Landscape that inspired Brontë sisters’ books made a nature reserve
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Brontë country named UK’s newest nature reserve
- A vast area exceeding 1,270 acres near Bradford, encompassing peat bogs, heaths, and wetlands, has been designated as the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve.
- This is West Yorkshire's first national nature reserve and the seventh in the King's Series, an initiative to create 25 such reserves by 2027.
- The reserve, on land that inspired the Brontë sisters' novels, is aimed at improving nature access for the resident of Bradford, considered one of Britain's most nature-deprived urban areas.
- The designation protects vital habitats for carbon sequestration and biodiversity, supporting endangered species like adders, curlews, and golden plovers.
- The reserve will also serve as a site for field studies, research, and community engagement, particularly in light of Bradford's 2025 City of Culture status.