The Forest of Bowland is not a forest, but a royal hunting ground of history.
In short: Despite its name, the Forest of Bowland is largely devoid of trees, consisting instead of vast heather moorland and blanket bog. This ancient royal hunting ground, once home to wolves and wild boar, now serves as a critical, contested landscape for grouse shooting and the survival of the hen harrier.
The Forest of Bowland, an area of gritstone fells and deep valleys in Lancashire and Yorkshire, derives its name from the Old Norse word for a bend in a river, not from archery or medieval farming. Historically, the region functioned as a royal forest—a legal designation for a hunting ground—rather than a wooded expanse. By the 17th century, the lower lands had been cleared of trees, replaced by stone farmhouses and small plots as commoners began inhabiting the area.
The landscape is defined by its complex administrative and ecological history. Created as a feudal entity by William Rufus in the late 11th century, the Forest and Liberty of Bowland was later subsumed into the Duchy of Lancaster. Today, the area is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, though it remains a site of intense ecological management. Large tracts of moorland are still managed for grouse shooting, a practice that has historically clashed with conservation efforts. In 1915, a single day of shooting on the Abbeystead estate saw 2,929 birds killed by eight hunters.
The hen harrier, now the emblem of the area, has become a focal point for these tensions. Once the goshawk was the 'queen of the Forest,' but as the hen harrier faced severe threats from illegal persecution, it became the symbol of conservation efforts. Collaborative projects between landowners, gamekeepers, and organizations like the RSPB have shown progress, with the number of fledged hen harriers rising from one in 2015 to at least 39 in 2022. This recovery highlights the ongoing struggle to balance traditional land use with the preservation of biodiversity in this rugged, ancient landscape.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Forest of Bowland
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