Name | Salix sp. |
| Additional Notes | This is a uniquely sensitive site and disturbance should be avoided. |
| Image 1 ID | 1611 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 1 Description | The fossil peat infilled tarn witth willow carr revealed by the erosion of the overlying 3m deep blanket peat, |  |
| Image 2 ID | 1612 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 2 Description | |  |
| Image 3 ID | 1613 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 3 Description | Massed remains of willow carr |  |
| Image 4 ID | 1614 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 4 Description | |  |
| Image 5 ID | 1610 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 5 Description | |  |
| Image 6 ID | 1615 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 6 Description | |  |
