Trust secures largest landmark site after striking 600-acre land deal

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has secured its largest single land acquisition to date after striking a deal for 600 acres.

According to the trust, the Eyam Moor site represents one of the most significant landscape-scale nature recovery opportunities in the region.

It also marks a major milestone in its long-term vision for a wilder, more nature-rich Derbyshire.

Motivated by an ambition to restore nature at scale, the landowners have generously donated the land, which the trust will manage in perpetuity for nature.

The donation builds on the success of the Middleton Moor appeal earlier this year.

Rachel Bennett, director of wilder landscapes and wilder communities at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the landowners for so generously donating this land for nature.

“Their vision and commitment mean that this landscape will be there for future generations and will give wildlife space to thrive.”

Alongside neighbouring sites, the new space at Eyam Moor will create a wildlife corridor spanning more than a thousand acres.

This builds on the trust’s Wilder 2030 Vision to restore 100,000 acres for nature across Derbyshire and create a connected network of nature-rich spaces close to where people live.

Dominated by upland heath, alongside mixed deciduous woodland, upland flushes and fen, with remnants of high-quality heath and moorland habitat, the landscape presents a rare and significant opportunity to restore the site into a diverse mosaic of habitats, more resilient for wildlife.

As with all Derbyshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves, it will remain free to visit.

The site is crossed by a number of public footpaths, allowing local communities and visitors to continue enjoying the landscape as nature takes the lead in its recovery.

Eyam Moor is the trust’s fourth Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) site, further strengthening the organisation as a trusted provider of high-quality BNG and nature recovery.

BNG is one of the most significant changes to environmental policy in decades, requiring developers to leave nature in a measurably better state than before, with at least a 10% increase in biodiversity.

At Eyam Moor, this means restoring a rich and resilient landscape through natural processes, creating high-quality habitats that not only support wildlife but also deliver wider benefits such as carbon storage, natural flood management and cleaner water.

Rachel added: “Securing this site is a powerful next step following our acquisition of Middleton Moor, reinforcing our long-term commitment to restoring nature, reconnecting people and wildlife, and showing what is possible when we all work together.

“This is what people-powered nature recovery really looks like, and we couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who makes it possible.”