The Upper Duddon Valley in the Lake District is a landscape shaped by generations of farming, as well as by the walkers, climbers and riders who come to experience its mountains, crags and open fell.
It is also a landscape where nature recovery is gathering pace.
EOCA and Pertex have been working together to share the story of the people behind this work, exploring what it means to restore nature in a landscape that is also home, workplace and a place enjoyed by the wider outdoor community.
From Hardknott Forest to landscape recovery
EOCA has supported conservation work at Hardknott for more than two decades, helping to restore native woodland and laying the foundations for a much wider approach to landscape recovery.
The original restoration work focused on removing non-native conifers from Hardknott Forest and supporting the return of native woodland. Through EOCA funding, hundreds of hectares of non-native trees were removed, thousands of native trees were planted and natural regeneration was encouraged.
The project also brought people into the restoration work. Volunteers and school groups took part, while the removal of trees opened up previously inaccessible crags, creating new opportunities for climbing alongside the benefits to nature.
The results showed what could be achieved through practical, long-term conservation.
Today, that work forms part of a much bigger vision for the Upper Duddon Valley.
The Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery (UDLR) project is bringing farmers, conservationists, researchers and local partners together to find a new balance between farming and nature. Supported through EOCA funding, the project builds on the work around Hardknott Forest, and provides the opportunity for environmental restoration and sustainable land management to be supported over the long term.
A landscape where farming and nature can thrive
For those involved, this isn’t about choosing between farming and conservation. It is about finding ways for both to have a future in the valley.
The UDLR project includes plans to reduce grazing intensity, restore species-rich grasslands and scrub, improve peatlands and blanket bog, restore riverbanks and riparian habitats, and bring back hedgerows and areas of woodland pasture. An upland stream that was previously culverted will also be restored to a more natural course.
Importantly, the approach recognises that the valley is a working landscape. Farmers need to be able to continue making a living from the land, while restoration needs to create space for nature to recover.
And some of the changes are already being seen.
National Trust tenant farmer Paddy Deady, who farms at Troutal Farm in the Upper Duddon Valley, reduced his flock by around 50% for the first lambing season under the project. He has already seen improvements in the health of his sheep, breeding rates and the amount of medicine required.
Fields that had been grazed for generations were also given a break from livestock. Within a single spring and summer, Paddy saw a striking increase in both the number and variety of flowering plants.
“You take sheep out of the equation for just a short period, and well, it’s all there.” — Paddy Deady, Troutal Farm
These are early signs of what could be achieved over a much longer period of restoration.
Conservation that builds over time
For EOCA, Hardknott is a powerful example of how practical conservation can create momentum.
The original work to restore native woodland was one part of a much longer journey. By removing non-native trees, encouraging natural regeneration and involving people in the restoration, it helped demonstrate what was possible.
Today, the focus is broader by restoring habitats across the landscape, supporting biodiversity, improving the health of peatlands and waterways, and finding ways for farming and nature to coexist.
Over the coming decades, the ambition is to create a more diverse and resilient landscape, while ensuring that people can continue to live and work in the valley and enjoy it through outdoor recreation.
The story of Hardknott is therefore not simply about restoring a forest. It is about what can happen when conservation is given time to develop, when practical action is followed by a wider vision, and when the people who depend on a landscape are part of its future.
Want to hear the full story?
Pertex visited the Upper Duddon Valley to meet the people behind this work and explore what it means to restore nature in a landscape that is also home, workplace and a place enjoyed by the wider outdoor community.
Read the full story on Pertex → https://pertex.com/stories/hardknott-forest-project
Images by Ryan Goff
Pertex Article Words by Tom Hill
Produced by Coldhouse
