Blacktone Edge Common Roman Road

DTMS Group were tasked the job of saving a scheduled ancient monument known as the Blackstone Edge “Roman Road”.

The “Roman Road” runs across the former Lancashire and Yorkshire boundary, partly parallel to the boundary of Butterworth Common and Blackstone Edge Common on the South Pennine Moors.

At higher altitude across the moor, the “Roman Road” cuts through the varying thicknesses of the extensive peat blanket.

Over hundreds of years of industrial, agricultural and recreational activities, the vegetation that grows on the peat has been extensively damaged causing the peat to be eroded giving the impression of a much wider appearance to the road.

To try and stop further erosion to the peat, and maintain the cut appearance of the road, DTMS Group were contracted by Moors For theFuture to construct a retaining wall out of natural materials to hold the steep eroding peat bank.

Hessian sacks were filled with a compost and a seed mixture.  These were laid flat along the front of the peat bank, like building bricks, to the height of the bank.  Hazel spars were then driven through the sacks into the peat below to stop them moving.  Plug plants of Bilberry, Crowberry and Cloud Berry were then planted into the new hessian wall.

The seeds quickly germinate and stabilise the wall before the hessian sacks decompose.  This gives the plug plants chance to establish.