EXPLORE A WILD MOUNTAIN VALLEY
Ennerdale, Lake District
True wilderness is harder to find than you might think. Humans have changed and adapted almost every square inch of Britain to serve our growing population and our ever-expanding needs. Even in the countryside, much of the mixed native woodland has been replaced with sterile plantation. Diverse fellside habitat are now sheepshorn grassy deserts. Wildlife clings to the scraps of nature that remain. But fortunately, another thing is changing too, as after centuries of blind ignorance to our impact on the planet, finally we are waking up – and hundreds of projects are springing up all over the UK to reinstate, preserve, and nurture the biodiversity we have lost.
Ennerdale is one shining example of this, where work is ongoing to slowly evolve the Ennerdale valley back to its natural state. Plantation is being thinned and felled to be replaced with native species, sheep grazing is being limited, and habitats that support butterflies, birds, red squirrels and pine marten are encouraged. Being the only Lake District lake not to have a busy road running by it, Ennerdale is one of its most remote valleys. It’s a walker’s heaven, being surrounded by some of the most impressive peaks in England – including Great Gable, Pillar and Haystacks. But due to its inaccessibility by road, it remains free from the usual Lake District footfall.
You can even stay at the YHA Black Sail Hut right in the heart of the Ennerdale valley, where you can put down your rucksack and really immerse yourself in one of England’s wildest valleys.