Introduction to the Moors

Introducing the three main reasons why the Peak District moorlands are important :

Conservation

The moors are nationally and internationally important for their breeding birds and habitats such as blanket bog and heathland. Almost all the area is classified as a Special Protection Area, candidate Special Area of Conservation (now referred to as Sites of Conservation Importance) and/or as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Further information on the conservation interest of the moors is provided in English Nature's Natural Area Profiles.

Access and Recreation

Sixteen million people live within sixty minutes drive of the National Park and each year over 22million day visits are made. In the 1920s and 1930s the moorlands saw the birth of the interest in countryside access and today, surrounded by the great towns and cities of the Midlands and the North, the area continues to provide a recreational resource of great value for all.

Economic

As well as money generated in association with tourism, the moors are economically important to owners and occupiers. Sheep farming, grouse shooting and water gathering all contribute significantly to the well being of the region’s rural and urban communities. Forestry is also an important source of income generation in upland areas.

MOOR facts about the Peak District