- First funded project will restore 11 hectares of peatland at Greenlee Lough in Northumberland National Park
- UK National Parks store 119 million tonnes of carbon in peatlands, making restoration vital for net zero targets and business resilience
- This project will support the 4,430-hectare Hadrian’s Wall Wetlands Landscape Recovery Project.
The National Parks has announced a new partnership with Funding Circle to support large-scale peatland restoration, starting in Northumberland National Park.
Funding Circle, the UK’s leading SME finance platform, will initially support the restoration of 11 hectares of peatland at Greenlee Lough, located within the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. The partnership has been brought together by National Parks Partnerships (NPP), which operates at a national scale to link companies, investors and environmental funders with all 15 UK National Parks.
A national opportunity for climate action
Across the UK, National Parks are some of the richest natural carbon stores, and some of our greatest opportunities for climate action and business resilience. Peatlands within National Parks alone store an estimated 119 million tonnes of carbon.
However, many peatland systems have been historically drained or degraded. Restoring them is essential to reducing emissions, improving biodiversity and strengthening water resilience.
Restoring an internationally significant landscape
Greenlee and Stonefolds farms, in the ownership of Northumberland National Park Authority, extend across 196 hectares in the centre of Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is internationally significant and designated as a Special Area of Conservation, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a National Nature Reserve. Greenlee Lough is also the largest natural freshwater lake in Northumberland.
The landscape includes peat bog, moorland, wetlands, woodland and species-rich grassland, alongside extensive archaeological heritage from prehistoric, Roman and medieval periods.
This ambitious Hadrian’s Wall Wetlands initiative aims to restore natural hydrological processes, reconnect wildlife-rich habitats, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and demonstrate how nature recovery can enhance a culturally significant landscape.
Hydrological mapping has identified 538 ditch blocks across the site. Restoration will involve installing peat dams at regular intervals, reprofiling grips and restoring natural water flows to re-wet peat soils and rebuild functioning peat bog systems capable of sequestering carbon, improving water holding capacity, enhancing water quality and supporting rare and specialist wetland wildlife.
Hadrian’s Wall Wetlands Landscape Recovery Project, spanning 4,430 hectares across 14 farm holdings and forest areas. It plans to act as an exemplar for long-term, locally-led, landscape-scale nature recovery.
Chia Lee, Head of Enterprise Risk and Compliance at Funding Circle, said: ’We are proud to launch this partnership with National Parks to champion long term climate resilience and nature recovery across the UK. At Funding Circle, we know how valuable it is to protect these landscapes. Beyond the environmental impact, these initiatives provide long lasting benefits to the wider community such as improving local water quality, supporting biodiversity and restoring/ enhancing significant landscapes for future generations.’
Christine Venus, Director of Park Management, Northumberland National Park Authority, said: ‘Greenlee Lough and its surrounding peatlands are among the most precious and ecologically significant landscapes in Northumberland National Park. This funding enables us to take an important step toward restoring these internationally important habitats, strengthening their ability to store carbon, improve water quality, and support rare wildlife.
By beginning this first phase of peatland restoration, we are not only safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage of the Hadrian’s Wall landscape but also demonstrating how nature-first land management can build resilience for future generations. We are grateful for this support, which will help us deliver a further step towards our Hadrian’s Wall Recovering Nature project and more functioning and self-regulating wetland landscape at the heart of the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site.’
Planning, monitoring and contractor engagement will begin in September 2026, with restoration works scheduled for completion by March 2027. Long-term monitoring will track water levels, biodiversity and carbon outcomes to ensure measurable impact.
Through partnerships like this, National Parks Partnerships is mobilising private funding to deliver vital action across the UK’s protected landscapes. To find out more about partnership opportunities within the National Parks visit www.nationalparks.co.uk.
Ends
Notes to Editors
To find out more about NPP visit www.nationalparks.co.uk
Follow NPP on LinkedIn
For further information, interview and image requests please contact Bec Butler, Senior Partnership Communications Manager
E: bec.butler@nationalparks.co.uk | T: +44 (0)7843 393962
About National Parks Partnerships (NPP)
National Parks Partnerships (NPP) connects business, finance and philanthropy to opportunities across the UK’s 15 National Parks, unlocking private investment to deliver vital action for nature and communities. Through bespoke partnerships and high-integrity nature-based solutions, we deliver environmental, social and economic value at scale.
About Funding Circle
Funding Circle (LSE: FCH) is the UK’s leading SME finance platform. Since 2010, we have extended more than £17bn in credit to over 125,000 UK businesses, helping them power the economy and their communities.
By combining proprietary AI-powered credit models with a human touch, we provide a seamless experience that allows SMEs to borrow, pay later, and spend through a single ecosystem. For institutional investors, Funding Circle offers access to an attractive, underserved asset class through a platform built on deep data and a proven track record of robust returns.