Peatland Restoration

Moorland covers 9,000 acres of the Estate, amounting to an extensive area of peat which is critical to our climate in terms of being able to absorb carbon and rainwater like a vast sponge. The Colsterdale and Ilton moors on Swinton have also been identified as nationally important to an assemblage of moorland breeding birds including merlin, golden plover, snipe, curlew, redshank, teal, short-​eared owl and peregrine. This is the second largest continuous tract of dry heathland within a single topographic unit in the North Pennines, and it supports diverse and extensive upland plant communities.

Due to government initiatives during the 50’s to 70’s, when the landowners were incentivised to drain moorland, the peat stock dried out and degenerated across the country. Once dry, the peat can no longer support diversity, sequester carbon, prevent erosion or retain rainwater. The Estate decided to reverse this decline.

With the support of Yorkshire Peat Partnership, funded by Yorkshire Water, we embarked on a programme that ran for four years during the winter seasons, between January 2017 and March 2020. “Leaky dams” were created, which are a natural flood management construction to hold water back and let it seep slowly into the water system. This then rehydrates the peat and regenerates it. In total, over 75km of drains were reconfigured in this way.

Extensive work was also carried out to regenerate vegetation on over 60 hectares of the moorland. Works included re-​profiling banks to enable growth, cutting back invasive species and harvesting, propagating and planting sphagnum moss.