Turfcutting

Turfcutting is the act of cutting turf or peat from wetlands for use as fuel, bedding, or horticultural substrate. The practice is common in peatlands where the surface layer can be cut into blocks or slabs and dried for storage.

Historically, turf provided heating and cooking fuel for rural households and shaped land use in regions such as Ireland, Scotland, and parts of northern England. It also affected landscape hydrology through drainage and field boundaries.

Methods range from manual cutting with spades and turf knives to the use of mechanical peat harvesters on larger sites. Cut turf blocks are stacked to dry, then stored or transported to fuel stores or horticultural markets.

Environmental and regulatory aspects are central to turfcutting. Extraction alters hydrology, releases stored carbon, and can degrade habitats, especially on protected peatlands. Governing bodies regulate through licenses, site designations, and restoration programs; traditional rights exist in some locales under strict conditions, while others prohibit it.

Today, many policies promote peatland restoration and a transition away from peat as a fuel or growing medium. Alternatives include renewable heating and horticultural substrates, with ongoing research into sustainable management of remaining peatlands and potential re-wetting to restore ecological function.