Project

Case study: Peatland restoration on Dartmoor

Peatland restoration in Dartmoor, Devon | © National Trust

Peatland is a precious habitat for nature and store of carbon. Learn about the multi-million pound project to restore damaged peatland on the moors of Dartmoor, Bodmin and Exmoor.

Funding the peatland project

Peatland is a precious habitat for nature and store of carbon, but for centuries it has been mined, drained and damaged. There are around 2,200 hectares of damaged peat on Duchy of Cornwall-owned land. 410 hectares have already been restored or are currently being restored. The latest project on Dartmoor will see a further 809 hectares restored. The remaining balance will be the subject of future programmes as the Duchy aims to halt emissions from damaged peatland before 2030.

The Duchy has joined forces with the South West Peatland Partnership (17 organisations associated with Dartmoor) which has secured funding via South West Water’s Green Recovery Initiative and from Defra’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, to deliver a multi-million pound project to restore damaged peatland on the moors of Bodmin, Dartmoor and Exmoor. The Duchy has contributed significantly to this funding.

Why restore damaged peatland?

Restoration increases the peatland’s resilience to climate change, reduces emissions, and increases carbon storage. It safeguards water supply; reduces downstream flood risk; restores ecosystems and improves wildlife habitat; and helps people to better enjoy and understand our peatlands.

The Duchy is looking to stimulate and support the development of local businesses who will become suppliers into the peatland restoration and maintenance industry. From sourcing equipment to securing training opportunities and demonstrating a long-term commitment to using local contractors, the Duchy aims to generate jobs locally.

This is a case study linked to the Climate and Land Summit hosted by the National Trust at the Wimpole Estate, in Cambridgeshire, on October 12, 2021, before the UN's annual climate conference COP26 in Cornwall in November that year.

Attendees at the summit represented some of England’s largest landowners and managers, and signed up to six guiding principles to commit to collectively working towards the nation’s net zero aims and pressing needs to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. To read the text of the Compact click here.