Project

Restoring peat at Manor House Farm

Rewetting currently drained grassland, Manor House Farm — Drained grassland, Manor House Farm | © Kate Martin

Important work is due to start in Autumn 2024 to restore peat on the land at Manor House Farm, by means of re-wetting currently drained grassland to create a wet grassland habitat. Wetlands are incredibly important as habitats for wildlife, as well as filtering pollution, preventing flooding, and storing carbon.

Manor House Farm and the National Trust

The National Trust owns 69 acres of farmland on what was previously Manor House Farm, east of Rufford Old Hall, between the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Douglas. This area of land was acquired by the National Trust in 2000 to protect the views and settings of the Hall.

Recent surveys show a significant amount of peat across the site, over 5m deep in places. Currently water is pumped away from the land via a drainage network, negatively impacting the existing peat and stopping new peat from forming.

Why are peatlands important?

Peatlands are amongst the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth, capturing CO2 from the air and acting as vast carbon sinks. Home to a wide variety of animals and plants, they are also critical in preserving biodiversity. They absorb large amounts of water during heavy rain, helping to prevent flash flooding and droughts. Plants that inhabit wetland areas help to filter pollution and absorb chemicals.

Creating a wet grassland habitat will support nature and wildlife, boost biodiversity, lessen the risk of local flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Working in partnership

In partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT), we will be undertaking a peatland restoration project at Manor House Farm. This project is mainly funded through the government’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, with additional funding from Starling Bank’s partnership with the National Trust.

Grassland, east of Rufford Old Hall | © Kate Martin

What work will be carried out?

Work to create a wet grassland habitat and restore vital peat is due to start in Autumn 2024 and be completed by Spring 2025. A variety of techniques will be used in order to rewet the area. Existing ditches will be reprofiled to encourage water to spill out on to the fields and weirs installed to reduce water flow and loss of water across the site.

Ditch blocks will be installed to hold water onsite during drier periods, preventing the erosion of peat and stopping peat from being carried away. A new ditch will be created to the west of the site acting as a ‘header ditch’ and new ditch crossings formed to improve access across the area. Several wet grassland species will be planted, boosting biodiversity and providing places for wildlife to breed, nest, feed, and shelter.

Interpretation boards will be installed detailing the project, and you can follow our progress throughout via the timeline below.

What will it mean for the site?

Re-wetting the area will help restore vital peat, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve potential archaeology (explained further below). Wet grasslands are critical ecosystems within agricultural landscapes and play a multifaceted role in sustainable farming practices. Creating a wet grassland area will increase biodiversity across the site through changing water levels and a mix of water and land. It will also provide a stepping-stone between wetland habitats, from the Lancashire coast through to Mere Sands Wood and Martin Mere.

For locals and visitors to Rufford Old Hall, it will provide a new point of interest and experience with potential for providing further access to the land at Manor House Farm in the future.

Archaeological site?

In February 2023 a historic environment assessment was carried out on the land at Manor House Farm. The results revealed areas of high and moderate potential for archaeological importance due to pre-historic and medieval remains found nearby. There were also cropmarks found in the southern half of the Manor House Farm site that indicate a possible enclosure.

These results have added to the importance of rewetting the land as peat has the potential to contain an archaeological record of past environment and can also preserve archaeological remains.