This week's Central Somerset Gazette has news of a report on modern farming as destructive of ancient tracks on the Somerset Levels. Apparently ploughing and draining the land has the effect of drying out the waterlogged prehistoric timbers. It is their waterlogged state that has preserved them for so many centuries.

A road, probably Roman, runs about 100 metres south of the causeway that crosses the Brue at Pomparles Bridge. It was excavated and photographed early last century, and its course can be seen as crop marks in very dry weather. It may be one of the ancient monuments under threat.

See the news item here. I quote three paragraphs.

English Heritage is calling for farmers to join the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) Environmental Stewardship Scheme which would reward them for preserving these monuments through maintaining raised water levels and converting arable land to pasture.

Among those under the spotlight have been Abbot's Way near Westhay, Street Causeway between Street and Glastonbury, Chilton Track near Burtle and Glastonbury Lake Village near Godney.

County council heritage officer Richard Brunning said: "Recent studies proved there was a potential threat to the waterlogged remains, but it was a shock to see the damage caused.