National Parks Partnerships secures Funding Circle support for peatland restoration in Northumberland National Park

Funding Circle is to initially support the restoration of 11 hectares of peatland at Greenlee Lough, located within the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. The partnership has been brought together by National Parks Partnerships (NPP), which operates at a national scale to link companies, investors and environmental funders with all 15 UK National Parks.

Across the UK, National Parks are some of the richest natural carbon stores, and some of our greatest opportunities for climate action and business resilience. Peatlands within National Parks alone store an estimated 119 million tonnes of carbon.

However, many peatland systems have been historically drained or degraded. Restoring them is essential to reducing emissions, improving biodiversity and strengthening water resilience.

Greenlee and Stonefolds farms, in the ownership of Northumberland National Park Authority, extend across 196 hectares in the centre of Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is internationally significant and designated as a special area of conservation, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and a national nature reserve. Greenlee Lough is also the largest natural freshwater lake in Northumberland.

The landscape includes peat bog, moorland, wetlands, woodland and species rich grassland, alongside extensive archaeological heritage from prehistoric, Roman and medieval periods.

This ambitious Hadrian’s Wall Wetlands initiative aims to restore natural hydrological processes, reconnect wildlife rich habitats, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and demonstrate how nature recovery can enhance a culturally significant landscape.

Hydrological mapping has identified 538 ditch blocks across the site. Restoration will involve installing peat dams at regular intervals, reprofiling grips and restoring natural water flows to re-wet peat soils and rebuild functioning peat bog systems capable of sequestering carbon, improving water holding capacity, enhancing water quality and supporting rare and specialist wetland wildlife.

Hadrian’s Wall Wetlands Landscape Recovery Project, spanning 4430 hectares across 14 farm holdings and forest areas. It plans to act as an exemplar for long term, locally led, landscape scale nature recovery.

Chia Lee, head of enterprise risk and compliance at Funding Circle said: ‘We are proud to launch this partnership with National Parks to champion long term climate resilience and nature recovery across the UK. At Funding Circle, we know how valuable it is to protect these landscapes. Beyond the environmental impact, these initiatives provide long lasting benefits to the wider community such as improving local water quality, supporting biodiversity and restoring/ enhancing significant landscapes for future generations.’    

Christine Venus, director of park management, Northumberland National Park Authority, said: ‘Greenlee Lough and its surrounding peatlands are among the most precious and ecologically significant landscapes in Northumberland National Park. This funding enables us to take an important step toward restoring these internationally important habitats, strengthening their ability to store carbon, improve water quality, and support rare wildlife.

‘By beginning this first phase of peatland restoration, we are not only safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage of the Hadrian’s Wall landscape but also demonstrating how nature first land management can build resilience for future generations. We are grateful for this support, which will help us deliver a further step towards our Hadrian’s Wall Recovering Nature project and more functioning and self-regulating wetland landscape at the heart of the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site.’

Planning, monitoring and contractor engagement will begin in September 2026, with restoration works scheduled for completion by March 2027. Long term monitoring will track water levels, biodiversity and carbon outcomes to ensure measurable impact.

Through partnerships like this, National Parks Partnerships is mobilising private funding to deliver vital action across the UK’s protected landscapes.