© Ryan Goff
EOCA and Pertex are working together to share the story of the Upper Duddon Valley and the people behind its restoration. They are also exploring what it means to restore nature in a landscape that is also home, workplace and a place enjoyed by the wider outdoor community.
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.
At the heart of the valley, the Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery (UDLR) project is bringing farmers, conservationists, researchers and local partners together. They want to find a new balance between farming and nature. Through EOCA funding in 2025, the project builds on more than two decades of work to restore the landscape around Hardknott Forest. It also provides up to 20 years of support for environmental restoration and sustainable land management.
© Ryan Goff
“By sharing human stories like these, we hope to build awareness of the crucial conservation work that is already being done, whilst highlighting the need for wider investment and engagement. The Hardknott project demonstrates the value of empowering communities to take an active role in shaping and restoring the landscapes where they live and work.” — Andy Laycock, Brand Director at Pertex.
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.
Plans include reducing grazing intensity, restoring species-rich grasslands and scrub, restoring peatlands and blanket bog, improving riverbanks and riparian habitats, restoring hedgerows and creating areas of woodland pasture. An upland stream that was previously culverted will also be restored to a more natural course.
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.
© Ryan Goff
“You take sheep out of the equation for just a short period, and well, it’s all there.” — Paddy Deady, Troutal Farm
These early changes are just the beginning. Over the coming decades, the project aims to create more diverse habitats, restore peatlands and waterways, encourage native woodland and support greater biodiversity. At the same time, it aims to ensure that farms remain economically viable and people continue to live and work in the valley.
“Hardknott is a great example of what can happen when you invest in practical conservation and give people the opportunity to work with nature rather than against it. EOCA supported the early work to restore native woodland, and it’s fantastic to see that work now forming part of a much bigger vision that recognises that nature, farming and people all have a place in the landscape.” — Jordan Jones, Head of Communications at EOCA
The Upper Duddon story is about the relationship between people and the landscapes around them, and what can happen when farmers, conservationists and the wider outdoor community work towards a shared future.
Read the full article on Pertex: https://pertex.com/stories/hardknott-forest-project Images by Ryan Goff
Article Words by Tom Hill Produced by Coldhouse
