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‘A gesture towards nature’: call for Dartmoor’s temperate rainforest to double in size

The Guardian UK Tuesday 26 May 2026, 08:00 UTC By Sandra Laville Environment correspondent 1 min read
Key Points

A campaign is calling for the temperate rainforest found in Dartmoor to double in size. This initiative follows the Duchy of Cornwall's announcement of plans to expand small areas of ancient woodland at two locations. The existing Black-a-Tor copse is noted as a tiny, surviving cluster of this ancient woodland.

Campaign comes as Duchy of Cornwall announces plan to expand small pockets of ancient woodland at two sites

Along a steep-sided valley, with the West Okement River roaring at its floor, the woodland emerges like an oasis in a closely grazed bare landscape.

Squat, tightly clustered, with root systems heavily covered in thick lichens and mosses, the oak trees of Black-a-Tor copse are a tiny surviving cluster of European temperate rainforest dating back to the bronze age.

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Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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