College Valley Estate Moorland Vegetation Management Plan (MRP014)

The College Valley Estate is located in the far north of England on the border with Scotland and lies within the Northumberland National Park. This tranquil valley has been managed by grazing animals for over two thousand years. Evidence is provided by the wide range of archaeological and historical features including defended settlements, Roman-British homesteads, strip terracing and medieval ridge and furrow. Today, the landscape is farmed using traditional breeds of cattle (Galloways and Luings) and sheep (Scottish black-faced and North Country Cheviots).
This Moorland Vegetation Management Plan encompasses all areas of dry and wet heath, blanket bog, montane heath and associated acid grassland and scrub habitats, that are grazed by livestock, within College Valley Estates. The majority of these habitats (but not exclusively) lie above the Moorland line. It represents the development and three-year trial of a new approach for the management of moorland in the College Valley. The plan is a joint vision of shared outcomes between College Valley Estates, Natural England and the Northumberland National Park. The three-year trial period reflects the remaining terms of the Higher Level Scheme (HLS) agreements in place across the Estate. At the end of this period, the success and delivery of the shared outcomes approach will be reviewed along with management prescriptions of the HLS agreement. This will allow both parties to incorporate lessons learned and conclusions of the trial work from both College Valley Estates and Natural England’s on-going work.