Why don't trees grow higher up on the Lake District fells?

Centuries of intensive grazing have made high-altitude tree-line woodland very rare, fragmented and isolated in the Lake District. Some woodland and scrub survives, but many seedlings are browsed before they establish. Cumbria Wildlife Trust plans to restore montane scrub on Skiddaw’s higher slopes.

Will the tree planting at Skiddaw block walking routes?

No. Skiddaw Forest remains open access land and the Bob Graham Round will remain open. The Trust plans to establish around 300,000 native broadleaved trees without new fences or full-size tree tubes.

Does restoring the fells mean getting rid of sheep farming?

No. Agro-pastoral farming is one of three key themes behind the Lake District’s World Heritage inscription. At Skiddaw Forest, the Trust works with local farmers and commoners to identify regenerative farming approaches that support both nature recovery and the cultural landscape.

Who looks after the Lake District Fells

The Bare Hills: Cumbria Wildlife Trust

The sweeping, open fells we love to climb include species-poor grassland, fragmented montane scrub and damaged peat. Meet the team trying to plug the high bogs, restore the natural tree line, and bring the wildlife back to Cumbria's highest ground.

24 August 20267 min read