Sweet Track Archaeological Site

The Sweet Track is a Neolithic timber trackway across the peat and wetlands of the Somerset Levels in southwest England. It is renowned as one of the earliest engineered wooden roads, built to provide a raised walking route across marshy ground.

Remains of the track were discovered and excavated in the 20th century; surviving timbers were dated by dendrochronology to around 3807-3806 BC, giving the track great significance for understanding Neolithic engineering and landscape use. The exposed route originally ran for several hundred metres across the peat and linked seasonal working areas.

The track was constructed from closely spaced paired planks laid on crossed supporting poles and driven posts to create a continuous walkway over wet ground. The discovery and conservation of the timbers provided key evidence about Neolithic woodworking skills and transport across wetlands.

The Sweet Track route lies on the Somerset Levels near the villages of Westhay and Shapwick, in a lowland peat landscape west of Glastonbury and accessible from local roads and nature reserves.

• Dating: Dendrochronological dating places its construction to around 3807-3806 BC, making it one of the oldest known engineered timber trackways in the world.
• Discovery and preservation: Timbers from the track were excavated and conserved in the 20th century and are held in museum collections; the original route crosses peatland on the Somerset Levels near Westhay and Shapwick.

The Sweet Track is located on the Somerset Levels near the villages of Shapwick and Meare. Access depends on which interpretation site is being visited; local roads off the A361 and A372 serve the general area. The nearest larger town is Glastonbury.

• The Sweet Track is an archaeological site best visited in clear weather to appreciate the marsh context; the boardwalk remnants are often reburied or replicated indoors.
• Visit the nearby Somerset Levels visitor interpretation centre to see the preserved timbers discovered in the 1970s.
• Combine a visit with a walk across the Levels to understand how prehistoric people navigated this landscape.