March Haigh: partnerships for woodland success

March Haigh, located within the northern part of the Marsden Moor Estate, is a protected area of peat moorland and upland cloughs owned and managed by the National Trust. Opportunity mapping identified the area as a key location for woodland creation for natural flood management, habitat creation and connectivity, climate mitigation, and helping to prevent moorland fires.

The project also contributes to the wider landscape-scale nature restoration programme led by the National Trust and Yorkshire Water on their land in West Yorkshire. Recognising these benefits, the White Rose Forest and the National Trust developed plans for an ambitious 190-hectare woodland creation scheme at March Haigh in 2019.

Flexible funding

March Haigh is part of the South Pennines Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation, and Special Protection Area. This means that any environmental changes must be carefully planned and approved. It also means that delivering any significant change in this landscape can be complex, time consuming and labour intensive.

Community volunteers helping to plant trees on March Haigh in the South Pennines. Credit: National Trust.

It was essential that the bespoke funding and support package recognised the complexities of woodland creation in a sensitive upland environment and, crucially, contributed to the significant staff resources needed to get a project to the delivery stage.

The White Rose Forest team and their Trees for Climate fund (part of Defra’s Nature for Climate fund) provided the flexibility and support needed to deliver this project.

Overcoming complex workstreams

Delivering woodland creation in a designated upland environment requires balancing multiple processes. This included:

• extensive consultation with statutory bodies and other environmental charities, including Natural England, the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission, via the Woodland Creation Planning Grant
• in depth consultations with the general public
• consultation and agreements with graziers and commons landholders
• secretary of state approval for fencing to protect trees
• seasonal constraints of tree planting, and avoiding the bird breeding season.

65,000 trees were planted at March Haigh between 2023 and 2024. Credit: White Rose Forest

A thriving, resilient woodland

Following this rigorous planning and consultation process, 65,000 trees were planted to create 63ha of native woodland at March Haigh during the 2023/24 season. The trees planted included a mix of native broadleaf trees and shrubs common to existing clough woodlands in the South Pennines.

Flexibility was key, and the design created by the National Trust and White Rose Forest team was carefully adapted to avoid areas unsuitable for tree planting and to create a well-designed woodland that is sympathetic to the landscape, with species selections and planting densities bespoke to the site. Surveys, including peat depth, breeding birds, habitat, grassland fungi, geophysical and landscape assessment, made sure any planting would not affect the site’s visual and environmental integrity.

The majority of the planting was delivered by professional forestry contractors, with additional support from community groups through National Trust-organised volunteering opportunities.

A model for upland woodland creation

A complex project such as this demonstrates the importance of careful planning, flexible funding and strong partnerships.

Be part of the Northern Forest

Want to plant trees? Whether you’re creating new woodland or extending an existing site, you can reap a whole host of extra benefits.

• Boost biodiversity.
• Provide shelter.
• Protect your soil.
• Fight flooding.

Your new trees could be part of the Northern Forest and make a difference for people, wildlife and the environment in the North of England.