Meathop Moss

Meathop Moss
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Coordinates 54°13′39″N 2°51′29″W / 54.22750°N 2.85806°WCoordinates: 54°13′39″N 2°51′29″W / 54.22750°N 2.85806°W
Area 82 ha

Meathop Moss is a raised bog in Cumbria, England. Meathop Moss is notable for its insect life,[1] and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Along with two other raised bogs near the Kent estuary, it has been included in the Witherslack Mosses Special Area of Conservation which was designated in 2005.

Etymology

Meathop is a locality near the village of Lindale. Moss is a dialect word meaning bog.

History

The bog developed above a shingle beach after the last glaciation.[2]

The site was identified by the entomologist Charles Rothschild (1877 – 1923) as being of ecological importance and needing protection. Rothschild was the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (SPNR), which in 1919, leased Meathop Moss for use as a nature reserve. In 1998 it was purchased by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

References

  1. ↑ "Meathop Moss". English Nature. Retrieved July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Splendid Walk". Westmorland Gazette. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.

External links