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.