Sitting between the cities of Manchester and Sheffield is the giant that is Kinder Scout, known and loved by generations of locals and visitors alike. But a combination of people, land management and climate change has taken its toll on Kinder, causing severe damage to the moorland such peatbog erosion. These peatland bogs are important habitats for species such as mountain hare, red grouse, golden plover and the common lizard. This damage hasn’t just meant bad news for wildlife; it has wider implications including the increased threat of flooding to towns and villages downstream. However, with £2.7 million in funding from United Utilities and Natural England, the National Trust has been working to restore this area of badly damaged moorland and turn the fortunes of its wildlife and surrounding communities.
In the last five years over 6,000 dams have been installed on the plateau of Kinder to slow the water flow, which would normally race down the grips and gullies into the rivers below. Built by National Trust rangers and volunteers, the dams have also enabled the water table on the moor to rise, which means the water can now trickle slowly off the land over a greater period of time and the amount of water the moor can absorb in heavy rain has increased.
