Caldbeck Common

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), the Caldbeck Commoners’ Association and Natural England are working together on a project to restore areas of the Caldbeck Common. The Common makes up part of the Skiddaw Group Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Lake District High Fells Special Area of Conservation and includes important habitats such as heather and moss moorland, blanket bog and juniper scrub and supports large populations of upland breeding birds.

With Farming in Protect Landscape and LDNPA funding, the project has installed temporary protection from grazing pressure in three upland areas of the designated SSSI, totalling 36.2ha, for a period of five years. This will allow the heathland plants, such a heather and bilberry, to regenerate.

Caldbeck Commoners were involved in the selection of sites to ensure that the most appropriate areas to fence were chosen and to ensure minimal negative impact on the graziers, landscape, cultural and historic, biodiversity and access. The sites are located on different fells with sufficient distance and changes in topography to prevent negative cumulative effects. These sites offer the best outcome for balancing objectives of livestock management, communing, nature recovery and delivery of public goods, including cultural goods associated with landscape character and visitor access and experience.

To ensure continued open access (CROW Act, 2000), not only have the selected sites been carefully chosen to ensure minimal impact to visitors on the common but two pedestrian gates will be fitted at each site to allow visitors to pass through.

In addition to enclosures, thermal drone surveys are being carried out to collect data on deer populations and movements. The results of this pilot will help to inform future management decisions on the common and repeated fencing of targeted areas could be a valuable tool, helping us work towards improving habitats across the common. This approach not only helps to boost biodiversity in targeted areas but also allows commoners to continue with culturally valuable practices with minimal impact.