Lake District Rainforest Declared National Nature Reserve

Get ready for some great news, nature enthusiasts! The Lake District's very own rainforest has just been declared a national nature reserve, ensuring this rare and ancient habitat is protected for future generations.

Say hello to the Borrowdale rainforest, one of the few surviving examples of a "mysterious and untouched" landscape that covers less than 1% of the UK. This 721-hectare (1,782-acre) National Trust site includes Borrowdale valley, known for being the wettest inhabited place in England. Thanks to all that rain, the area boasts a lush, mossy, and lichen-covered woodland with ancient oaks and other historic native species.

This enchanting habitat, often called Atlantic oakwood or atmospheric Celtic woodland, once blanketed western Europe. However, it's mostly vanished due to natural climate changes in prehistoric times and widespread deforestation in the 1800s. Now, temperate rainforests only appear in fragments across Britain and Ireland, mainly in western uplands like Argyll and Lochaber in Scotland, Gwynedd in Wales, and parts of Devon and Cornwall in England.

The new designation is part of the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves, celebrating King Charles III's coronation. Each year, five nature reserves will be created for the next five years. With support from Natural England, this initiative will help conserve Borrowdale’s rainforest, connect it with nearby habitats, and reduce flooding risks for local homes and farms.

The National Trust called this move a “big step towards caring for and enhancing the incredibly special rainforest of Borrowdale.” Jade Allen, the Trust’s national nature reserve officer, shared her excitement: “Our hopes for the future are for the woodlands to be thriving and regenerating, for the biodiversity here to be improving, and to start reconnecting the woodland fragments for a more resilient ecosystem. By working with our local farmers and community, we are looking forward to better connecting people with the woodlands, wider nature, and history of Borrowdale.”

Author Guy Shrubsole, known for "The Lost Rainforests of Britain," celebrated the recognition, saying it was “fantastic” that Borrowdale’s rainforest was being acknowledged for its ecological significance. He added, “Like all of Britain’s temperate rainforests, the Atlantic oakwoods of Borrowdale remain fragmented and under pressure – so I very much hope this new declaration inspires farmers and landowners in the surrounding landscape to get involved in rainforest restoration, and benefit from some of the new government funding available for this. By reconnecting rainforest fragments, we can make these rare, beautiful habitats more resilient to the climate crisis, whilst also helping reduce flooding downstream.”

Jean Johnston, a senior adviser at Natural England, emphasized the importance of England’s rainforests for wildlife, climate, and water management. She praised the initiative, stating, “We warmly welcome this renewed commitment to making sure they are looked after so that they are in the best possible health. We look forward to working with the National Trust and its farming tenants to help make the woods and ancient wood pastures even bigger and better than they are now.”

So here's to Borrowdale rainforest – now officially protected and ready to flourish for years to come!