Moorland becomes Cumbria's newest nature reserve

Cumbria Wildlife Trust said the area's ecology is a source of great excitement

A 216-hectare stretch of moorland and blanket bog has become Cumbria's newest nature reserve.

Eycott Hill, near the village of Mungrisdale and in the shadow of Blencathra, is within the Lake District National Park.

It has been bought by Cumbria Wildlife Trust following a successful fundraising campaign.

The organisation said it will be providing full public access for the first time.

It has implemented a management plan that it believes will result in small mammals and predators, such as short-eared owls, returning in numbers.

Stone walls across the site, which provide a habitat for plants and animals, are being repaired while the trust added the effects of overgrazing by cattle will be reversed.

Eycott Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for both its biology and its geology.