About the reserve

Wildlife highlights

• In spring - The delicate May flowering bird’s-eye primrose is a speciality of the site and early marsh orchids are flowering.
• In summer - fragrant and northern marsh orchids grow in the open mire alongside the dainty blooms of grass-of-Parnassus and wild columbine. In late summer red admiral, peacock, small tortoiseshell and brimstone butterflies are on the wing.
• In winter - the best time to see brown hare on the nature reserve and keep an eye open for buzzards.

How the moss formed

Hale Moss was once covered by a large freshwater lake that extended right across the valley floor. The skeletons of millions of aquatic animals, that lived and died in the lake, formed a layer of calcareous marl.

The lake eventually filled up with vegetation and this formed a peat layer over the marl. At Hale Moss the marl layer has been re-exposed through man's activities (possibly peat cutting or ploughing).

Waterlogged world

The water-logged marl provides an unusual habitat.  The main species you can see are large tussocks of black bog rush and purple moor-grass. 

Nestled between the tussocks you can find a number of orchids and rare wildflowers. 

Look out for the diminutive bird's-eye primrose which flowers in May, or in summer the delicate white flowered grass-of-parnassus. 

Wild columbine, early and northern marsh orchid and fragrant orchid also grow on the open mire area. 

Woodland

To the north of the wet area is a woodland of mainly Scots pine with birch and sycamore.

Hazel and holly form a shrub layer in places and you can find early dog violet and herb paris.

Butterflies

A ride was cut through the wood for a gas pipeline in 1967 and this is now dominated by hemp-agrimony.

Butterflies are attracted to this plant and, in late summer, the ride can be full of red admirals, peacocks, small tortoiseshells and brimstones. The larvae of brimstone butterflies feed on the alder buckthorn.

Keeping it special

Management includes maintaining the open mire area by scrub clearance and periodic mowing of areas of mire.

When trees within the woodland fall down they are left in situ to create dead wood habitat for invertebrates.

Recent History

Hale Moss was purchased by Cumbria Wildlife Trust in 1972 and 2003.

Getting here

By car:

From M6 Junction 35 take A601 (M) then A6 north. Pass signs for Leighton Moss and a garage on the left. Immediately beyond garage turn right for Burton. Park on verge of the sliproad here.

From Milnthorpe - follow A6 south through Beetham. Pass Lakeland Wildlife Oasis on the right hand side and take next left to Burton. Park on verge of slip road but please do not obstruct other traffic or block field gates.

Access to the reserve is [off the slip road on the A6] via a stile through the hedge or, if this access is waterlogged, via a gate at the northern end of the reserve into the woodland (opposite Lakeland Wildlife Oasis).

By bicycle:

The reserve is 1.6km/1 mile from National Route 6.

By public transport:

Buses run from Kendal to Hale.