LookWild: Restoring the Lake District’s Woodlands to New Heights
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Date posted: 27/05/2025
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Time to read: 3 mins
On a day of muddy boots, bracken bashing and tree tagging, the woodlands of Haverthwaite Heights are being carefully restored.
Follow Lake District National Park Authority’s Woodlands Officer, Olivia Wass, who joins forces with Working Class Heroes and Cumbria Woodlands to help boost woodland diversity and support natural regeneration.
Working Together for Woodland Recovery
In April I spent a woodland management day out with Working Class Heroes and Cumbria Woodlands at Haverthwaite Heights.
We focused on bracken bashing as part of our ongoing strategy to control bracken growth to help encourage natural regeneration and boost the diversity of woodland flora.
We also carried out an inspection of the trees planted a few years ago, identifying and marking those that hadn’t survived, so they can be replanted during the upcoming winter planting season.
Protecting Trees
The team reused the protective tubes from the failed trees to help protect any new natural regeneration coming through, with Oak and Rowan being the most common species.
For the trees that are thriving, we ensured each was standing straight and healthy, removing any competing vegetation, such as honeysuckle, that could hinder their growth and development.
It was a lovely day out in the woods, and it was great to see the woodland floor coming to life with spring flora.
The ground was covered in a beautiful mix of bluebells, wild garlic, dog’s mercury, wood sorrel, lesser celandine, yellow archangel and so many more – a real reminder of the richness and diversity we’re working to protect and nurture!
What is Bracken Bashing?
Bracken is a natural part of the Lake District landscape and can support woodland ground flora. However, in abundance it hinders the diversity of the woodland habitat, and its regeneration.
Bracken bashing involves using a tool to ‘bash’ the plant, so it folds over. This weakens the plant and the next year the growth of bracken will be reduced, allowing other flora to grow.
About Working Class Heroes
Working Class Heroes (WCH) is an independent clothing shop based in Ulverston, which is also actively involved in getting out in the local environment. James from WCH said:
Here at WCH, we don’t just sell t-shirts. We also quite like to get out in the field (or woodland) and get stuck in with some environmental work to improve conditions in our very own local area. Alongside Cumbria Woodlands, the Lake District National Park, and The Coppice Co-op, the WCH team is always keen to lend a hand because it beats staring at Excel spreadsheets or answering emails.
“We joined up with the LDNPA and Cumbria Woodlands to do some bracken bashing and tree tagging. We tackled some invasive bracken using sticks to bash the young stems—this is to slow its spread and give the recently planted saplings a better chance to grow. While out there, we also helped conduct a sapling survey, checking tree tubes and marking empty or dead ones for replanting in the winter.
“Over the past few years, the team has spent considerable time at one of our local woodlands near Haverthwaite. Owned by the Lake District National Park Authority, the Haverthwaite Heights area is an important woodland in need of restoration to become more dynamic, diverse, and resilient.”
Olivia Wass
Olivia is the Woodlands Officer at Lake District National Park Authority.
Could spending more time among trees be good for us?🌳
Research into forests suggests natural compounds called phytoncides could promote a sense of wellbeing and that time spent in woodlands can help decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.
Forest bathing is the practice of immersing ourselves in nature. Not to get steps in. Not to reach anywhere. Just to feel, be still and be present.
And our National Parks can certainly help. From pine forests and wooded valleys to ancient trees. Our parks are helping people to slow down and reconnect with the natural world every day.
Have you ever tried forest bathing? Tell us below👇
1. Stanmer Woods - @southdownsnp
2. Whinlatter Forest - @lakedistrictnpa
3. Pucks Glen - @lomondtrossachs
4. Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnationalpark
5. North York Moors National Park @northyorkmoors
#Mindfulness #ForestBathing #Wellbeing #NationalParks
Has the rain reached you yet? 🌧️
A change in the weather is making its way across our National Parks. And with it comes a different rhythm to the landscape - changing how our surroundings look, sound and feel.
The sound of rain. The smell of wet earth. The air feeling fresher. Wildlife finding shelter.
What do you notice most when the rain arrives?
#RainyDay #BritishWeather #NationalParksUK
They may look like windmills, but in The Broads National Park, they are actually windpumps.
Rather than grinding flour, they were built to pump water from the marshes, helping to drain the land for agriculture and grazing.
Today, these distinctive structures are part of what makes the Broads landscape so recognisable.
And while this is a story from the Broads, it’s one that can be found across all 15 of our National Parks - landscapes shaped by people finding ways to adapt to live and work within their landscape. Something which still remains the case today.
Did you know that one of these mills is said to be haunted? Comment down below which one you think it is 👇
In photograph order:
📍1. St Benets Mill
📍2. Horsey Mill
📍3. Turf Fen Mill
📍4. Thurne Mill
📍5. Bograve Mill
#NorfolkBroads #NationalPark #Windpumps
✨🌙 Look up!
With a partial solar eclipse taking place tonight across the UK, we’re reminded about how important it is for our dark skies to be protected. Our National Parks are home to some of the best places in the UK to enjoy them, due to low levels of light pollution.
These incredible photos capture another recent celestial phenomenon that has been on display for stargazers and is peaking tonight - the Perseid meteor shower.
The sightings were captured in @northyorkmoors - home to one of the UK’s largest areas of protected dark sky.
🌟Tag us in your eclipse photos across our National Parks. Just be sure to follow safe viewing and photography guidance while you snap!
📷 1. Perseid meteor shower at Skelton Tower by Richard Horsman.
📷 2. Milky Way and Perseid meteor shower at Sutton Bank by Russ Norman.
📍North York Moors National Park #DarkSkies #SolarEclipse #Perseid #MeteorShower
Just goats being goats. 🐐
These incredible animals call the Valley of Rocks in @exmoornp home - scaling walls and cliffs, grazing on the rich meadows and, occasionally, blocking the roads!
They’re a wonderful reminder of why our National Parks are so important, providing a home for such a diverse range of wildlife.
Have you ever spotted one?
📷 Exmoor National Park
#ValleyOfRocks #Exmoor #Goats #NationalPark
Look out for us at the cinema. 🎬🌳
Our latest Wild Spaces episode, screening before selected films, takes you to Northumberland National Park. Their team, alongside farmers, landowners and volunteers, is working together to create healthier, more resilient landscapes through woodland creation and hedgerow planting.
It’s a story of partnership, long-term thinking, and the small actions that can have a lasting impact.
Find out more about the project and watch the episode via the link in our bio. 🔗
@northumberlandnationalpark
#WildSpaces #Northumberland #TreePlanting
💭You might have heard of peatland, but what exactly is it and why does it matter so much?
Peatlands are our natural climate allies. They store vast amounts of carbon, support rare wildlife, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and preserve thousands of years of archaeological and cultural history.
Some of the UK`s most important peatlands are found within our National Parks, making them critical places for tackling the climate and nature crises.
Across the UK`s National Parks, peatland restoration projects are helping damaged peatlands recover, benefiting both nature and people.
📍Dartmoor National Park
#NationalParks #Peatlands #NatureRecovery
Our National Parks tell the stories of the people and places that came before us.
A new Joint Statement on the Historic Environment in the National Parks of England, Scotland and Wales has launched.
Bringing together the 15 National Parks and heritage partners, the statement sets out a shared commitment to protecting the historic places and features that help shape our landscapes.
From ancient monuments and archaeological sites to historic buildings and traces of past generations, our National Parks are home to thousands of years of history.
Together, we’re working to care for these special places so their stories can continue to be discovered, valued and enjoyed for generations to come.
Read the full statement via the link in our bio 🔗
#NationalParks #UKHistory #Heritage
