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Details:
The Difford's structures were first noted in March 1976 when worked wood was observed in cut peat. {1}

This was followed by three excavations in 1976: (i) ST44874074 - Difford's 1 and 2: trimmed alder and birch brushwood and more substantial birch pieces lining the edges of an old pool. On the N (Difford's 1) they formed a pegged platform, and on the S they were lying free. Peat cutting had removed the rest of the pool. Pollen dating gives 100bc and tree-ring dating to about 240AD and both are consistent with the probability that the wood-cutting had been done with iron implements. The pool edge platform would probably have been connected with some subsidiary farming activity, such as reed or hide soaking, fishing or artificial water restriction. It is a rare example of Iron Age activity on the raised bog, surviving earlier peat cutting since it was a sunken feature. (ii) ST44914073 - Difford's 3: part of a woven hurdle, mostly of hazel, 2130mm long and 390mm wide. (iii) ST44954072 - Difford's 4: part of a woven hurdle of alder and hazel, 1160mm long and 450mm wide. No dating evidence is suggested for Difford's 3 or 4, but some comparison is made with the adjacent Eclipse trackway (PRN 23800) which is also of hurdles and dated to c1500bc, though the Difford's hurdles were 10cm higher in the peat and only half the width of those in the Eclipse. {2}

OSAD card gives wrong NGR. {6}

References:

Data kindly supplied by the Somerset Historic Environment Record.
Record created in December 1986
© Copyright Somerset County Council 2007