does anyone know why there are shapes burnt into the moors on snake pass, just coming out of glossop.
my mate thinks they could be letters, to be seen from above,(i disagree).
they are put there on purpose cus we saw two farmers starting a fire a few weeks ago, and no they were not vandels or kids messing about.
it looks like it is the small purpleish plants that they are burning, but why do they only burn strips and not it all.
any ideas

It will probably be managed as a grouse moor, the Heather is burnt off in strips to encourage young shoots that the birds like to eat.

I've often noticed them on the way to Manchester. When it snows they really show up. At one time we thought they may be messages for the coming invasion:
'Landing lights on'.

But no, they are just managed heath for the grouses.

but why the strips,
why not just burn the lot

Its a combination of reasons.

You want to maintain a variety of cover for the different species that find uses for the different age ranges/heights of heather.
You need some old tall heather for grouse and other birds to find cover and nest in.
You need the younger heather after burning to provide good nutritional shoots.
If the heather is allowed to grow to old and lanky it will start to die back and the moor will become less useful.
A recommended cycle for burning can be every 7 years or as long as every 25 years depending on how vigorous the growth is on that site.

Another reason is that you don't want the fires to get too big.
They can get out of control and so damage other moorland/property and wildlife/plants.
If the fire gets too big it also burns at a higher temperature and can kill off the base and roots of the heather plants and their seeds that you want to shoot/resprout.
It can also set fire to the peat which can be difficult to extinguish.
A smaller strip is easily controlled and can be extinguished if needed.

You also want to avoid exposing too large an area as it can cause problems with erosion.

Good answer!
Muirburn is one name for this strip technique....

good answers,

thankyou

go a few miles north and you can pick up dead bodies it seems all over the place on the moors...

Originally posted by Internetowl
go a few miles north and you can pick up dead bodies it seems all over the place on the moors...

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I always thought it spelled something out as it does look like letters.
I would pull up on my bike and try and work it out but failed miserably.

Originally posted by Internetowl
go a few miles north and you can pick up dead bodies it seems all over the place on the moors...

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????Are you a psychopath?:loopy:

An interestingly similar Q&A from the Moors for the Future (http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/mftf/main/FAQ.htm) website:

I often drive from Glossop to Sheffield over the Snake Pass. As you climb up the hill out of Glossop, there are very large patches of heather which are obviously cut or trimmed as there are so many large rectangular shapes. My family and I have various theories about why these are there, possibly for aircraft, possibly an experiment to see how heather regenerates or not... Can you tell us the real answer, please?

The patchwork of heather that you have seen is to create different levels of vegetation for grouse production. The Peak District moors have been used for grouse shooting for a long time. Grouse can shelter in the tall stands of heather and feed on the young shoots which sprout up following cutting or burning. This particular habitat mosaic near Glossop looks odd and geometrical due to being cut rather than burnt. Both cutting and burning as a management tool have their advantages and disadvantages and the land manager will take into account various circumstances and location as to which is most appropriate. Further details can be obtained from the English Nature web site.

Originally posted by Internetowl
go a few miles north and you can pick up dead bodies it seems all over the place on the moors...

Lol,

Sorry, those sort of off the wall outlandish statements appeal to my sense of humour.

I assume it was a joke ofc.??!!