Langdale Forest

Langdale Forest is an area of primarily coniferous woodland at the southern end of the North York Moors National Park, in North Yorkshire, England. The forest covers an area of 2993.8 ha and includes May Moss, a peatland that is recognised by the IUCN. Some areas of coniferous plantations within the forest that have been felled in the 21st century, have been replaced with broad-leaved trees. Alongside neighbouring Dalby Forest, and nearby Cropton Forest, Langdale Forest forms part of the North Riding Forest Park.

History
The forest lies 14 km north-west of Scarborough, and 16 km north-east of Pickering, located within the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England. In 2021, it consisted of 64% coniferous tree cover, 7% broad-leaf cover, 25% open land or scrubland, and the remaining 4% was land cover with felled trees. The forest is so named after the nearby village of Langdale End, and one of the prominent features of the forest, Langdale Rigg. Langdale itself is recorded as a name as far back as 1335, and means Long Valley. The land for the forest was acquired in 1934, and 1938, with the portion on the east bank of the River Derwent first, and the area on the west bank side around Broxa, second. The geology of the area is sandstone of the Osgodby Formation which is overlain with clay and sand.

Prior to the establishment of the forest, the land had been used for sheep-grazing and as a military training area (large parts of which also became the RAF Fylingdales base in 1963). The only wooded areas were the steep sides of the gorge on either side of the River Derwent, which also forms the northern boundary of the forest on its western side. The average height range of the forest cover is 224.3 m, with the lowest point being the River Derwent gorge (200 ft), to the highest at High Wood Howe, which is 950 ft. Several streams within the forest are tributaries of the River Derwent.

Langdale forms part of the North Riding Forest Park, which also includes the adjacent Dalby Forest (to the south-west) and nearby Cropton Forest. All of these forests have suffered from illegal off-roading activities in the 21st century.

May Moss
May Moss is a peatland on the north-western edge of Langdale Forest that borders RAF Fylingdales to the north. The bog is believed to be 9,000 years old, and was included as part of the forest as spruce trees were planted there. The bog covers an area of 150 ha, and in 2012, over 170,000 trees were removed from the bog area to prevent May Moss drying out as the trees root zones were taking the water. The bog acts as a sponge during cloudbursts, preventing excess flooding on the River Derwent. The peat restoration project included many partners and the site is registered as part of the peatland programme with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Scheduled monuments
The forest contains over 15 scheduled monuments, all listed with Historic England, being noted for their history dating back to the Bronze Age.

Recreation
In 1993, the Forestry Commission opened up over 30 mi of mountain bike trails within the forest. During the 1980s, Langdale and Wykeham Forest were used as part of a rallying course, with Finnish driver Hannu Mikkola crashing in Langdale Forest.

Wildlife
In 2012, £24,000 was spent on ecological improvements to the becks in the forest to provide a stable habitat for water voles. Some conifers were felled and scrub was cleared to allow "suitable vegetation" to grow that the water voles favour. Nightjars have established what has been described as a "Northern stronghold" in the forest, with over 70 males recorded in 2011. The bog area at May Moss is known to be host to common lizards and adders. Like other nearby forests, Langdale has a population of red and roe deer.