Peatland Restoration and the Historic Environment

Peatland landscapes contain some of our most significant historic environment features which are often exceptionally well preserved. They provide valuable environmental, social and economic public goods and services, yet peat degradation means we are losing these sites at an unprecedented rate. Restoring healthy, functioning peatlands is the best, and often the only way of providing sustainable, long-term protection to the historic environment.

This document sets out the wider historic environment standards that work carried out under the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme (NCPGS) should meet. It has been jointly developed by Natural England and Historic England, alongside ‘Peatlands and the historic environment’ (Historic England 2021) and the step-by-step 'Guidance on Historic Environment Assessments (HEAs) for Peatland Restoration' (Natural England 2022).