Kinder Scout is perhaps best known for the famous Mass Trespass of 1932, an act that sought to improve public access rights in the British countryside. Almost 100 years on and the highest point in the Peak District is returning to the limelight once more – this time thanks to thousands of odd mounds that are appearing across the slopes of the 636m-high plateau.
The strange bumps are balls of sphagnum moss. By 2025, 800,000 of these bog mosses will be planted on Kinder Scout, acting as ‘speed-bumps’ to slow the flow of water across the landscape and reduce flood risk, whilst creating a home for wildlife. It's all part of a new project that will see 526 hectares of peatland restored on the iconic peak.
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Spectacular sphagnum
Around 130,000 sphagnum moss plug plants have already been planted in the first phase of the restoration project.
The moss will slow the flow of rainwater across the landscape, helping to create healthier blanket bog and protect the area’s precious peat.
Once established, the newly planted sphagnum moss will act as 'speed-bumps' for rainwater, forcing it to weave its way slowly down the moorland slopes instead of running in a straight line, reducing the chances of flooding in the valley towns and villages below.
Eventually, the sphagnum moss will foster conditions conducive to peat formation, enhancing carbon sequestration and wildlife habitats.
The latest restoration project builds on findings gained in a study carried out by Moors for the Future Partnership and The University of Manchester as part of MoorLIFE 2020, which found that fully grown sphagnum moss slows the progression of water down the hillside by two hours, compared to when rain falls on bare peat.
“It’s fantastic to see our natural flood management research from the outdoor laboratory having a real-world impact in helping to shape the next phase of restoration on Kinder Scout," says Dr Emma Shuttleworth, peatland scientist and a senior lecturer from the University of Manchester, who played a key role in the research project.
“Landscape-scale experiments like this are rare, but they are so important for providing robust scientific evidence for the benefits of peatland restoration and showcasing the importance of these landscapes in helping us tackle the climate emergency," adds Shuttleworth. "It is vital we continue to work together to protect and learn from this often-overlooked environment.”
Craig Best, general manager for the National Trust in the Peak District says: “It is absolutely critical that this work happens now. This year alone, we’ve seen dramatic weather events seriously affect thousands of households across the midlands and beyond.
"As we’re faced with the likelihood of more significant bouts of extreme rainfall, it is stark reminder that we need urgent action to increase our resilience in a changing climate.
“In good condition, the moorlands of the Peak District can offer part of the solution to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the risk of flooding for people living downstream, so it’s vital that we continue to do as much restoration as quickly as we can.”
Clean water, wild creatures
Reduced flooding is not the only benefit of planting sphagnum moss. The plant filters peat sediment from water before it reaches reservoirs, thus improving the quality of the water.
The moss also creates a wet environment that allows a mix of moorland plants such as heather, bilberry and cotton grass to thrive, while creating a home for other wildlife, including dragonflies, golden plover, frogs and lizards.
The work on the National Nature Reserve (NNR) at Kinder Scout is the latest part of the National Trust’s ongoing work to restore blanket bog across the Peak District.
Tia Crouch, peat ecologist at the National Trust says that "the peatlands of the Peak District make up over 20% of the peatlands in our care. This project is another step forward towards delivering on our commitment to have all the degraded peatlands in our care under restoration by 2040.
"We want to see them all move to a favourable condition by reducing the area of exposed peat, raising the water table and increasing the diversity of wildlife species found there which help to make healthy blanket bog.”
What's next?
To prevent disruption of the area’s ground nesting bird populations during their breeding season, works are now paused from April until August. After this period, the sphagnum moss planting will continue, along with other works including the building of dams in gullies and the distribution of brash, lime, seed and fertiliser, which will stabilise bare peat by creating the right conditions for moorland plants to grow.
The project is expected to be completed in 2025.
To find out more about the Preserving our peatland
