National Trust slammed for damaging Shropshire beauty spot

The Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and governed by strict conservation rules.

But Tom Lloyd, one of a group of farmers who are allowed to pasture their livestock on the Long Mynd, says stretches of the beauty spot have been left damaged after the national charity harvested some heather despite not have the right permits to do so.

He said the damage was reported by a walker earlier this month and it had been originally assumed was caused by people illegally accessing the site on 4x4s but it has since been confirmed that it was down to the National Trust, who had been harvesting the heather for another nearby nature project last autumn.

“The damage has been caused by a tractor being used in wet conditions. This sort of damage does not heal itself. There are ruts from last year which have shown little rejuvenation so it will take a long time for this damage to recover," said Mr Lloyd. 

He said a harvester had been towed behind a tractor, which had clearly got stuck in the mud, leaving the ruts which have now pooled with water.

“Normally, the best way to rejuvenate heather is by burning," he added. "That way you clear the vegetation and get rejuvenated seeds. You can do it by cutting but it has to be done when the weather is dry and not in the autumn when it is wet. The National Trust are there to manage countryside areas so they should have known better.”

The National Trust said they had been brush harvesting the heather for project on the Dudmaston estate near Bridgnorth, where around 240 acres of arable land is are being restored to heath-land in a ten-year project.

Mr Lloyd said: “We’re really disappointed that National Trust - Europe’s largest conservation body - has felt able to severely damage one area in pursuit of regeneration of another."

He said he has attended meetings with the charity and other members of the committee that looks after Long Mynd in recent days to discuss the issue.

National Trust admits to not having the correct permits to brush harvest the heather on Long Mynd

In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Trust admitted they did not have the correct permits to brush harvest the heather and had damaged the Long Mynd while they were cutting and bailing.

A spokesperson said:  “Nature conservation is a top priority in caring for the Long Mynd Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), working in collaboration with local stakeholders including the Longmynd Commoners’ Association. We have managed vegetation on the Long Mynd for many years with the consent of Natural England, including heather management, providing a rich mosaic of heathland habitats.

“While carrying out cutting and baling works last autumn, with prior consent from Natural England, the severe wet weather meant the machinery used regrettably caused some localised damage to the heathland. We are working closely with Natural England to secure additional SSSI consent to repair and restore the damaged heathland.

“Separately, in autumn 2023 we trialled brush-harvesting the seed heads on the Long Mynd, which were then used at the National Trust’s nearby Dudmaston Estate to recreate an area of heathland there, as part of the Sandscapes nature recovery project. 

"We take our responsibility in caring for the Long Mynd seriously and understood we had permission to brush-harvest the heather seed as part of our existing heather management consent. Subsequently we were informed by Natural England this was not the case and we have sought and have since secured additional consent for heather seed brush-harvesting. No damage was caused to the heathland during the seed brush-harvesting trials.”

A spokesperson for Natural England said they were working with the National Trust to ensure that all necessary permissions were in place in the future.