In 2008, the Duchy of Cornwall began restoring Dartmoor across its 27,000-hectare estate in UK. 18 years later, more than 800 hectares of damaged peat had been restored so far

An excavator on an English moor might look like the beginning of a construction project. On Dartmoor, these machines are helping repair damaged bogs by closing channels that allow water to escape.

The task sounds simple - keep the ground wet. But the consequences reach beyond the pools left behind. Rewetting helps protect carbon held in peat and creates conditions in which bog plants can return.

The Duchy of Cornwall has supported peatland restoration on Dartmoor since 2008. By August 2025, it reported having supported restoration across more than 800 hectares of damaged peat. Its Dartmoor holdings cover over 27,000 hectares, including around 10,100 hectares of deep peat. The reported restoration area is one part of that much larger landscape.

What has changed since last year?

As of September 2026, a dated update confirms that the work continues, although it does not provide a new, directly comparable total of hectares restored.

In its June 26 announcement accompanying the 2026 Integrated Impact Report, the Duchy identified continuing peatland restoration alongside a 20-year vision for Dartmoor’s landscape and nature recovery.

It also reported £5.5 million invested in environmental initiatives across its wider estate during the year ended March 31, 2026. That money covered programmes including net zero, farming and woodland work. It should not be read as a dedicated allocation for Dartmoor’s peatlands.

The carbon store beneath your feet

Peat forms when dead vegetation accumulates in waterlogged conditions without fully decomposing. Over long periods, those plant remains build up into soil that holds substantial quantities of carbon.

Drying and erosion put that store at risk.

Dartmoor National Park cites a University of Exeter estimate that only around 1% of Dartmoor’s deep peat area is healthy, peat-forming bog. The webpage does not date the assessment, so the figure should be understood as a cited estimate rather than a fresh 2026 measurement.

Blocking drainage channels and erosion gullies helps rewet the ground. Sphagnum moss and other bog plants can then recolonise, supporting water retention and the recovery of peatland habitat. Restoration can also improve water quality and help reduce downstream flooding.

Thousands of blocks to hold water back

At Cranmere in North Dartmoor, the intervention is substantial. The Duchy’s August 2025 announcement recorded 2,150 peat blocks, 280 timber blocks and 60 log blocks installed since 2024 to slow water flow and limit further erosion.

The South West Peatland Partnership brings together landowners, farmers, public bodies and conservation organisations to deliver this work. Trials also include using local wool to support restoration.

At Ockerton Court, the national park reports visible signs of more water remaining after restoration. Pools have also provided drinking water for livestock during dry periods.

Those observations are encouraging. They do not establish that every treated hectare has become a fully functioning bog. Restoration work begins a recovery process; it does not immediately complete it.

A changing climate complicates the repairs

Dartmoor’s Landscape Vision, launched in June 2025, anticipates longer droughts, greater heat stress and more extreme rainfall.

The Duchy’s summary warns that scenarios involving 2°C of warming could make Dartmoor unsuitable for blanket peatland. It does not specify the warming baseline or timeframe, and the warning should not be interpreted as a prediction that every bog will disappear at a precise temperature threshold.

Eighteen years after the Duchy began supporting restoration, the challenge extends beyond counting hectares treated. Success will depend on what happens after the machinery leaves: whether the ground holds water, bog plants recover and the remaining peat withstands the pressures ahead.