This is the Watershed Landscape.
We know it’s worth celebrating, sharing and protecting.
The Watershed Landscape is the upland area of the South Pennines where east meets west; North Sea to Irish Sea; uniting Lancashire and Yorkshire along the way. It’s where our essential drinking water falls as rainwater and is channelled into reservoirs that riddle the moorland; providing water for us all.
More than a million people live in or around the South Pennine uplands yet they can still feel remote, wild and exhilarating. A place for reflection, relaxation and inspiration. They have already inspired artists and writers over generations from the Brontës to Ted Hughes; from Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth to Joseph Pighills, and continue the tradition today.
The history of the place runs deep and many clues to its past lie scattered across its surface; from pre-historic flint tools and Bronze-Age carved rocks to more recent relics of industrial and agricultural hard graft.
The natural landscape is built on foundations of grit and peat; making it a rich home for special moorland flora and fauna. It is such a unique place that much of the Watershed Landscape is protected to help wildlife flourish. We even have our very own rare Pennine Finch, also known as the Twite. As our future comes into focus, this environment has a pivotal role to play in rising to modern challenge of climate change.
The Watershed Landscape project is a three year programme to enhance and conserve this landscape and its heritage, whilst improving access for all. It is managed by Pennine Prospects in partnership with a wide range of organisations and hand-in-hand with local communities.
We are researching and telling the fascinating stories of the moor and creating new ones to inspire future generations. We are protecting and enhancing this special place whilst helping more people to experience this stunning landscape first-hand.
