Borrowdale rainforest declared in Cumbria as a National Nature Reserve

Borrowdale is home to England's largest temperate rainforest and is the wettest inhabited place in the country. Credit: National Trust / Paul Harris.

England’s largest temperate rainforest, Borrowdale, has been declared a National Nature Reserve.   

Cumbria’s globally rare temperate rainforest has become the latest in the King’s series to mark National Nature Reserves Week.

The new status will help the National Trust improve access to nature and improve the conservation of the natural landscape.

Jane Saxon, General Manager for the North and West Lakes, National Trust said: “Today, less than 1 per cent of the land in the UK is covered by temperate rainforest, and as such it’s particularly important to conserve this rare habitat for future generations.  

"This declaration is a step towards a successful joint management approach for nature with our tenants and spreading awareness on how unique and precious this nature reserve is.” 

The rainforest is the wettest inhabited place in England and the humidity and low-temperature range create a unique biodiverse habitat for red squirrels, insects and upland birds.

Marian Spain, chief executive at Natural England said: “This landmark declaration is an important step forward for nature recovery in England.

"Operating at a landscape scale, reconnecting parcels of the forest and creating corridors for wildlife will make these iconic habitats more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

“This declaration demonstrates the power of working together to accelerate nature recovery, and we are delighted to share this journey with the National Trust and the tenant farmers, to protect the precious rainforest for future generations.” 

The National Trust is working alongside local farmers to help them access funding for further conservation work to help manage the nature reserve and surrounding land.

Anne Cornthwaite, a National Trust tenant farmer at Ashness Farm said: "It is very exciting to see that the small changes we made ten years ago at Ashness Farm have contributed to Moss Mire being bestowed this most amazing status as a temperate rainforest within a National Nature Reserve.” 

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