Many of Britain's most beautiful areas are found in the wilderness. Left largely exposed to the elements, these wind-swept areas are appreciated not only by visitors but also by all manner of plants and animals that thrive in an untamed environment.
Here are just a few of the areas that showcase Britain's wilderness at it's finest:
Mam Tor, Derbyshire
© National Trust
Mam Tor is also known as 'shivering mountain' thanks to the frequent landslips of grit and shale on the south-eastern side of the hill. The Tor has heavily grazed grassland, which has created an environment which supports plenty of ferns, mosses and woodland herbs.
Bramshaw Commons, Hampshire
© NTPL / Graham Cooper
Situated within the New Forest, the Bramshaw heaths and mires are subject to the ancient common grazing laws of the 11th-century forest. The boggy areas are particularly important for flora such as penny royal and St John's Wort, while the drier heaths are home to birds such as the Dartford Warbler and woodlark.
Marsden Moor, Yorkshire
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
This estate includes a large area of common moorland dissected by steep-sided valleys known as cloughs. Despite the open nature of the area, it houses a surprisingly diverse range of features including reservoirs, peaks and crags. The moorland supports classic moorland birds such as golden plover, red grouse and curlew.
Ennerdale, Cumbria
© NTPL / Steve Morgan
This secluded valley is one of the Trust's best-kept secrets. Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the Lake District, the valley features a valuable heath amongst the forest, mires and lake. The heath is particularly exciting as it demonstrates the graduation of vegetation from the lakeside margin via woodland to heather moorland.
Horsey, Norfolk
© NTPL / Jonathan Cass
The peatland site at Horsey is of international significance for the wide range of rare plants, birds, animals and insects that can be found there. The mere covers almost 50 hectares and provides an outstanding habitat for breeding birds including Bitterns.
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