---
title: "Peat depth map, UK and Ireland: the measurement gap | Vireo"
description: 82 per cent of mapped peat across Britain and Ireland lies more than 1 km from any openly published peat depth measurement. Look up your area.
image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_a13.jpg
---

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[Home](https://www.vireonature.com/)  /  [Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)  /  [Peat on development sites](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-and-development)

Analysis[Peat on development sites](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-and-development)

# Peat depth map of the UK and Ireland: where the open measurements are

For developers, estates, consultants and funders working on peat in Britain and Ireland

82 per cent of mapped peat across Britain and Ireland lies more than 1 km from any openly published peat depth measurement.

By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 202610 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026

![Peat depth map, UK and Ireland: the measurement gap | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_13.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_13.jpg)

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Key points

- 82 per cent of mapped peat across Britain and Ireland (4,040,630 of 4,925,244 hectares) lies more than 1 km from any openly published peat depth measurement.
- Half of mapped peat in Ireland is more than 15.0 km from the nearest openly published depth measurement. In Northern Ireland the figure is 10.5 km, in England and Scotland 2.2 km, and in Wales 1.0 km.
- The figure measures distance to published measurements. It says nothing about peat depth, peat condition or the accuracy of any map. Surveys held privately are not counted.

Peat depth decides what can be built, what can be restored and what a project costs. National peat maps show where peat is. Measured depths are published for far fewer places, and they cluster on sites that have already been surveyed. The map below is a peat depth map of where open measurements are, and where they are not. To plan probing on your own site, start with a [peat depth survey plan](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack).

We measured the distance from every hectare of mapped peat to the nearest openly published depth measurement, using each nation's own published peat map and more than 500,000 published depth records.

**82%**of mapped peat is more than 1 km from an openly published depth measurementBritain and Ireland

**4.04m**hectares of mapped peat beyond 1 kmof 4.93 million hectares

**15.0 km**median distance in IrelandWales 1.0 km

**113**areas to look up in the table belowcounties, council areas, parks and landscapes

Jump to: [find your area](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap#a13-area) or [ask how far your site is](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap#ask).

## How far is mapped peat from a published depth measurement?

The share of mapped peat more than 1 km from the nearest openly published depth measurement is 99 per cent in Ireland, 98 per cent in Northern Ireland, 74 per cent in England, 72 per cent in Scotland and 50 per cent in Wales.

Ireland99% (median 15.0 km)Northern Ireland98% (median 10.5 km)England74% (median 2.2 km)Scotland72% (median 2.2 km)Wales50% (median 1.0 km)Share of mapped peat beyond 1 km (%)

Share of mapped peat more than 1 km from the nearest openly published peat depth measurement, by nation, with the median distance. Peat maps are made differently in each nation, so the comparison is indicative. Scotland's map is predictive. Surveys held privately are not counted. Source: Vireo Nature analysis of open data, as found on 10 November 2026.

[Download the chart (PNG)](https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/vireo_peat_depth_gap_chart.png), with its source line, to use in your own report or article.

## What is the figure for my area?

The table gives the same measure at 1 km for 113 counties, council areas, National Parks and National Landscapes. Areas with less than 1,000 hectares of mapped peat are left out because the figure is unstable on small areas. A figure describes what is published openly for an area. It does not describe what any owner or organisation holds.

Try it

### Find your area

Choose a type of area or type a name.

Type of areaAll areasEnglish countiesCouncil areas (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)Irish countiesNational ParksNational Landscapes

Name

| Area | Nation | Mapped peat (ha) | Beyond 1 km | Median distance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cambridgeshire | England | 48,772 | 59.1% | 1.2 km |
| Cheshire | England | 4,152 | 49.4% | 1.0 km |
| Cornwall | England | 29,123 | 82.3% | 2.2 km |
| Cumbria | England | 216,095 | 86.0% | 3.3 km |
| Derbyshire | England | 31,998 | 39.1% | 0.6 km |
| Devon | England | 80,696 | 77.1% | 2.3 km |
| Dorset | England | 3,635 | 85.4% | 2.4 km |
| Durham | England | 71,760 | 88.4% | 2.8 km |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | England | 1,818 | 81.5% | 4.8 km |
| Greater Manchester | England | 11,680 | 68.5% | 1.8 km |
| Hampshire | England | 20,346 | 36.1% | 0.7 km |
| Herefordshire | England | 1,905 | 78.4% | 3.0 km |
| Lancashire | England | 57,820 | 68.3% | 1.8 km |
| Lincolnshire | England | 16,154 | 76.9% | 1.9 km |
| Merseyside | England | 1,417 | 56.5% | 1.1 km |
| Norfolk | England | 39,851 | 69.0% | 1.9 km |
| North Yorkshire | England | 222,253 | 79.9% | 2.6 km |
| Northumberland | England | 190,458 | 64.5% | 1.5 km |
| Nottinghamshire | England | 4,167 | 91.5% | 3.4 km |
| Shropshire | England | 6,479 | 81.1% | 3.8 km |
| Somerset | England | 34,524 | 52.9% | 1.1 km |
| South Yorkshire | England | 18,549 | 53.4% | 1.1 km |
| Staffordshire | England | 4,218 | 85.2% | 3.2 km |
| Suffolk | England | 13,063 | 78.8% | 2.4 km |
| Surrey | England | 1,272 | 82.1% | 3.8 km |
| West Yorkshire | England | 29,962 | 86.7% | 3.5 km |
| Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 37,140 | 65.1% | 1.7 km |
| Angus | Scotland | 19,107 | 51.6% | 1.1 km |
| Argyll and Bute | Scotland | 182,851 | 78.3% | 2.9 km |
| Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | Northern Ireland | 3,527 | 98.8% | 30.1 km |
| Carmarthenshire | Wales | 1,402 | 63.6% | 2.0 km |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | Northern Ireland | 36,171 | 95.6% | 5.1 km |
| Ceredigion | Wales | 12,576 | 52.0% | 1.0 km |
| Clackmannanshire | Scotland | 1,624 | 91.9% | 2.3 km |
| Conwy | Wales | 11,773 | 55.6% | 1.1 km |
| Denbighshire | Wales | 2,098 | 62.2% | 1.3 km |
| Derry City and Strabane | Northern Ireland | 29,890 | 98.7% | 9.7 km |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Scotland | 32,909 | 79.9% | 2.7 km |
| East Ayrshire | Scotland | 11,289 | 59.1% | 1.5 km |
| East Renfrewshire | Scotland | 1,569 | 89.6% | 2.9 km |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | Northern Ireland | 49,252 | 99.2% | 20.0 km |
| Gwynedd | Wales | 17,191 | 42.5% | 0.8 km |
| Highland | Scotland | 1,100,225 | 70.0% | 2.0 km |
| Inverclyde | Scotland | 2,770 | 1.3% | 0.1 km |
| Mid Ulster | Northern Ireland | 22,826 | 96.9% | 8.8 km |
| Mid and East Antrim | Northern Ireland | 15,342 | 99.6% | 13.2 km |
| Moray | Scotland | 23,903 | 77.8% | 2.6 km |
| Na h-Eileanan an Iar | Scotland | 209,958 | 84.5% | 3.0 km |
| Neath Port Talbot | Wales | 1,455 | 15.1% | 0.0 km |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | Northern Ireland | 6,804 | 98.2% | 10.2 km |
| North Ayrshire | Scotland | 12,092 | 62.0% | 1.5 km |
| North Lanarkshire | Scotland | 2,509 | 69.8% | 1.5 km |
| Orkney Islands | Scotland | 9,471 | 63.6% | 1.7 km |
| Perth and Kinross | Scotland | 89,103 | 70.4% | 2.2 km |
| Powys | Wales | 22,688 | 53.1% | 1.1 km |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | Wales | 1,650 | 31.5% | 0.2 km |
| Scottish Borders | Scotland | 12,817 | 48.8% | 0.9 km |
| Shetland Islands | Scotland | 52,797 | 60.4% | 1.5 km |
| South Ayrshire | Scotland | 5,856 | 76.2% | 2.3 km |
| South Lanarkshire | Scotland | 9,743 | 70.9% | 1.9 km |
| Stirling | Scotland | 36,735 | 66.2% | 1.7 km |
| West Lothian | Scotland | 1,504 | 37.6% | 0.3 km |
| Wrexham | Wales | 1,840 | 50.2% | 1.0 km |
| Carlow | Ireland | 5,469 | 95.4% | 7.3 km |
| Cavan | Ireland | 27,935 | 99.9% | 28.4 km |
| Clare | Ireland | 75,980 | 99.8% | 23.4 km |
| Cork | Ireland | 66,505 | 99.6% | 21.6 km |
| Donegal | Ireland | 239,774 | 99.4% | 15.5 km |
| Dublin | Ireland | 7,938 | 100.0% | 9.8 km |
| Galway | Ireland | 223,358 | 99.0% | 10.7 km |
| Kerry | Ireland | 159,278 | 98.8% | 13.9 km |
| Kildare | Ireland | 28,348 | 100.0% | 19.8 km |
| Kilkenny | Ireland | 4,667 | 100.0% | 22.6 km |
| Laois | Ireland | 28,433 | 98.3% | 14.1 km |
| Leitrim | Ireland | 52,817 | 100.0% | 29.1 km |
| Limerick | Ireland | 18,159 | 99.5% | 11.8 km |
| Longford | Ireland | 33,927 | 99.3% | 15.2 km |
| Louth | Ireland | 8,167 | 100.0% | 13.7 km |
| Mayo | Ireland | 266,002 | 99.2% | 16.2 km |
| Meath | Ireland | 9,135 | 100.0% | 27.9 km |
| Monaghan | Ireland | 14,917 | 100.0% | 25.8 km |
| Offaly | Ireland | 79,378 | 98.1% | 9.8 km |
| Roscommon | Ireland | 77,185 | 98.7% | 8.5 km |
| Sligo | Ireland | 68,679 | 98.2% | 8.6 km |
| Tipperary | Ireland | 55,171 | 98.7% | 16.5 km |
| Waterford | Ireland | 12,722 | 100.0% | 17.9 km |
| Westmeath | Ireland | 40,785 | 100.0% | 29.5 km |
| Wexford | Ireland | 1,340 | 100.0% | 13.2 km |
| Wicklow | Ireland | 53,479 | 98.8% | 12.5 km |
| Cornwall | England and Wales | 20,680 | 80.4% | 2.1 km |
| Forest of Bowland | England and Wales | 31,707 | 62.8% | 1.6 km |
| Nidderdale | England and Wales | 28,600 | 72.3% | 2.5 km |
| Norfolk Coast | England and Wales | 1,880 | 84.7% | 2.4 km |
| North Pennines | England and Wales | 146,796 | 89.3% | 3.0 km |
| Quantock Hills | England and Wales | 1,500 | 80.3% | 2.1 km |
| Shropshire Hills | England and Wales | 3,689 | 91.6% | 6.0 km |
| Solway Coast | England and Wales | 1,439 | 28.6% | 0.7 km |
| Suffolk Coast & Heaths | England and Wales | 1,590 | 81.3% | 3.1 km |
| Surrey Hills | England and Wales | 1,128 | 80.9% | 3.8 km |
| Bannau Brycheiniog | Great Britain | 5,975 | 67.8% | 1.8 km |
| Cairngorms | Great Britain | 97,608 | 76.3% | 2.4 km |
| Dartmoor | Great Britain | 60,576 | 79.9% | 2.3 km |
| Eryri | Great Britain | 23,968 | 45.4% | 0.9 km |
| Exmoor | Great Britain | 26,120 | 31.4% | 0.5 km |
| Lake District | Great Britain | 95,744 | 85.3% | 3.3 km |
| Loch Lomond and The Trossachs | Great Britain | 29,565 | 66.6% | 1.9 km |
| New Forest | Great Britain | 18,525 | 30.9% | 0.7 km |
| North York Moors | Great Britain | 63,526 | 83.5% | 2.7 km |
| Northumberland | Great Britain | 86,969 | 55.3% | 1.1 km |
| Peak District | Great Britain | 53,486 | 48.9% | 1.0 km |
| South Downs | Great Britain | 1,274 | 81.7% | 7.0 km |
| The Broads | Great Britain | 10,638 | 52.3% | 1.1 km |
| Yorkshire Dales | Great Britain | 145,475 | 82.4% | 2.9 km |

Source: Vireo Nature analysis of open data, as found on 10 November 2026.

[Download the table (CSV)](https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/vireo_peat_depth_gap_table.csv). That is the area. For one site, [send us the location](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap#ask).

## What is the distance for my site?

### Send your site. Get one distance and one count.

We email you the distance from your site to the nearest openly published peat depth measurement, and how many lie within 1 km. From open data, within three working days. Surveys held privately are not counted.

Where is the site?

A grid reference, postcode or place name. One site per request.

First name

Work email

Send my site

A person on the team runs the check, using the same method and open sources as this page.

We use your details to reply to you. [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy)

## Does the picture change with the distance chosen?

Yes, and the three distances are shown together so the choice is visible. At 250 m every nation is above 80 per cent. At 5 km England, Scotland and Wales fall below 16 per cent, while Northern Ireland and Ireland stay above 70 per cent.

| Nation | Mapped peat (ha) | Beyond 250 m | Beyond 1 km | Beyond 5 km | Median distance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| England | 1,165,834 | 91.9% | 74.0% | 15.5% | 2.2 km |
| Scotland | 1,860,207 | 86.4% | 71.7% | 9.8% | 2.2 km |
| Wales | 74,505 | 80.5% | 49.9% | 1.2% | 1.0 km |
| Northern Ireland | 165,102 | 99.8% | 97.9% | 73.7% | 10.5 km |
| Ireland | 1,659,596 | 99.9% | 99.1% | 88.1% | 15.0 km |
| Total | 4,925,244 | 92.6% | 82.0% | 39.6% |  |

Source: Vireo Nature analysis of open data, as found on 10 November 2026.

Scotland is measured on NatureScot's Carbon and Peatland 2016 map, classes 1 and 2. On a wider reading that adds class 5, the Scottish figure at 1 km is 75.4 per cent of 2,854,904 hectares. The wider reading is not in the total.

## What does the figure show, and what does it not show?

- It measures distance to published measurements. It says nothing about peat depth, peat condition or the accuracy of any map.
- Surveys held privately are not counted. Developers, estates, water companies and public bodies hold surveys that are not openly published.
- The five peat maps are made in different ways, so nations are not strictly like for like. Scotland's map is predictive.
- Welsh measured values are published as 50 m cells, not as points. The cell centre is used.
- The count covers the open datasets found on 10 November 2026 and listed below.
- Areas are counted in 100 m cells, so each area figure is an estimate.

## How was it measured?

Each nation's published peat map is cut into 100 m cells of one hectare. A cell counts if its centre is on mapped peat. For each cell, the straight-line distance to the nearest openly published depth measurement is taken. 537,057 point records are used (some places appear in more than one source). Great Britain is measured on the British National Grid and the island of Ireland on the Irish Grid.

## Quick answers

What is classed as deep peat?

Each UK nation sets its own threshold. In Scotland, deep peat is 50 cm or more. England's peatland decision framework treats a peat layer of 30 cm or more as deep peat. A peat depth survey settles it on your site. Source: [Scottish Forestry, July 2025; Forestry Commission and Natural England framework, July 2023](https://www.forestry.gov.scot/definition-deep-peat-forestry).

How much carbon do UK peatlands store?

Over three billion tonnes of carbon, across about two million hectares. At least 80 per cent of UK peatland is damaged, and damaged peat emits about 29.8 million tonnes of CO2e a year. Source: [IUCN UK Peatland Programme](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/Peatland_Leaflet_ONLINE_V2.pdf).

## Sources and licences

Peat maps

- England Peat Map, peaty soil extent v1. Natural England. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Carbon and Peatland 2016 map, classes 1 and 2. NatureScot, derived from James Hutton Institute soil data and Land Cover Scotland 1988. Open Government Licence.
- Peatlands of Wales, extent. Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Priority Habitats, Peatland. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Irish Peat Soils Map. Trinity College Dublin. CC BY 4.0. [DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/27HJ3](https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/27HJ3).

Depth measurements

- England Peat Map collated observations and survey records. Natural England. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Peatland ACTION peat depth. NatureScot. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Peatlands of Wales thickness, cells with a measured value. Welsh Government. Open Government Licence v3.0. Read 10 November 2026.
- Forest of Bowland peat depths. United Utilities. CC BY 4.0.
- Dartmoor peat depths, research data record 604. University of Glasgow. CC BY 4.0.
- National Soil Inventory of Scotland, 10 km grid. James Hutton Institute. Hutton open data licence.
- Peat-DBase v1. CC BY 4.0.
- A national peatland database for the Republic of Ireland (AUGER project). Renou-Wilson, Walz, Wilson and Byrne, for EPA Ireland. CC BY 4.0. [DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20762238](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20762238).

Boundaries: Ordnance Survey Boundary-Line, Office for National Statistics, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and Tailte Eireann. Contains OS data, Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cite as: Vireo Nature, The peat depth gap: where the open measurements are, 10 November 2026, www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap. Reference: Vireo Nature analysis VIR-RD-STAT-001 v0.2.

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**Written by the Vireo team**Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. Every figure in our work carries its range, its source and its test.

*Working on something like this?***How far is my site?**

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*Live example***Inside a site**

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*Working on something like this?***How far is my site?**

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*Live example***Inside a site**

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## Keep reading

### [![Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_01.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_01.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 12 minute read Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks What a peat management plan must contain, the excavation and reuse figures a reviewer tests, and the survey evidence each figure rests on. With sources. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents)

### [![How accurate is the England Peat Map? What national peat maps support at site scale](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_05.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_05.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 13 minute read How accurate is the England Peat Map? What national peat maps support at site scale What the England Peat Map and other national peat maps are designed to support, how map depth compares with probed depth, and what a site decision needs. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/england-peat-map-accuracy)

### [![Peat surveys for wind farms and grid lines in Scotland: what the guidance asks for](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_peat.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_peat.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 8 minute read Peat surveys for wind farms and grid lines in Scotland: what the guidance asks for The two survey phases, probe spacings, records and outputs Scottish guidance expects on peat before a layout is fixed, and where a desk read saves fieldwork. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-scotland)

## See what is under your site before you survey it.

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[Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site)

## Related guides and services

- [Plan a peat depth survey: Site Evidence Pack, £3,600 →](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)
- [How accurate is the England Peat Map? →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/england-peat-map-accuracy)
- [Peat survey guidance for wind farms in Scotland →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-scotland)
- [Free peatland carbon calculator →](https://www.vireonature.com/calculators/carbon)

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Figures as at October 2026. They describe what exists today, not forecasts. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Copernicus DEM (modified), NASA MODIS MCD64A1, Tellus survey.

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