Somerset Levels
Palaeolithic flint tool found in West Sedgemoor is the earliest indication of human presence in the area. Neolithic people exploited the reed swamps for their natural resources and started to construct wooden trackways. In the Roman period sea salt was extracted and a string of settlements were set up along the Polden Hills.
About Somerset Levels in brief
The Somerset Levels are a coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, England, running south from the Mendips to the Blackdown Hills. A Palaeolithic flint tool found in West Sedgemoor is the earliest indication of human presence in the area. Neolithic people exploited the reed swamps for their natural resources and started to construct wooden trackways, including the world’s oldest known timber trackway, the Post Track, dating from about 3800 BC. In the Roman period sea salt was extracted and a string of settlements were set up along the Polden Hills. The Somerset Levels form a natural region that has been designated as a national character area – No. 142 – by Natural England. It supports a vast variety of plant and bird species and is an important feeding ground for birds and includes 32 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, of which 12 are also Special Protection Areas. The area has been extensively studied for its biodiversity and heritage, and has a growing tourism industry. The worst recorded floods in Bristol Channel history was the Bristol Channel floods of 1607, which resulted in an estimated 2,000 or more houses being swept away by salt water. During 2009 and 2010 proposals to build a series of electricity pylons by one of two routes between Hinkley Point and Avonmouth attracted local opposition. Discussions have taken place concerning the possibility of obtaining World Heritage Site status for the Somerset Levels as a \”cultural landscape\”.
It was suggested that if this bid were successful it could improve flood control, but only if wetland fens were created again; the plans were abandoned in 2010. The Levels are about 20 feet above sea level. The general elevation at Bridgwater and Burnham-water is 10 to 12 feet O. D. Large areas of peat were laid down in the Quaternary period after the ice sheets melted during the Quatary period. There are some slightly raised parts, called ‘burtles’ as well as higher ridges and hills. The levels are mainly flat areas of inland plains and a coastal sand and clay barrier, east and west of the M5 motorway. The area is prone to winter floods of fresh water and occasional salt inundations and occasional fresh water inundations in the summer. It has been the location of the Glastonbury Lake Village and two Lake villages at Meare Lake. The artificial Huntspill River was constructed during the Second World War as a reservoir, although it also serves as a drainage channel. The Sowy River between the River Parrett and King’s Sed Gemoor Drain was completed in 1972; water levels are managed by the Levels internal drainage boards. In the Middle Ages, the monasteries of Glastbury, Athelney and Muchelney were responsible for much of the drainage. In 1685, the Battle of Sedgem Moor was fought in the Bussex area of Westonzoyland at the conclusion of the Monmouth Rebellion.
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This page is based on the article Somerset Levels published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
