We are beginning a habitat creation project on School Knott and Grandsire, and in some adjoining fields, under a new DEFRA Stewardship agreement. This will involve the establishment of wood pasture and will extend areas of mire and wet grassland habitat. We also intend to open the culvert between School Knott Tarn and Scout Beck.
School Knott and Grandsire are part of Matson Ground Farm, which comprises 500 hectares of organic farmland and woodland to the south and east of Windermere. Matson Ground has been owned and managed by the same family for over 100 years, and the farm has been run organically since 2000 with careful, sustainable principles at its core.
Read more about Matson Ground here
Yes, School Knott and Grandsire are still part of a working farm. They will be grazed by livestock, which will continue to be a valuable part of this landscape. Like the rest of Matson Ground Farm, the land will continue to be managed organically under our certification with Organic Farmers and Growers. Most importantly, this means there will be no application of fertiliser and no use of pesticides.
Yes. Where fences cross well-used paths there will be gates to allow continued access, and trees will not be planted at the top of viewpoints. We hope to impact people’s access to the land as little as possible. Please see the map page for details of new gateways.
The trees planted close to the summit of School Knott will not impact the skyline or block the views.
The wood pasture planting plan has been developed by Luke Steer of Treescapes Consultancy. Butterfly Conservation have contributed to the wood pasture design and the plans to support the conservation of important invertebrate species. The project was supported by the RSPB, and is funded by Natural England through a Higher Level Stewardship Scheme agreement, and we are grateful for the advice and support of Natural England in its development.
The scheme has received support from the RSPB based on the wide positive impact for a number of species, both those currently found on School Knott and Grandsire and those which we hope to attract. Although the fencing necessary to plant the trees may provide extra perch points for potential predators of curlews, these already exist due to the presence of dry stone walls, and there will be plenty of open space between the trees and fenced areas. Over time there will be more small wetland areas which will benefit curlew and other wader species. The general trend of changes in land management and enhanced connectivity of the wider landscape should also benefit curlews, other ground nesting birds and other species.
With the newly planted trees, as well as the natural regeneration of trees and scrub that we expect to see, there will be an increase in tree cover across School Knott, Grandsire and nearby fields. This will not be closed canopy woodland, however, and there will still be open spaces of grassland. While it will look different to the current landscape, this wood pasture landscape will echo those which existed in Cumbria and the rest of the UK before the land was altered by human influence, and in previous eras of farming and land management. The area will contain more biodiverse habitat, and we hope to see an increase in the number of many existing species as well as to attract and support the existence of additional species.
Building on existing habitat, there will be additional wetland areas, and the culvert connecting School Knott Tarn and Scout Beck will be opened up into a stream. This will reduce seasonal flooding on the footpath, as well as providing extra water habitat. This illustration [insert link] gives an idea of what we hope the landscape will look like in years to come.
We are looking for volunteers to help with tree planting and supporting the regeneration of this landscape. To find out more, or if you have any questions about this project, please get in touch.
Follow this link for more information, and follow our Instagram and Facebookpages for updates.
Our project was featured on the Treeamble podcast - listen here.
Please feel free to get in touch with any further questions.