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Details:
"Tinney's Ground" is a peat field centred on ST47093820 in which multiple timber trackways have been found. The trackways, already much disturbed by peat cutting, were first noticed in 1965-67 and have been systematically investigated by the Somerset Levels Project since 1973 during peat cutting operations. {1}

A large number of small excavations have been carried out with major investigations taking place between 1974-78. Hundreds of wood exposures have been noted, representing at least nine major alignments with contemporary structures around them. The trackway peats in this field were almost totally removed by 1979 and the last reported wood find was in 1984. {2}

The trackways run SW-NE, sometimes interconnecting, which peter out towards the NE. They were used to maintain a passage across the Bronze Age raised bog from occupation sites on the Sharpham slopes (cST46203780) towards the River Brue, 500-800m from the end of the track. They have been observed further W in the bank of the South Drain and 400m from the Sharpham slopes. They ran over an undulating surface which the environmental evidence suggests was particularly wet, except in the E where there are no associated structures The tracks were probably linked to the exploitation of the raised bog and the river and there is some evidence of activity in this area - the remains of a four post structure was seen near the river during the cutting of the higher peats. Two heavy platforms have also been reported, perhaps connected with hunting or fowling, as well as a bow and a wooden bin. {3}

The investigation of Tin A showed it to have been built in a number of phases. Initially the surface was stabilised with a spread of alder, hazel and willow roundwood with slats and fragments of oak, all held in place by pegs. There then was an interval during which the ground became wetter and so oak planks, held by heavy posts and pegs, were placed in the subsided areas, with brushwood bundles trampled down on top. Over this more brushwood was heaped and pegs driven through and around it. Where the surface was drier planking was not used. The final walkway was 80cm wide and higher and stronger than the original and the evidence suggests that it was built from the W. However, most of the other trackways were of thinner brushwood structures, bundles of roughly prepared wood being dumped to form a walkway 30-100cm wide and 10- 30cm thick. Tin D did contain oak planks and tree-ring analysis shows that these and the track are contemporary with Tin A. In the brushwood alder was dominant and most of the wood provided evidence of axe work. The tracks were soon squashed into the bog and overwhelmed by plant growth, so they were frequently replaced, rebuilt or diverted. Tin A had a life span of c10-20 years. Radio-carbon dates for Tinney's A, B and D tracks produced date ranges between 1413 and 1034 cal BC. Earlier activity is indicated by a piece of low lying wood from the NW of the field dated to 2357-2140 cal BC representing stabilisation of isolated wet areas. {4} 

The short period of use of all the tracks is supported by the lack of small finds. Two late Bronze Age flint flakes have been found together with a prehistoric worked chert artifact and a bone tusk. {15} 

The nine trackways recognised are called Tin A to Tin J (no I) and have been traced for distances of 200m (ST46903810-ST47063820), 200m (ST46903812- ST47073824), 140m (ST46943813-ST47043819), 40m, 60m, 40m, 30m, 15m and 40m respectively. {18} 

The adjacent field has been scheduled to protect the trackways, see PRN 25545. {20} 

Further denodrchronological work undertaken in 2004 enabled the production of a composite tree-ring chronology dated to 1703-1478BC inclusive for Track A. None of the timbers had sapwood and thus it is only possible to say that the timbers were probably felled after 1468BC. {21}

References:

Data kindly supplied by the Somerset Historic Environment Record.
Record created in October 1985
© Copyright Somerset County Council 2007