An ancient tradition
Nidderdale Moorland Group
An ancient tradition that goes back thousands of years.
A traditional practice that has helped to create, preserve and protect our rare upland landscapes, the flora, fauna and peat that they support.
A practice that is known by many different names.
Some are old traditional regional names not always still in use today, some more modern, but all cover the same management of our uplands that has been passed down from one generation to another.
To those who lived, worked and relied on our uplands in the past, one of the most important roles in keeping the moorlands safe and in good condition was the practice of swaling.
Also known as 'the burning of a swithin', swizzen or swidden depending on which region you were from.
A swithin might cover from ten to forty acres!
A far larger area than would be managed today by one fire, but to those whose lives relied upon the moors for not only farming, but also to supply the fuel for industry and household use, the safety of the moorlands and preventing the devastating effects of wildfire's was of vital importance.
Today modern day terms such as cool burning, controlled burning, prescribed burning or fire, rotational, managed burning or in Scotland, Muirburn, better describe the role which fire still plays in the safety and regeneration of our moorlands and which is only permitted at certain times of the year, over small areas and under certain conditions and in compliance with regulations.
But this is a management tool in use across the UK, not only on our uplands.
A practice in use to manage many different areas including lowland heathlands, areas that left unmanaged like our moorlands would soon be at risk from the build up of large fuel loads that feed wildfires as we have seen in recent years.
The smoke created from controlled burns is substantially small in comparison to that created by the out of control wildfires which we have seen in the recently increasing on unmanaged moorlands such as Saddleworth, Dovestones, Ilkley Moor, Marsden moor, etc at sensitive times of the year for wildlife in late spring and summer.
The picture shows just how small an area is actually managed by controlled, cool burning in the landscape today, creating essential fire breaks, removing fuel loads and protecting the flora and fauna, peat and carbon stores today is an important as it always has been, but has been hijacked by those who oppose grouse moorland management to promote false information and push their own agenda's.
We do not burn peat, burn peatlands, burn deep peat or blanket bog.
All areas are managed under agreement with Natural England and DEFRA.
Moorlands are made up of different habitats, from the blanket bog to dry and wet heath, all with very differing depths of peat and underlying geology.