Conservation on ‘The Park’

At Hollows Farm, ‘The Park’ is one of the most interesting areas of land within our tenancy. Not only do thousands of locals and visitors alike cross through this field on the designated footpaths each year; we also have countless numbers of birds, insects, mammals and invertebrates inhabiting or passing through this area yearly too.

Redstarts are a small bird species which can be seen in The Park during the summer months. Weighing between 10-20g, these birds are tiny! They enjoy woodlands and upland park areas, but temperate rainforests are their favourite. This makes The Park the perfect place for them, we are so lucky to be surrounded by temperate rainforest which is part of the new kings series National Nature Reserve! Redstarts have a sweet call, listen out for it if you are passing through in the summer months. You can learn more about Redstarts by clicking here.

If you are really lucky, in the summer months you may see the Pied Flycatcher, a small black and white bird who visits us in summer, and spends their winter in West Africa. There are estimated to be up to 20,000 breeding pairs in the UK between April – October each year. You can learn more about the Pied Flycatcher by clicking here.

Alongside these interesting bird species, there are an abundance of rare plant species here. Bog Myrtle is a deciduous plant and ‘The Park’ is its ideal home, being wet, temperate and having just the perfect amount of sunlight. We also see Bog Asphodel flowering here during our warmer months. You can learn more about Bog Asphodel by clicking here.

During the spring and summer of 2026, we have seen record numbers of common spotted orchids on The Park, a great indicator species for a healthy eco system as they are extremely sensitive and only grow in the right conditions.

We sensitively graze this area throughout the year with native breed sheep and cattle, livestock grazing helps to keep on top of larger and faster growing plants such as bracken taking light away from smaller and slower growing species, helping to conserve the abundance of species in this field.

Our aim going forwards is to conserve ‘The Park’ and encourage the rare species that visit this area of land to survive and thrive. This habitat will be protected and conserved forever thanks to it being owned by the National Trust, and included in the tenancy of Hollows Farm.

Please consider supporting the National Trust and the Lake District National Park to keep enjoying these beautiful areas. Take your litter home and leave no trace.
Learn more here -The Countryside code: Respect, protect, enjoy.
Donate to the National Trust here.