Kielder Mires NNR
Although most NNRs are managed by Natural England, 88 are wholly or partly managed by other bodies approved by Council, under Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
County: Northumberland
Main habitats: Peatland
Area: 57 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map
Kielderhead reserve is managed by the Forestry Commission.
Please note that, due to the fragility of this site, access to the NNR is by permission only. For details contact the Forestry Commission's Kielder Forest District office for details by telephoning 01434 220242.
Kielder Mires comprises two separate sites: Coom Rigg Moss and Grain Heads Moss.
The reserve is an extensive tract of moorland that supports a wide range of upland habitats including blanket bog, dry heath, rocky outcrops, mire systems and wooded cleughs (ravines or small valleys).
Blanket bog occupies the upper plateau and is largely dominated by heather together with cottongrass, deer grass and sphagnum. Cloudberry is also locally common. Along the steeper slopes the blanket bog vegetation grades into dry heath and on the lower slopes, wet heath. Heather is abundant in these areas together with cross leaved heath, deergrass and purple moor grass.
Sheltered cleughs retain remnants of a former woodland cover of downy birch and rowan, while the exposed hill summits support bilberry and crowberry heath. In places the dwarf shrub vegetation has been replaced by acid grassland.
The reserve is an important area for upland breeding birds such as golden plover, dunlin, dipper, common sandpiper, ring ouzel, wheatear and whinchat. Waders such as lapwing, curlew and oystercatcher are seen on the lower slopes and grassland.
The mires are important bog habitats that have been largely undisturbed by grazing, burning, peat-cutting or drainage.
Location and access
The mires are approximately seven km apart and located in remote areas of extensive coniferous forest. They can only be reached by forest tracks.
Grain Heads Moss is on Henshaw Common, three km to the south west of Whygate village. Coom Rigg Moss is five km north west of Whygate, adjacent to a local landmark known as Felicia Crags (a disused quarry).
Whygate is three km west of Stonehaugh village accessed by minor roads from the B6320.
The nearest train station is Hexam, 18 km to the south east. The station is on the Newcastle to Carlisle line.
For information on local bus services contact Traveline by telephoning 0870 608 2608.
Facilities
The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in Stonehaugh.
The area is part of the Northumberland National Park and a Stonehaugh is the starting point for a number of trails and walks that explore the area.
