Our 'Landscapes for Water' partnership programme is a five-year plan to plant more than 300,000 trees and install 3,500 leaky dams, boosting climate resilience for local people and wildlife.
Our work in the South Pennines is crucial to support the region’s nature, wildlife and people, especially as we begin to see more named storms and extreme weather events.
Water is a key part of this landscape – high rainfall has helped to create peat-rich moorlands, rivers and reservoirs. However many of our upland blanket bogs have been degraded through centuries of industrialisation, compromising their ability to hold water and leading to an increased risk of both fire and flood.
Now with our partner Yorkshire Water – and with help from other partners including the White Rose Forest, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority – we're looking to restore the landscape across our shared landholdings in the Upper Calder and Colne catchments, stretching from Marsden Moor in the south to Heptonstall Moor in the north, across five main areas, totalling 5,500 hectares.
By planting trees on the moorland fringes and installing natural flood management, we will improve upland habitats and make our landscapes more resilient to the dangers of climate change.
November 2024
For our second planting season at Marsden, we invited different groups to help us, including refugee charity iASK, Huddersfield Scouts and children from Slaithwaite C.E J. I School, all of whom got stuck in to the digging and mallet-ing with gusto. The school children, who were from different classes but all members of the school's 'eco committee', agreed it was "the best school trip we've ever had" and asked if they could come again - result!
Forests and native woodlands have been shown to substantially reduce downstream flood risk, stop peat erosion and provide wildlife habitat as well as storing carbon. Tree planting will focus on small valleys, called cloughs, where trees existed in the distant past. In total, we'll plant 350 hectares of native trees including rowan, oak and birch, which thrive in harsh climates like our windy moors.
Establishing new woodland requires careful planning and mapping to ensure that we plant the right trees in the right place. We are using advice from the Forestry Commission, Natural England, archaeologists, RSPB, upland specialists and the Woodland Trust. The trees will form part of the White Rose Forest: North and West Yorkshire's community forest.
Many South Pennine uplands have been degraded by industrial pollution and fires, which have created areas of dry and exposed peat, leading to soil erosion and water run-off. This can have a serious impact on downstream communities, as excess rain can lead to flood surges. Leaky dams help slow the flow of water on the moors, protecting communities downstream, rewetting the moor and protecting peat.
Slowing the flow of rainwater with leaky dams will keep it on the moorland, where it helps peat (which is made of organic matter that hasn't fully decomposed) to develop and act as a carbon store. A boggy moorland can also reduce wildfire risk. Our work will have the additional benefit of improving water quality in nearby reservoirs, and restoring habitats for existing and new species of plants, animals and insects.
We're looking for people to help with tree planting/ maintenance and leaky dam surveying, or community groups around the South Pennines who would be interested to learn more about upland conservation. To volunteer with us or to join our mailing list please email l4w@nationaltrust.org.uk
Find out how to get to Marsden Moor, where to park, the things to see and do and more.
Yorkshire Water provides essential water and waste water services across Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority works across West Yorkshire to develp and deliver policies, programmes and services which directly benefit the people of West Yorkshire.
The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, working in partnership with local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities to increase woodland across the region and improve our natural environment.
The England Trees Action Plan 2021 to 2024 sets out the government’s long-term vision for the treescape it wants to see in England by 2050 and beyond.
The UK's largest woodland conservation charity.
The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woodlands.
Learn how National Trust rangers and volunteers are working to care for Marsden Moor by restoring peat, removing invasive species and minimising the risk of floods and fires.
Discover the abundance of wildlife on Marsden Moor, from ground-nesting birds such as golden plovers and curlews to mountain hares and even lizards.
Together, we're securing our future with action on climate and the environment. Learn more about how we're responding to the changing climate at places in our care.
