Based on the scene, it’s possible this photograph was taken at a peat farm in Askam-in-Furness around 1920. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the rough grassland, turning the scene a warm amber. The air, heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying vegetation, hung still as the workers laboured. Here, amidst the reeds and grasses, a small group laboured to gather their winter fuel.
Three men, their faces etched with the lines of honest toil, worked alongside a woman, likely the farm owner’s wife. Their hands, rough and calloused from years of toil, moved with a practised rhythm. Peat, a dark, spongy material, was their quarry. Formed over millennia in the cool, damp embrace of the bog, it was a partially decomposed collection of vegetation – mostly sphagnum moss, heather, and reeds.
Unlike wood, peat couldn’t thrive with abundant oxygen. Instead, stagnant waterlogged conditions slowed down the breakdown process, allowing these partially decayed organic materials to accumulate layer upon layer. Over time, these layers compressed, forming the valuable fuel source they were now collecting.
One man wielded a peat spade, its wide, flat blade designed specifically for this task. With a practised ease, he sliced through the peat, the blade sinking into the soft, yielding material with a satisfying thud. Another, muscles bunching with effort, hoisted the block and heaved it onto a waiting horse-drawn wagon. The wagon creaked under the added weight, its wooden frame groaning in protest. The woman, her boots sinking slightly into the damp earth, gripped the handles of a sturdy wheelbarrow piled high with peat chunks. With each step, she could feel the soft give of the boggy ground beneath her feet. Back and forth she went, her steady pace a testament to her strength and resilience.
Every bit of space mattered – the harsh winter demanded a full storehouse. Slowly but surely, the wagon filled, its wooden frame groaning slightly under the accumulating weight.
Peat, when dried, burned hot and slow, releasing a smoky fragrance into the air. The thought of the cosy warmth it would provide filled them with a sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t the cleanest fuel, but in these rural lands, it was a dependable source of heat for long winter nights. As the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of fiery orange and deep purple, the group continued their work, a quiet understanding passing between them. The coming winter would be long, but with the peat stacked high, they would face it together, warmed by the fruits of their labour.
#BritishHistory #PeatCutting #RuralLife #HorsedrawnWagon #AskamInFurness #Cumbria #1920s #WinterFuel
A huge thank you to Cumbria Archives for providing the captivating photos used in this blog post and for their dedication to preserving Cumbria’s heritage. With their kind permission, these images help bring the story of Fueling the Hearth: Peat Cutting in Askam-in-Furness to life. Image courtesy of Cumbria Archives #CumbriaArchivesPhotos #cumbriahistory