Burning Dartmoor
By cmsue
11 comments
Swaling – sounds like some sort of manic folk dance, but it is a practice that has been carried out for centuries. Swaling is the annual burning of the gorse and scrub in order to thin out the old vegetation in order to allow new grass shoots to grow thus providing grazing for the livestock. The first recorded instance of the word ‘swaling’ comes from a poem written in around 1205AD by Layamon called Brut, it is suggested that the actual word comes from the Anglo Saxon word – Swælan meaning to burn.
As you can see the men doing there work, there were about 12 of them
They do this all over the moors a bit at a time.
6 Mar, 2012
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Comments
Very interesting.
6 Mar, 2012
They do this here, too, on the grouse moors to let young heather shoots grow to feed the grouse population - then guess what.......?
6 Mar, 2012
Then they shoot them , poor little things :(
6 Mar, 2012
Scary work though - looks as if it could easily get out of control doesn't it?
6 Mar, 2012
This happens on the mountainsides here too. Looks so scary until you understand what's happening!
7 Mar, 2012
i have seen this before sue and wondered what it was for, hope the wildlife dont get harmed.
7 Mar, 2012
Yes sanbaz that was my first thought,s but they have to do it i surpose.:)
7 Mar, 2012
It's amazing how quick it all grows back too.
8 Mar, 2012
If we see smoke on the hillside, it's a sure sign of real danger. This looks spectacular and dangerous, but I'm sure they know exactly what they are doing. LOVE the etymological bit - very interesting. I just hope, like you, Sanbaz, that the wildlife can shift themselves out of danger. Those that can run will, and those that can burrow won't have to go too deep to escape the superficial heat, I think. I hope.
16 Mar, 2012
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Interesting ... quick way to get rid I suppose
6 Mar, 2012