Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. The soil is composed of deep mud and peat. Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is often several feet thick. Peat is waterlogged, root-filled, and very spongy.

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The Spartina patens grasses found lower down in the Marsh would have been cut by hand with scythes then piled in huge stacks, elevated above the highest tides on small piles or “staddles”. The building of the haystacks was said to be a highly skilled art that required speed, dexterity, and strength.

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The salt marshes were vitally important to early farmers in Hampton Falls. Today, they are environments for migratory birds and other New England wildlife. Look here for more interesting information on the Salt Marsh.

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