Walton Moss National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Walton Moss NNR, which includes areas of Broomhill, Glebe and Breaks Mosses in addition to Walton Moss, is one of the most pristine peatland bogs in Britain. Some peat-cutting has taken place in the past, but most of the mire remains very wet and drainage has been restricted to the edges. The reserve has features typical of raised mire but also has some structural features of upland blanket bog. It is home to a variety of sphagnum mosses and other mosses and liverworts, including some nationally rare species including bog rosemary, cranberry, white beak-sedge and all three native species of the sticky-leaved, insectivorous sundew. Common heather and cross-leaved heath are also locally abundant, together with the occasional re-colonising birch tree. Bird life in winter might include the rare sight of a thrush-sized merlin or even a dashing peregrine falcon hunting over the wide expanses of the moss.

Location

Haggbeck

About the area

Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes', but other lesser-known areas in the south, such as the Lune Valley and the coastal towns, are secret gems of wide cobbled streets and rolling hills.

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Walton Moss National Nature Reserve

Haggbeck

01697 350005

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Walton Moss National Nature Reserve

Recommended by

Overview

Walton Moss NNR, which includes areas of Broomhill, Glebe and Breaks Mosses in addition to Walton Moss, is one of the most pristine peatland bogs in Britain. Some peat-cutting has taken place in the past, but most of the mire remains very wet and drainage has been restricted to the edges. The reserve has features typical of raised mire but also has some structural features of upland blanket bog. It is home to a variety of sphagnum mosses and other mosses and liverworts, including some nationally rare species including bog rosemary, cranberry, white beak-sedge and all three native species of the sticky-leaved, insectivorous sundew. Common heather and cross-leaved heath are also locally abundant, together with the occasional re-colonising birch tree. Bird life in winter might include the rare sight of a thrush-sized merlin or even a dashing peregrine falcon hunting over the wide expanses of the moss.

Location

Haggbeck

About the area

Area image

Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes', but other lesser-known areas in the south, such as the Lune Valley and the coastal towns, are secret gems of wide cobbled streets and rolling hills.

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