Lyme Park reopens following moorland fire

After working closely with the emergency services through the afternoon and into the night of the 18 April, Lyme’s house, gardens and park will re-open to visitors today in time for the Easter bank holiday weekend.  There is no damage to the house or gardens, or reports of injuries to people or deer on the 1400 acre site. Thanks to the amazing efforts of the fire services and our team on the ground, Lyme is open as normal on Friday 19 April with Easter weekend activities going ahead as planned.

The area affected by the fire covers approximately two square kilometres of moorland. The National Trust, volunteers and partner organisations will begin to assess the impact of the damage and take the first steps to help the landscape and wildlife to recover. 

“We would like to thank Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for working so quickly together with our team of staff and volunteers. They have worked tirelessly to contain and extinguish the fire” says Eleanor Underhill, Assistant Director for the National Trust in the North West.

Comprising moorland, meadows and gardens, Lyme is renowned for its medieval herd of red deer and stunning walks and views. Nestling on the edge of the Peak District, Lyme was once home to the Legh family and, in its heyday, a great sporting estate. 

Deborah Maxwell, General Manager at Lyme says “We are so grateful for all of the messages of support. The area affected was primarily moorland. Dry and hot weather makes the moors more combustible.  If it’s windy, it can spread very quickly. The National Trust has been working proactively for many years to reduce wildfire risk through restoring the moorlands and monitoring for signs of fire in hot weather.

We need our visitors’ help to prevent the risk of fire across the countryside that we care for, particularly when we experience prolonged periods of dry weather or are in drought conditions.

People can make all the difference in limiting this risk by just following simple measures included in the countryside code such as ensuring they take home any litter, making sure any lit cigarettes are properly extinguished and disposed of responsibly and to never light fires. BBQs are not permitted at Lyme. 

We will be working closely with our partners to restore the landscape.

Please help us protect the moors and wildlife by calling the fire brigade immediately if you spot any signs of fire.

The fire was located on a large moorland area south of Knightslow woods with firefighters using hose reel jets, water backpacks and beaters to tackle the fire, together with specialist moorland firefighting equipment.  

You can find the latest news from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service here: https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/news-events/incidents/moorland-fire-at-lyme-park