Thorne and Hatfield Moors

Thorne and Hatfield Moors SPA is an extensive lowland raised mire system adjacent to the Humber estuary on the north-east coast of England and is the largest remaining lowland peatland in England. Despite a long history of extensive peat extraction since the late nineteenth century, the site retains substantial areas of Sphagnum bog, which has been changed by succession to wet scrub woodland dominated by Birch Betula sp., sallows and Alder Alnus glutinosa. Where the peat surface has been removed, subsequent restoration of active bog has depended upon shallow flooding to allow Sphagnum and other bog plants to re-colonise. The mire communities are dominated by Hare's-tail Eriophorum vaginatum and Common Cottongrass E. angustifolium, Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Soft-rush Juncus effusus and Sphagnum mosses, and include a variety of scarcer bog plants such as Bog-rosemary Andromeda polifolia and Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos. Drier heath is dominated by Heather Calluna vulgaris, Bracken Pteridium aquilinum and Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea. Birch Betula sp. scrub, some of it dense, occurs throughout both moors. The diverse mosaic of habitats contribute greatly to the ornithological interest, which comprises breeding species, notably Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. 

Qualifying species

For individual species accounts visit the Species Accounts section