Warcop Training Area (WTA) is situated within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is easily accessed from the A66, 5km east of Appleby and 2km west of Brough.
Site Description
Warcop Training Area (WTA) extends to some 9700 hectares and over two thirds of this area forms part of the Appleby Fells Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The SSSI is known for its blanket bog, limestone pavements, calcareous grassland and alpine and sub-alpine plants.
This area also forms part of the North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area, and Moorhouse and Upper Teesdale Special Area of Conservation which are internationally recognised designations. The site has 16 scheduled ancient monuments ranging from Neolithic burial mounds to medieval villages and a wide range of wildlife including red squirrel, great crested newt, black grouse, and the geyer’s whorl snail.
Over the past few years, considerable time, effort and resources have been directed at developing the natural habitat on WTA, with particular emphasis being given to the management of SSSI and habitat improvements for rare species. The work undertaken on Warcop has recently been recognised by English Nature who has awarded the WTA management team with the prestigious “SSSI Award” for its management of the Appleby Fells and Helbeck SSSIs.
Access Opportunities
Warcop Training Area is a live MOD range which is used six and a half days a week predominately by the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick. It is also used by various other regular and Territorial Army units of the British Army. Access opportunities on the Training Area, can be summarised as:
- Access to public rights of way in the Danger Area every Sunday afternoon after 1pm
- Access to public rights of way in the Danger Area for 12 weekends a year. These are detailed in the related link on access times on the right hand side of the page
- Access to WTA through a range of guided walks (contact Clare Hetherington on 017683 43227 for further information)
- Access to public rights of way in the Danger Area on at least 15 short notice days. Due to their very nature, these dates can not be published very far in advance. However the Warcop freephone access answer machine (0800 7835181) does hold details of the firing programme 7 days in advance and is updated daily
- Access to Mickle Fell is available (subject to training, high fire risk etc) on a permit system only. Applications should be sent to the Range Officer, Warcop Training Area, Warcop, Appleby, Cumbria, CA16 6PA
- Access to Area Victor (including Murton Pike and Murton Fell) under the CROW Act 2000
Further Information
Live firing notices are issued to the local libraries and youth hostels and are published in the local paper. For further information on live firing times contact Tel: 0800 783 5181.
OS Map References
OS Landranger sheet 19:
Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley