Whitelee Moor Nature Reserve

Whitelee Moor is one of Britain’s most important upland nature reserves. A large part of its 1508 hectares is rare blanket bog habitat, which is home to a variety of plants including Sphagnum mosses, cloudberry and cotton grasses. The site, which is an SSSI (part of the Kielderhead and Emblehope Moors SSSI) and a candidate SAC under the Habitats Directive, includes upland raised mire (blanket bog), heather moorland, rough grassland and acid grassland, with pockets of valley fen and a few calcareous habitats.

 

Whitelee is grazed as it has been for hundreds of years, but levels of stock are carefully controlled and former drainage channels, or grips, are being dammed to make sure the bog stays wet. New native woodland is also being planted. On the lower slopes is heather moor and this is home to moorland birds such as red and black grouse, and birds of prey including merlins, buzzards, peregrine falcons and hen harriers. One of the moor’s most striking animals is the Emperor moth – its brown woolly caterpillars become bright green as they grow, before pupating and emerging as a spectacular day-flying moth.

 

Location
At the head of Redesdale, south of the A68 Newcastle to Jedburgh road at Carter Bar.
Grid reference NT698040