Cumbria Wildlife Trust · Near Grange-over-Sands · Free entry
Foulshaw Moss
A restored raised bog with an osprey nest you can watch from a viewing platform. Part of the Lake District osprey reintroduction. Go in summer for the ospreys, the Large Heath butterfly, and a bog landscape that looks like nowhere else in the Lakes.
Postcode
LA11 6QZ
Entry and parking
Free
Osprey season
Apr–Aug
Large Heath
Jun–Jul
Practical information
- Postcode
- LA11 6QZ
- Managed by
- Cumbria Wildlife Trust
- Entry
- Free
- Parking
- Free, roadside car park
- Facilities
- Viewing platform, boardwalk, information boards
- Dogs
- On leads please
- Best for
- Ospreys, Large Heath butterfly, bog plants
- Peak season
- May to August
About Foulshaw Moss
Foulshaw Moss is a raised bog on the southern edge of the Lake District, just off the A590 near Grange-over-Sands. Managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust and part of the Morecambe Bay Limestones and Wetlands project, it is one of the most productive wildlife habitats in the southern Lakes fringe.
Raised bogs are rare habitats. They form over thousands of years where peat accumulates above the surrounding landscape, fed entirely by rainfall. The sphagnum mosses absorb water like a sponge and create the acidic, nutrient-poor conditions that support the specialist plant and insect communities found here. Foulshaw was partly damaged by drainage and peat cutting. Restoration work since 2001 has rebuilt the bog hydrology with rewetting and drain blocking.
April to August
Ospreys
The nest platform at Foulshaw is part of the Cumbria Osprey Project. The birds use the nest platform reliably and raise chicks most years. The viewing platform overlooks the nest at a respectful distance with a clear line of sight. This is part of the same reintroduction programme that includes the Haweswater pair.
Foulshaw ospreys return from West Africa in March or early April. The male usually arrives first. Egg laying happens in April, incubation for about five weeks, and the chicks hatch in late May or early June. By August the young birds are flying and the family disperses. Migration south begins from August onwards.
Early morning is the most active time: the adult birds make fishing flights to the Kent estuary and return to the nest. Watch for the osprey circling high before a fishing dive, or flying low over the bog with a fish in its talons. Binoculars help. The nest is visible to the naked eye but detail on the birds requires optics.
Why this matters
Forty years ago there were no ospreys in England. There are now several pairs breeding across the Lakes. The success at Foulshaw, Haweswater, and multiple other sites is a genuine conservation story.
Large Heath Butterfly
The Large Heath is one of Britain's rarest butterflies, restricted to upland and lowland raised bogs across the north and west of the country. Foulshaw is one of the better sites in the north-west. The butterfly is on the wing in June and July, flying low over the bog surface and perching on cotton grass stems.
The male has a pale orange-brown forewing with one eyespot; the female has two. They can be distinguished from the commoner Small Heath by size and habitat. If you are on a raised bog in June, the larger brown butterfly is almost certainly a Large Heath.
How to find them
- • Walk the boardwalk through the bog slowly, scanning the cotton grass ahead of you.
- • Look for the characteristic low, fluttery flight just above the vegetation.
- • Warm, overcast days in late June to mid-July are peak flight period.
- • In direct sun the butterflies shelter in the vegetation and are harder to find.
Plants of the Bog
The bog flora is the framework for everything else. Sphagnum moss in multiple species forms the living carpet of the reserve, creating a mosaic of greens, reds, and browns. Common cotton grass with its white fluffy seedheads is a reliable indicator of wet bog conditions. Cross-leaved heath is the dominant heather here, preferring the wet areas where bell heather and ling would not survive.
Bog Asphodel
July to August
Turns the wet areas yellow before fading to orange-red in autumn. One of the most striking bog plants when in flower.
Round-leaved Sundew
July to September
Catches insects in sticky, glandular leaves. Look for rosettes of reddish round leaves on the sphagnum surface. A genuine carnivorous plant.
Common Cotton Grass
April to June (flowers)
White fluffy seedheads visible from a distance. A reliable indicator of wet bog conditions throughout the reserve.
Cranberry
Berries in autumn
Grows low across the bog surface. Small, dark berries in autumn. Easy to miss if you are not looking for it.
Seasonal Highlights
March to April
Ospreys return. First singing willow warblers in the scrub around the bog edges.
May to June
Osprey nest activity. Pied flycatchers and redstarts in nearby woodland. Cotton grass in flower.
June to July
Large Heath butterfly on the wing. Bog asphodel flowering. Peak insect diversity on the reserve.
July to August
Young ospreys fledging. Dragonflies and damselflies active over the wet areas. Golden-ringed dragonfly on the bog edges.
September to October
Ospreys depart. Bog asphodel turning orange-red. Wildfowl beginning to arrive on the nearby estuary.
Getting There
The reserve entrance and car park are on a minor road off the A590, approximately 3 miles east of Grange-over-Sands. The postcode LA11 6QZ brings you to the right area. Look for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust signs. The car park is free and holds around 15 vehicles.
The reserve is not served by public transport. The nearest town is Grange-over-Sands, which has a train station on the Furness line. A taxi from Grange-over-Sands to the reserve is around 10 minutes.
What to bring: wellies or waterproof footwear, binoculars, water and food (no cafe on site). The nearest facilities are in Grange-over-Sands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Foulshaw Moss free to enter?+
Yes. Entry to the reserve is free. There is a small car park on the minor road off the A590 which is also free. Managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
When is the best time to see ospreys at Foulshaw Moss?+
April to August. The viewing platform overlooks the osprey nest platform. The birds return from West Africa in March or early April. June and July are peak chick-rearing time. Get there before 10am for the best activity at the nest.
Is Foulshaw Moss good for butterflies?+
Yes. The Large Heath butterfly is the flagship insect species here. It flies in June and July and is restricted to raised bog habitats. Foulshaw is one of the better places in northern England to see it. The boardwalk through the bog is the right area.
What plants grow at Foulshaw Moss?+
Classic raised bog flora. Sphagnum moss throughout, bog asphodel in July and August, round-leaved sundew throughout summer, cross-leaved heath and common cotton grass. Cranberry grows low in the bog.
How difficult is the walking at Foulshaw Moss?+
Easy. The main route is a boardwalk across the bog and a clear path to the viewing platform. The entire circuit is around 1.5 miles on flat ground. Suitable for all abilities. Wellies recommended in wet weather.
