White Peak Landscape Recovery
What is Landscape Recovery?
It’s a new Defra scheme to recover nature and benefit farming across whole landscapes.
In the Peak District, it’s for farmers and land managers working together with the National Park and Natural England to enhance the White Peak’s wildlife.
What area will it cover?
The ambition is to include the whole of the White Peak, though this depends on interest from farmers and may take some years to achieve – the more farms involved the better.
In September 2023 we submitted a bid for a 2 year Development Phase which includes land in the target area shown on the map below. This included 44 holdings, where farming is central to the business, in addition to 14 smallholders, conservation organisations, estates and quarry companies – a total of 58 signatories. Thank you to everyone!
What sort of work might this support?
Everyone involved will help decide what it covers, it could be...
- traditional and nature-friendly mixed farming with legume-herb swards
- planting scattered trees along field edges and corners
- enhancing existing flower-rich grasslands and hay meadows
- low-input woody pasture or agro-forestry on the dale-tops.
Development work in 2024
With funding from Natural England and the National Park Authority we are developing our collective ideas for what nature recovery means for Peak District Farmers in the White Peak. This may lead on to a new application for landscape recovery in the future.
Farmer events in 2024
As part of work to develop ideas for nature recovery in the White Peak we are holding two events. Both will involve a short walk and lunch in a Village Hall.
Thursday 28 November (10.30am-2pm)
- 10.30am meeting at Bleaklow (access from Moor Rd) DE45 1UA
What3Words: fever.polices.caused
Limestone Hills and Dale-top management - 12.15pm Parking in a field behind the Churchyard, Beggarway Lane, Gt Longstone DE45 1TW
What3Words: evenings.overhear.custom
Trees in the farmed landscape, herbal leys, margins and options for grassland creation - Lunch 1.15pm Great Longstone Village Hall, Church Lane, DE45 1TB
Tuesday 10 December (11am-2pm)
- 11am meeting on laneside on the way to SK17 9UH
What3Words: array.directly.unsightly
Dale-top management, herbal leys and silage margins - Lunch 12:45pm Taddington Village Hall, Main Road, SK17 9UD
To book (including a lunchtime burger) please email farming@peakdistrict.gov.uk or ring 01629 816200. Please be specific over which event or BOTH and dietary requirements.
For more information please contact Rebekah Newman at rebekahnewman@peakdistrict.gov.uk or 0792 5927 231 or speak to a member of the steering group.
Interested?
Please email or phone us: farming@peakdistrict.gov.uk or
As soon as we hear anything from Defra on the success of the bid we will be in touch.
Useful documents
- White Peak Landscape Recovery information sheet (417KB)
- White Peak Landscape Recovery flyer (435KB)
- White Peak Landscape Recovery Development Phase project costs (112KB)
- White Peak Landscape Recovery project proposal form (303KB)
Steering Group Members
- Jane Bassett, Sennilow farm, Hartington
- Rachel Morley, Topley Head Farm
- Robert Thornhill, Standhill Farm, Great Longstone
- Rosemary Furness, Beech Farm, Taddington
- Stuart Fairfax, Longstone Moor Farm
- Tom Howe, Mayfield farm, Litton Slack
Project area map
