Skiddaw Forest Peatland Restoration Begins: A New Future for the Fells

Checked Thursday 29 October 2026. Major habitat restoration is moving ahead at Skiddaw Forest Nature Reserve in the northern Lake District. Cumbria Wildlife Trust has confirmed an autumn 2026 programme to restore around 1,077 acres of damaged peatland, repair boundary fencing and improve the access track needed for the work. It describes this as the largest and most expensive peatland restoration it has undertaken in a single year. The specific autumn programme is supported by Biffa Award funding and forms part of the much bigger long-term effort to recover the landscape.

Skiddaw Forest is not a plantation of commercial trees. Its name comes from the historical use of “forest” for a hunting landscape. Today the area is a wild mixture of moorland, heath, upland grass and peat bog, enclosed by some of the Lake District's best-known northern fells. It is important for wildlife, for storing carbon and for the way uplands absorb and release rainwater.

Skiddaw Forest restoration: key facts

What is being restored?

Peat forms when dead plant matter builds up slowly in wet, oxygen-poor conditions. Healthy blanket bog may contain extensive carpets of sphagnum moss, pools and specialist plants such as sundews. Historic drainage channels, erosion and loss of vegetation can dry and degrade peat, making it more vulnerable to washing away and releasing previously stored carbon.

At Skiddaw, restoration teams aim to slow the movement of water through artificial drains and cover areas where peat is exposed. These methods encourage the bog to hold water again and help vegetation re-establish. The effect cannot be measured overnight: peatland recovery is a long process, even when the physical repairs are completed in one working season.

What will visitors see during the works?

Visitors may notice specialist contractors, machines in designated work areas, repaired fences, access-track activity and changes to the appearance of damaged peat. These are conservation works, not the creation of a new general-purpose road or an invitation for private vehicles to enter the reserve. Stay away from machinery and freshly restored surfaces, especially where peat is soft and wet.

The Trust's visitor information says Skiddaw Forest remains open and that its main bridleway access will continue. This does not mean every temporary working zone is open for people to wander across. Follow signs, avoid disturbing equipment or restoration materials and check with the Trust if you plan a route through active work areas.

Why the 3,600 metres of fencing matters

Cumbria Wildlife Trust's official project page specifies approximately 3,600 metres of replacement or repaired boundary fencing, using durable posts suited to the exposed conditions. The aim is to manage grazing pressure and allow recovering plants to establish. Some reports have used different fence lengths, but this article follows the Trust's published figure for the current works, rather than treating six kilometres as confirmed.

The 100-year vision: returning temperate rainforest

The immediate peatland project sits within a larger vision for around 3,000 acres of Skiddaw Forest. Cumbria Wildlife Trust wants to restore roughly 620 acres of temperate Atlantic rainforest on suitable lower slopes and ghylls over many decades, alongside healthier bog, heathland and upland scrub. A temperate rainforest in the Lake District is a naturally moist native woodland rich in mosses, ferns and lichens, not a tropical forest.

The proposed native tree mix includes oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder and various willows, with local seed and nursery-grown saplings helping the future habitat take root. The first years are focused on getting the right ecological conditions and young plants established; it would be misleading to promise a mature rainforest ready for visitors in the near future.

Wildlife and climate: why peat is worth protecting

Healthy peat bogs store carbon in waterlogged soil, support specialised plants and birds, influence water quality and help moderate the way rainfall moves downstream. Damaged, drained peat may release stored carbon and wash into watercourses during heavy rain. Restoring it is therefore about landscape resilience as well as rare wildlife. The exact amount of flood reduction at a particular downstream property cannot be inferred from the size of the works alone, and no such guaranteed protection is claimed here.

How to visit Skiddaw Forest safely

The reserve lies in remote, high-altitude fell country. It should not be approached like a staffed forest visitor centre with easy parking, surfaced family trails or toilets. The Trust identifies walking approaches from established starting points including Gale Road near Latrigg and the Blencathra Centre area. It states there is no public vehicular access to the reserve itself. The Gale Road climb can be difficult in winter; check weather, road conditions and any seasonal parking restrictions before setting out.

The site includes a bridleway, and recognised longer walking routes such as the Cumbria Way pass through the wider landscape. Good navigation skills, suitable footwear, waterproof layers and a proper map are essential. Phone signal can be limited, low cloud can arrive quickly and winter windchill can be severe. Take a route proportionate to your experience and daylight, and remember the landscape may be much wetter than nearby lowland paths.

Is Skiddaw Forest suitable for families?

For experienced hillwalking families, parts of the surrounding landscape may be rewarding, but this is not a short, level family attraction with guaranteed facilities. The name “Forest” can create an incorrect expectation of woodland playgrounds and marked strolls. For less experienced groups, the Keswick destination guide offers more accessible attractions and established visitor walks.

Dogs, cycling and access rights

The Trust asks that dogs are kept under effective control, especially around livestock and sensitive wildlife. Its published FAQ says the main bridleway remains available to walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders in line with access rights. Users should follow current signs, give way appropriately and avoid restoration machinery or fenced work areas. Open-access rights should not be interpreted as blanket permission for motor vehicles.

Support the restoration and find out more

Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Skiddaw Forest appeal and restoration page explains the wider 100-year vision and how people can contribute. It also publishes the nature reserve visitor information with arrival advice and conditions. There is no general admission fee to walk the reserve under normal access rights. Any guided conservation event would have separate booking details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Skiddaw Forest actually wooded?

Not as an extensive woodland today. “Forest” is a historic landscape term here; the reserve is mainly fell, bog, moor and heath.

How much peatland is being restored?

Cumbria Wildlife Trust identifies 1,077 acres in its 2026 restoration programme. Other acreages relate to the larger long-term vision or earlier estimates.

Can I drive into Skiddaw Forest Nature Reserve?

No. Cumbria Wildlife Trust says there is no public vehicular access to the reserve. Visitors walk in from established external parking and routes.

Is the main bridleway open?

The Trust says the principal bridleway remains part of the public access network. Check for temporary signs near active work.

What does Biffa Award support?

The present peatland restoration programme. The wider forest recovery also involves separate grants, partnerships and public fundraising.

When will the rainforest be complete?

The Trust frames this as a long-term, approximately 100-year nature-recovery vision, not a near-term woodland opening.

Official sources and latest updates

Details were checked on 29 October 2026. Please check the dated official notices before a time-critical journey or visit.

• Cumbria Wildlife Trust: current peatland programme and 3,600m fencing
• Cumbria Wildlife Trust: reserve access and visiting safely
• Cumbria Wildlife Trust: 100-year habitat recovery vision
• Cumbria Wildlife Trust: access rights FAQ