Save the Miller Beck County Wildlife Site

The Miller Beck County Wildlife Site is 14.4 hectares of valley fen with a series of marshy pastures and meadows on low-lying and peat soils on the floodplain of the Miller Beck and its tributaries at the foot of England's largest lake, Windemere.

Of the 11 different habitats found, the Tall-herb fens, Rush pasture and Habitat mosaics are BAP priority habitats meaning that they have been identified as a priority for conservation. County Wildlife Sites are not protected by law. Their survival depends on owners and managers being sympathetic to the needs of wildlife.

The Cumbria Local Sites Partnership is responsible for monitoring and protecting the Millerbeck County Wildlife Site. The partnership membership includes Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Cumbria County Council, Lake District National Park Authorities, District Councils, Natural England, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, and The National Trust.

The National Trust recently sold 11 hectares of the Miller Beck County Wildlife Site, and by selling at auction to the highest bidder, there was no protection on this land.

The new owner has already canalised much of the beck, which is a spawning ground for salmon and crayfish, and has also dug new field drains and spread lime which is in direct contravention of the Wildlife Trust's management recommendations.