One Of The Few Remaining Blanket Peat Bogs Found In The Lowlands Of County Durham.
The government reports:
I was once significantly larger but have been
significantly reduced due to opencast coal mining,
forestry, and agricultural improvements.
Heather, bilberry, and cotton grass carpet the bog,
and where the surface is waterlogged
sphagnum mosses thrive. More unusual species
such as crowberry and hare’s-tail cotton grass
can also be found.
The site is important for birds
with breeding meadow pipits, skylark and lapwing,
and frequent sightings of short-eared owl, black and red grouse,
and large numbers of snipe and curlew.
It is now acknowledged that peat bogs
make a massive contribution in the fight against
climate change due to their ability to store carbon.
However, peat bogs have been lost at an alarming rate
in the recent past, which makes the restoration
and protection of peat bogs such as Stanley Moss
so important.