Anyone who has waded through a sea of vegetation looking for ancient hut circles or a burial cist will be very aware of the way in which bracken hides surface archaeological remains. But bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) does far more damage underground. Unlike most ferns, bracken does not rely on spores to spread. Instead it depend…

In 2005, Andy Crabb, Dartmoor National Park Authority and English Heritage archaeologist, became seriously concerned about the condition of the piles of rock which are seen on the summits of many of Dartmoor’s tors. Stones were being moved and the danger was that fragile archaeology below the upper layers of stone could be damaged or…

Our project to clear gorse from the sides of the Plymouth Leat is nearing completion after five years of hard work. These photographs show members of the DPA and volunteers from Western Mortgage Services who are helping to clear the final stages with some of our regulars (shown above).