Not Just Heather & Hares
Living on the Derbyshire–Cheshire border my whole life (just where it starts to get hilly), moorland has always been a familiar setting for me. Having the Peak District on our doorstep, with its sweeps of heather and calling curlew, for years, I simply saw it as beautiful and wild.
What I hadn’t really considered was what keeps it that way.
More recently, through reading and listening to organisations like the Moorland Association and the Regional Moorland Groups, I’ve started to understand and explore the care and complexity behind these landscapes. In this post, I want to share an honest, open look at what goes into safeguarding our moorlands, why it matters, and why, as countryside ambassadors, it's important to have these conversations.
So, as always, grab a brew and let’s get started.
What is Moorland Management?
Just like us, even moorlands sometimes need a helping hand. They may look wild and untouched, but they’re anything but unmanaged.
At its heart, moorland management is simply about looking after the land so it can look after everything else, usually involving s a steady mix of habitat care, wildlife protection and practical fire prevention. You might hear terms like controlled seasonal burning (often called muirburn), which helps create a patchwork of heather at different growth stages, giving ground-nesting birds somewhere safe to shelter and feed.
The vulnerable Curlew bird- Image: The Moorland Association
It can also involve managing predator numbers to support vulnerable species like curlew and lapwing, keeping bracken and ticks under control, and restoring peatland by blocking old drainage channels so the bog can re-wet and store carbon properly.
It can be a topic that sparks opinions- and that’s only natural when people care about the countryside, but these uplands aren’t just made up of “shooting estates,” as they’re sometimes labelled. They’re working landscapes, community employers, and delicate ecosystems all at once, and managing them well is rarely about extremes but about careful balance.
Conservation in Action: Why the Uplands Matter
When moorland is healthy, it brings a heap of benefits to the nature and wildlife it’s home to. Not only does it provide those vital nesting grounds for species like curlew and lapwing (birds that have sadly declined in many other parts of the country), but it also supports a web of insects, plants and wildlife that depend on the heather, peat and rough grasses to survive.
Image: The Moorland Association
There’s also the bigger environmental picture, as Peatlands, which sit beneath much of our uplands, are natural carbon stores. When they’re kept wet and intact, they lock carbon away and help regulate water flow, improving water quality downstream and even reducing flood risk during heavy rainfall.
And then there’s wildfires. Recent moorland fires, including the devastating 2018 Saddleworth Moor fires, have shown how vulnerable unmanaged land can be during long heatwaves and dry spells. Careful management helps reduce that risk by preventing huge build-ups of fuel and maintaining a patchwork of vegetation that makes large-scale fires less likely to take hold.
The People Behind the Landscapes
It’s easy to talk about moorland in big-picture terms; carbon, biodiversity, water systems, an array of scientific and technical terms, but behind every healthy landscape, it’s worth remembering we’re talking about people- and a whole mix of them at that.
There are the more traditional countryside roles many of us picture straight away: gamekeepers, shepherds, beaters, stalkers - often multi-generational jobs, with knowledge passed down over time on how to read the land in a way only experience can teach.
Alongside them sit the broader management and conservation groups, organisations like the Peak District Moorland Group and the Angus Glens Moorland Group, which bring landowners, keepers, ecologists, and rural businesses together. They help coordinate restoration projects, share best practice and ensure that conservation and community go hand in hand. When you look at moorland management, it’s not one role or one viewpoint that shapes the uplands, it’s a collective effort.
Game, Food and Field-to-Fork
Responsible moorland management doesn’t just shape the landscape; it feeds into the food chain too, quite literally.
Careful management supports a whole supply of wild, locally sourced game such as venison, wild birds, and other seasonal produce, forming part of a whole field-to-fork system that uses what the land naturally provides, rather than something shipped halfway across the world or mass-produced.
For me, as I’ve shared in my deer management journey, this has been another real learning curve, and understanding how wild game is sourced, prepared and cooked has completely shifted how I see it.
Venison, in particular, is lean, high in protein and often far more affordable than most people expect (especially when you compare it with supermarket beef!) And perhaps most reassuringly, it’s traceable. You know where it’s come from, how it’s been managed and the role it plays in the wider countryside.
What This Means for Hollands and Our Customers
So, you might well be wondering, what does all of this mean for me? Especially if you’re not out managing heather or restoring peat bogs yourself.
If you shop with us at Hollands, you care about the countryside. And that’s really at the heart of it. The clothing we stock, from gamekeeper jackets and wellies to waterproof trousers, field coats and base layers, so much of it is designed to work (and thrive) in landscapes exactly like these.
At Hollands, we’re not just country clothing retailers, but ambassadors for the British countryside- and that means caring for it just as much as selling clothing for it. Many of the people you see featured in our posts and campaigns, including our recent work with Outfitter Tales, live and work on these very moors and landscapes. Our gear is tested in proper British weather, across rough ground, over long days, and that wouldn’t even be possible without the careful management that keeps these landscapes healthy and resilient.
To put it simply, without the management, conservation and the people behind these moorlands, country clothing would be missing some of the very landscapes it was made for.
Want to Learn More? These Are the Organisations to Know
If this is a topic that’s sparked your curiosity, or even just left you with a few more questions, here are some of the organisations I’d recommend spending a little time with:
- The Moorland Association: Shares insight into how uplands are managed, alongside updates on conservation projects and biodiversity work happening across the country.
- The Regional Moorland Groups: Brings together voices from places like the Peak District and the Angus Glens for a more local perspective (which feels particularly relevant when these landscapes are right on the doorstep!)
- The Campaign for the Protection of Moorland Communities (C4PMC): Focuses on the people who live and work in these areas, helping ensure rural communities remain part of the conversation.
As always, I think it’s important to read widely, listen carefully and form your own educated view. As I’m sure many of us know, the countryside is rarely black and white, and that’s part of what makes it worth understanding.
Conclusion: A Conversation Worth Having
Ultimately, understanding moor management helps us see that these landscapes are more than just wild and beautiful- they’re complex, layered and deeply tied to wildlife, ecosystems, and rural communities, and protecting them is essential so that we can continue to enjoy them.
At Hollands, we’re proud to support the people and places that form the fabric of British country life. The uplands, the communities that work them, and the landscapes that test and shape the clothing we wear all sit at the heart of what we do.
Image: Campaign for Protection of Moorland Communities
If this has given you some food for thought, or you’d like to read more on the latest in country life, you’ll find plenty of countryside features, field-to-fork stories and conservation-led conversations here on the blog Hollands Country Files. And if you’re heading to any upcoming countryside events, whether that’s The Stalking Show (come and say hi!), the GWCT Game Fair or simply a spring walk across the tops, perhaps you’ll see these landscapes with a slightly different perspective!
About the Author
Sarah Holland
With her extensive firsthand experience of farm life and a keen eye for quality, Sarah Holland's advice on country clothing reflects her genuine appreciation for the joys and comfort of rural living. Whether it's a smart tweed jacket for a formal occasion or durable wellies for muddy walks, she knows what works for life in the countryside. Sarah loves sharing her knowledge and insights to help others discover the perfect attire for their outdoor lifestyle.
