.png)
Upper Teesdale
Land Management
Much of the land in Upper Teesdale is owned by two large estates, Raby and Strathmore.
8,800 hectares forms the Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve managed by Natural England and one of England's largest National Nature Reserves.
Image: D Oatway
Natural England were partners in Teesdale Special Flora Trust's Plants on the Edge project and instrumental in field trials set up in 2021 and 2022 investigating the viability of a variety of techniques to reverse declines in the Teesdale Assemblage, including cutting of taller and more vigorous vegetation; the creation of suitable habitat by localised soil stripping/exposure close to existing populations of rare plants; mechanical scarification and a trial which simulated poaching by cattle hooves on Widdybank Meadow. (Poaching in this case refers to trampling of the ground by animals.)
​
Image of Natural England team applying the scarification treatment on Widdybank Fell plots using a hay tedder (photo D.Oatway)
​
Raby and Strathmore Estates also provided support for Teesdale Special Flora Trust's Plants on the Edge project, both financially and by sitting on the project's Steering Group.