Marsden Moor - from soot-clad landscape to wildlife haven.

For many who grow up in the shadow of the Yorkshire moors, the wild windswept landscape quickly becomes part of the genes.

To the north, the Bronte sisters gave readers around the world a taste of the wilderness in the Pennines and brought the upland countryside alive. To the south, ramblers claimed the high ground as their own with a Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout, paving the way for Britain’s first national park rooted in the Derbyshire Peak.

Yet while the Pennine spine of England lifted the spirits of so many, there was trouble at mill. Those dark satanic mills weaving in the valleys sent plumes of smoke into the atmosphere and much of it settled on the tops. So much so, that when the National Trust took over Marsden Moor Estate from private ownership 60 years ago this month, much of that precious moorland was covered in carpet of soot.

“The people at the time were attracted by the wild landscape which had an inherent beauty and they wanted to protect it,” says present day ranger Rob Henry.

However, it wasn’t until 30 years later that restoration work began in earnest, paving the way for the present-day moorland scenery and by then there was a significant amount of bare peat and much of it was easily blown away on gust of wind.

Dealing with the peat, which acts as a natural carbon store, was key to the moor’s success. The Trust began planting heather to stabilise the peat, which can help to combat climate change and it also blocked gullies encouraging the growth of spagnum moss. Elsewhere dry stone walls were repaired and with what might seem to be simple steps but in fact requires skill in sighting, breeding birds started to return to the moor.

“We have to continue the work otherwise the moor without intervention will deteriorate,” says Rob. “Things are much better now but there is still a lot to do.”

The small full-time team at Marsden could not manage without volunteers - and there are nearly 100 of them, helping with working parties, fund-raising plant sales, leading walks and doing survey work. Robin Mulligan is one of them. The 32 year old father-of-two and lives some miles away in Rochdale and he sandwiches his volunteering between family life and an office job in Manchester.

“I only started as a volunteer in January,” he says. “But already I have done some dry stone walling, some brush spreading and some flag laying. I don’t think people take full advantage of the environment around them. But it is not going to look after itself and I would live to do some larger scale projects.”

The once black and desolate moors are nowflourishing with upland species and the area is now Huddersfield’s green lung, capturing carbon from the atmosphere and providing all of Huddersfield’s drinking water.

“It is important to maintain the grass on the moorland as without it the water will leach away,” says Trust spokeswoman Karen Hall. “However, purple moor grass will help hold the water and release it slowly after heavy rainfall and help reduce the risk of flooding downstream.”

However, the work is far from over. The National Trust, Yorkshire Water, Natural England and Moors for the Future have just been undertaking a £2m restoration scheme damming streams, spreading heather and capturing more clean water.

Jonathan Brewer, general manager, West Yorkshire properties for the National Trust, says: “Through conservation work we will improve bio diversity, provide cleaner water, reduce flooding and wild fire risk and will improve the landscape for its natural beauty and recreational value.”

Now walkers on the Pennine Way which crosses the moor can look out on a more green and pleasant land. Only the occasional moorland fire and a little fly tipping can sour the outdoor diet. The Marsden Moor Estate is a large expanse of moorland sited between the connurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

It was donated to the National Trust in 1955 by the Radcliffe Family in lieu of death duties. Covering 5,600 acres of common land, it almost surrounds the village of Marsden, west of Huddersfield, and forms the most northerly section of the Peak District National Park. The landscape supports large numbers of moorland birds, such as golden plover, red grouse, curlew and twite. In fact the estate is so rich in birdlife it is a designated International Special Protection Area.

Officials describe Marsden Moor as an ecological paradise. Visitors they suggest should start at Pule Hiill or Buckstones for uninterrupted views across moorland, which is particularly impressive at sunset.

It may be a bumpy ride over the cobbles to reach the National Trust’s Marsden Moor office in the Old Good’s Yard. But once there visitors will get a taste of what the moor has to offer in an exhibition section of photographs and information.

But many locals and those from far afield have found this a good stepping stone for moorland exploration. Also worth a visit nearby is the Standedge Canal and Visitor Centre on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the three and a quarter long tunnel itself.Regular trips are now available beneath the moor on trip boats where the construction of the tunnel is explained.

An extensive series of guided walks are now staged by the Trust around the estate-ranging from short strolls,to themed rambles to long hikes over the moorland. Officials say the landscape has been shaped by people over the centuries, from the Mesolithic hunter gathers to those responsible for the turnpikes and packhorse paths crossing the Pennines.

The industrial heritage special wildlife and rugged scenery of moorland, reservoirs and valleys are there to be explored on foot, by bike or through the camera lens. Many people prefer to strike out on their own for an enjoyable ramble over the moor,

But there are risks when the mists descend and often with few vantage points, they lose their sense of direction and the local Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team are often first on the scene.

Winter also brings its challenges on Marsden Moor, much of which stands more than 1,000 feet above sea level.Highways officials struggle to keep the main A62 which runs through it open, although heavy snowfalls can bring traffic to a halt and snow ploughs have to be called out at high lying Standedge.

But the coming of spring brings its compensations as the broad landscape awakens from its winter landscape bringing views of a moor which have been recaptured with its original beauty. No wonder the National Trust are proud of this tract of moorland wilderness and that a team of volunteers are more than happy to keep it in fine fettle for future generations.