Thanks for making past archive articles accessible, it is so good to be reminded of Bob’s article and the true reasons behind this staggeringly damaging moorland ‘management’ (aka burning) Just in the last month (March/April 2025) we have seen horrendous damage caused by dozens (hundreds?) of wildfires all across the UK - and news reporting and the usual keyboard warriors on social media just call for the hanging of errant youth and urban picnickers/bbqers with very few mentions of the landowners as being responsible for these ‘controlled’ vegetation burns being mismanaged and going out of control. We all know the recent huge fire on Beeley Moor, as well as one we witnessed in the Berwyn mountains recently in North Wales, were lit by the landowning establishment whose interest in this land is to benefit them from huge fees for grouse-shoots later in the year. Crazy that they are allowed (licensed!) to burn our precious peat Moorland in this way for their own profit. Destroying peatland, releasing carbon and drying out the land (in an already very dry Spring!) is just madness! Not to mention the earlier ground nesting bird season that we see now due to climate change - the damage to the wildlife of our moorlands from these fires is heartbreaking. This article has reminded me to look up progress on the Devolution Bill and any impact on land ownership and management - keep up the good work Bob - how can we help!?
Is there a good resource to learn more about the Devolution bill? Is it known when it will be debated? I'm trying to organise a letter writing event for my local climate group
Hi Sarah it's not clear yet when the Devolution bill will be debated (a Sheffield councillor did tell me it would be this autumn - but no confirmation of that). If you want to keep up to date and support campaigning to bring our moorland into public ownership send an email to reclaimourmoors@gmail.com and we'll add you to the mailing list.
It absolutely beggars belief that these fabulously wealthy untouchables are allowed to carry on using taxpayers’ money to wreak this destruction. But then I suppose my description of these posh vandals says why - they are untouchable, because they are so wealthy.
Now that the country is not being governed by a bunch of self-serving millionaires (I hope!!), perhaps our MPs, and cabinet members especially, might grow a backbone, and take on these dodgy characters with their flame throwers and guns.
(Haha! It’s ambiguous who the flame throwers and guns belong to….. 😆)
Great image Susan! We saw the results of those flame throwers on the moors in the skies of north west Sheffield just a few months ago, and there was interest in the issue of air quality back then. But as Bob says, that’s by no means the only damage caused by the archaic practise of fat grouse farming.
Thanks for making past archive articles accessible, it is so good to be reminded of Bob’s article and the true reasons behind this staggeringly damaging moorland ‘management’ (aka burning) Just in the last month (March/April 2025) we have seen horrendous damage caused by dozens (hundreds?) of wildfires all across the UK - and news reporting and the usual keyboard warriors on social media just call for the hanging of errant youth and urban picnickers/bbqers with very few mentions of the landowners as being responsible for these ‘controlled’ vegetation burns being mismanaged and going out of control. We all know the recent huge fire on Beeley Moor, as well as one we witnessed in the Berwyn mountains recently in North Wales, were lit by the landowning establishment whose interest in this land is to benefit them from huge fees for grouse-shoots later in the year. Crazy that they are allowed (licensed!) to burn our precious peat Moorland in this way for their own profit. Destroying peatland, releasing carbon and drying out the land (in an already very dry Spring!) is just madness! Not to mention the earlier ground nesting bird season that we see now due to climate change - the damage to the wildlife of our moorlands from these fires is heartbreaking. This article has reminded me to look up progress on the Devolution Bill and any impact on land ownership and management - keep up the good work Bob - how can we help!?
Is there a good resource to learn more about the Devolution bill? Is it known when it will be debated? I'm trying to organise a letter writing event for my local climate group
Thank you!
Hi Sarah it's not clear yet when the Devolution bill will be debated (a Sheffield councillor did tell me it would be this autumn - but no confirmation of that). If you want to keep up to date and support campaigning to bring our moorland into public ownership send an email to reclaimourmoors@gmail.com and we'll add you to the mailing list.
Well, a minority made the rules to take the moors for themselves. Can a majority not make the rules to take them back?
It absolutely beggars belief that these fabulously wealthy untouchables are allowed to carry on using taxpayers’ money to wreak this destruction. But then I suppose my description of these posh vandals says why - they are untouchable, because they are so wealthy.
Now that the country is not being governed by a bunch of self-serving millionaires (I hope!!), perhaps our MPs, and cabinet members especially, might grow a backbone, and take on these dodgy characters with their flame throwers and guns.
(Haha! It’s ambiguous who the flame throwers and guns belong to….. 😆)
Great image Susan! We saw the results of those flame throwers on the moors in the skies of north west Sheffield just a few months ago, and there was interest in the issue of air quality back then. But as Bob says, that’s by no means the only damage caused by the archaic practise of fat grouse farming.
Thanks for this really informative piece of journalism. Hopefully more people will lobby their MP.
Thanks Elaine, and thanks to Bob - yes, I hope MPs and other politicians take an interest in these ideas.