This winter, our colleagues at Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP), part of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, headed away from their usual upland sites to take a fresh look at peat depths across some of the most challenging parts of the lowland moors. While peat probing on these sites is nothing new, this round of surveys focused specifically on areas of bare and degraded peat - places that spend much of the year underwater before drying and cracking in summer, only to be submerged again with winter rains.

These fragile, wave‑eroded edges haven’t been surveyed in recent years simply because they’re so difficult to reach. But by gathering new peat‑depth data, we can unlock future funding opportunities and make sure restoration continues at pace.

Why AOD levels matter

Before any machines roll in and before any dam, bund, or weir is installed, our Nature Recovery teams gather as much information as possible. Part of this work involves capturing AOD (Above Ordnance Datum) levels with the help of specialist contractors.

What does this actually tell us?

AOD is a highly accurate measurement of the ground’s height above mean sea level. On landscapes as flat as Hatfield and Thorne Moors, even a few centimetres make a remarkable difference. Getting water levels right is crucial: one small adjustment to a weir or sluice can mean the difference between a cell of drying, eroding peat and one slowly returning to a thriving, living raised bog.

Armed with this data, we’ve been out across the moors matching ground levels with proposed restoration structures. We’ve also traced old, buried culverts - because on a site where water likes to find its own path (and rarely behaves as expected!), understanding how it moves underground is just as important as what’s happening on the surface.

Looking ahead 

Thanks to months of probing, measuring, walking, wading, and double‑checking, we now have a clearer picture of the peat and hydrology of the areas next in line for restoration. We look forward the 2025/26 construction season with well-informed optimism.

As always, we ask visitors to keep an eye out for “conservation work in progress” signs when out on the Moors. These projects are vital for the long‑term health of the site, and your safety - and that of our hard‑working contractors - remains our top priority.

Together, with informed decisions and careful intervention, we’re helping these remarkable peatlands recover and thrive once more.