The highest point in the Peak District is the nearest mountain top to London and has always been popular for ramblers.
In 1932 it was the scene of the ‘mass trespass’ when 500 people stormed the mountain to campaign for greater access to the countryside. The protest led to the creation of the national parks and ultimately to the recent laws on right to roam.But a combination of over grazing, pollution from nearby cities and wild fires has made the area into "one of the most damaged areas of moorland in the UK", according to conservationists.
The National Trust, that bought 1,500 hectares on Kinder Scout is to invest £2.5 million in 're-wilding' the area by planting heather and allowing bogs to fill up with water.
Helicopters will scatter grass and heather seed across the plateau, new fencing will keep off livestock on at least some of the land, fertiliser will be spread on the soil and gullies will be filled so that peat bogs are recreated.
Mike Innerdale, General Manager for National Trust in the Peak District, admitted the work will be controversial as walkers will find bogs and fencing where before there was open access. Some 100,000 walkers cross Kinder Scout every year.
But ultimately he said the programme will result in an improved environment for wildlife and walkers. He said stiles and gates will ensure access is maintained.
“Kinder Scout is one of our most iconic landscapes because of its vast open moorland, the diversity of wildlife that calls it home and it was the location for the world famous mass trespass in 1932, a key moment in the campaign for better access to the countryside" he said.
“However, it is also one of the most damaged areas of moorland in the UK and its future is in jeopardy as a result of catastrophic wildfires, a long history of overgrazing, air pollution and the routes that thousands of visitors have taken. We need to take action now with our partners, to save Kinder for future generations.”
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