Motivated by an ambition to restore nature at scale, the landowners have generously donated the land, which the Trust will manage in perpetuity for nature. 

This donation builds on the community-powered success of the Middleton Moor appeal earlier this year, and demonstrates what is possible when individuals, communities, and organisations come together with a shared vision for nature’s recovery. 

Alongside neighbouring sites, this exciting new space at Eyam Moor will create a vital wildlife corridor spanning more than a thousand acres. This builds on the Trust’s pioneering Wilder 2030 Vision to restore 100,000 acres for nature across Derbyshire and create a connected network of nature-rich spaces close to where people live.

Dominated by upland heath, alongside mixed deciduous woodland, upland flushes and fen, with remnants of high-quality heath and moorland habitat, the landscape presents a rare and significant opportunity to restore the site into a diverse mosaic of habitats, more resilient for wildlife.

Eyam Moor will be a place where people can connect with nature and enjoy the benefits of spending time outdoors. As with all Derbyshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves, it will remain free to visit. The site is crossed by a number of public footpaths, allowing local communities and visitors to continue enjoying this important landscape as nature takes the lead in its recovery.

Eyam Moor is the Trust’s fourth Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) site, further strengthening the organisation as a trusted provider of high-quality BNG and nature recovery. 

BNG is one of the most significant changes to environmental policy in decades, requiring developers to leave nature in a measurably better state than before, with at least a 10% increase in biodiversity.

Through its in-house ecological consultancy, the Trust uses BNG to put nature at the heart of development and create more space for wildlife across Derbyshire. It provides a way to secure and restore land that would otherwise be beyond the Trust's reach, with every pound generated reinvested into creating, protecting and restoring habitats across the county.

At Eyam Moor, this means restoring a rich and resilient landscape through natural processes, creating high-quality habitats that not only support wildlife but also deliver wider benefits such as carbon storage, natural flood management and cleaner water.

Rachel Bennett, Director of Wilder Landscapes and Wilder Communities at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said:

“We are incredibly grateful to the landowners for so generously donating this land for nature. Their vision and commitment mean that this landscape will be there for future generations and will give wildlife space to thrive.

“Securing this site is a powerful next step following our acquisition of Middleton Moor reinforcing our long-term commitment to restoring nature, reconnecting people and wildlife, and showing what is possible when we all work together. This is what people-powered nature recovery really looks like, and we couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who makes it possible.”

Speaking about the future of the moor, the landowners added:

“There is a growing sense of enthusiasm and momentum around Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s bold new vision for nature and people in the county. We are proud to be part of this ambitious new chapter in their work, reconnecting habitats across the Wild Peak and helping to create space for wildlife to flourish. Eyam Moor is a place of great beauty and potential as a haven for nature. We are confident that in the Trust’s hands it will provide a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy and cherish.”

Read more about the Trust's Vision for a Wilder2030 here