Foulshaw Moss, near Witherslack, is a Nature Reserve administered by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. The moss was purchased in 1998 with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Since then, a number of additional areas have been acquired. It is most famous for being the home to a pair of Ospreys but the moss itself is also of enormous interest. The whole area was extensively drained and planted with trees in the 1950’s and 60’s causing the peat to dry out. The work of the trust has been to remove the drainage and allow the wetland to recover. As this successful process goes on, the more recent species including Birches, are not tolerant of the water and are beginning to fail. Lowland raised mires like Foulshaw Moss are one of Western Europe’s rarest and most threatened habitats.
Around 94% of this unique habitat has been destroyed or damaged in the UK, so these remaining areas are enormously important for a range of wildlife.
Water-loving Sphagnum mosses, carnivorous sundews, cranberry and bog-rosemary are just some of the plants that thrive here, creating a living carpet of colour that’s interspersed with the soft white heads of cottongrass in early summer.
These mossy hummocks and pools provide essential nesting and feeding ground for wetland birds such as moorhen, snipe and the elusive water rail, whilst birds of prey including hobby, sparrowhawk, buzzard and peregrine take advantage of the abundance of prey. This process of restoration produces a wild area in flux and one that combines decay with great beauty. This project was developed during and beyond lockdown in order to see what could be achieved photographically in this challenging environment.
