High Helbeck guided walk

11 June 2026

Blog by Naomi, work experience

As part of my work experience with the North Pennines National Landscape team, I had the opportunity to take part in the High Helbeck guided walk, part of North Pennines NatureFest 2026.

Throughout this 3.5 mile walk, we saw results of a recent partnership project with the landowners to restore the natural habitats and support the surrounding species. It was a great experience to learn about these projects and meet like-minded people with a shared passion for the environment.

As part of the wider project, the North Pennines team had carried out peatland restoration. The photos show the wood dams that were built to slow water movement and promote plant growth. The plants here act as sponges absorbing water to re-wet the peat bogs. This creates pools which can hold many invertebrates, providing additional food sources which support wading birds. We learnt that there are many other benefits to restoring blanket bogs including flood control, carbon storage, and creating habitats for wildlife.

Another aspect of the work was shrubland recovery through the planting of trees. We saw a variety of different tree planting strategies including the use of cactus guards, plastic tree guards, hawthorn hedgehog planting as well as the veteranising of trees (drilling holes) to maintain ancient woodland features. I learnt about the importance of planting the correct tree species in relation to the water content and soil pH of an area to maximise the tree’s survival chance.

Throughout the walk we spotted and identified many plant and flower species. We also observed many wading birds including curlew and lapwing – both red-listed species at risk of extinction. The work at High Helbeck is designed to recover the natural landscape to support these species.