Gathering Moss in Dorset

Gathering of moss in Dorset on a commercial basis is now a lost trade. This used to take place on Okeford and Belchalwell Hills in North Dorset. Some mossers would use rakes while others would gather the moss using their bare hands. Orders would arrive from Covent Garden merchants in London . Bags of moss would be labelled and despatched from Shillingstone by train to London - Waterloo via the junction at Templecombe. Bad weather would not deter the gatherers and snow would be removed to access the moss. Shillingstone moss was valued by Covent Garden traders for its ability to hold moisture around plants. It was used for packing and decoration purposes. Rabbits proved to be helpful to the mossers as they kept patches free from weeds and brambles. 

In June 1906, three men and two women from Woodcutts, Salisbury were apprehended by police constable Bleathman for gathering ‘two or three bags’ of moss, valued at five shillings (25p). This was taken from land at Melbury Abbas belonging to Sir Richard Glyn. Each was fined five shillings with costs of thirteen shillings and four pence (circa 67p) to be shared and paid by them.

For several generations, Shillingstone was famous for its moss gathering and there is a nostalgic song Shillingstone Moss written by Dorset folk musician Tim Laycock. The North Dorset moss trade disappeared when Shillingstone station closed to goods traffic in April 1965. Despite North Dorset moss being Covent Garden florists’ preferred option, the trade was no longer economic. Other suppliers were used such as those in mid-Wales.

Memories of Shillingstone Society (MOSS) is an acknowledgement to this lost trade.