The Neolithic people lived on the areas of slightly higher ground but exploited the reed beds for materials and built wooden trackways to cross the raised bog.

[9] Westhay Moor originally lay at the centre of the most northerly of the two lowland raised bogs that formed in the lower Brue Valley.

The Neolithic people exploited the reedswamps for their natural resources and started to construct wooden trackways such as the Sweet and Post Tracks.

[11] The track was built between what was in the early 4th millennium BCE an island at Westhay and a ridge of high ground at Shapwick, close to the River Brue.

[12][13] The remains of similar tracks have been uncovered nearby, connecting settlements on the peat bog including the Honeygore, Abbotts Way, Bells, Bakers, Westhay and Nidons trackways.

[14] The eastern part of the moor was covered by Meare Pool which was formed by water ponding-up behind the raised peat bogs between the Wedmore and the Polden Hills, and coring has shown that it is filled with at least 2 metres (6.6 ft) of detritus mud,[15] mainly dating from the Subatlantic climatic period (1st millennium BC).

Early drainage work was carried out in the later years of the 12th century, with the responsibility for maintaining all the watercourses between Glastonbury and the sea being placed on named individuals among whom were Ralph de Sancta Barbara of Brentmarsh.

[18] Drainage of the surrounding area by monks of Glastonbury Abbey had reduced the size of the lake to 500 acres (200 ha) at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

[19] In the later years of the 12th century the abbey diverted the Brue to flow westwards, perhaps largely through natural channels, from Meare Pool to join the river Parrett.

[28][29] Large areas of peat were laid down on the Somerset Levels, particularly in the River Brue Valley, during the Quaternary period after the ice sheets melted.

[30] The raised bogs were extensively dug for peat for use as fuel up until the end of World War II after which the primary market was for horticulture.

Large parts of Westhay Moor have now been dug back to the underlying clay exposing estuarine deposits dating from about 6000 BP before isolation from the sea and peat formation began.

The project commenced in January 2009 and aims to restore, recreate and reconnect habitats; joining together protected areas into a network to enable plant and animal movement.

It aims to ensure that wildlife is enhanced and capable of sustaining itself in the face of climate change[36] while guaranteeing farmers and other landowners can continue to use their land profitably.

[38][39][40] The reserve provides habitat for many varieties of birds, which includes millions of starlings between November and January,[41][42][43] along with bittern and migrating ospreys.