Tufted Treasures: The Ultimate Guide to Moor Row’s Red Squirrels

If you have ever been out for an early morning stroll around West Cumbria, you will know that catching a glimpse of a flash of russet fur in the tree canopy is a moment of pure magic. The native British Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) has been calling our islands home since the retreat of the last Ice Age.

However, over the last century, these charismatic rodents have faced a catastrophic decline. With the total UK population now hovering somewhere between 120,000 and 200,000 individuals, more than three-quarters are restricted to Scotland. That leaves Northern England, and specifically our beautiful county of Cumbria, as one of the final, critical strongholds for the species in England.

Right at the heart of this ecological battleground is the village of Moor Row.

Moor Row’s Red Squirrel Hotspots: Where to Look

Moor Row’s rich industrial history left behind a brilliant mosaic of agricultural fields, post-industrial woodlands, and disused railway lines. This unique landscape matrix provides a valuable network of habitats. If you are looking to spot one of these native treasures locally, here are the highest-probability locations to check out.

1. The Moor Row Railway Corridor and Village Junction

If you are walking the Coast to Coast path from Sandwith, you will hit a choice when approaching Moor Row: stick to the road or take the disused railway line skirting the northern boundary. Choose the railway line. This heavily wooded, linear greenway acts as an established nature highway. Complete with historic bridges, an old rock crusher, and vintage railway signals, it provides a vital sanctuary for Red Squirrels, local bat colonies, and the rare small blue butterfly.

2. National Cycle Route 7 (Moor Row to Cleator Moor)

This stretch of the cyclepath recently benefited from a massive £525,000 accessibility and ecological regeneration project led by the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and funded by National Highways. Running from Dalzell Street in Cleator Moor to the A5086 near Moor Row, the project widened the path to 2.5 metres and sorted out old tree root damage and flooding issues. Crucially, ecologists worked right alongside the engineering teams to ensure the canopy connectivity was preserved, making this a highly resilient, reliable corridor for moving Squirrels.

3. Longlands Lake Country Park

Sitting just east of Moor Row on the fringes of Cleator Moor, Longlands Lake is a biodiverse haven. The mature mixed woodland surrounding the water offers an absolute feast of hazel, beech, and coniferous seed cones. Local wildlife spotters regularly report Eed Squirrels darting across the paths here, alongside treecreepers, roe deer, and even peregrine falcons.

4. Clints Quarry Nature Reserve SSSI

Located about 1.6 kilometres north of Egremont, this 9-hectare abandoned limestone quarry is easily accessible via the A5086. While it is officially designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its incredible northern marsh, common spotted, and bee orchids, Cumbria Wildlife Trust data confirms that the mature woodland running along the quarry’s eastern boundary offers fantastic sanctuary and foraging ground for local Reds.

5. Dent Fell and the Cleator Forest Tracks

Further east, where the Coast to Coast path begins its steady climb up Dent Fell, the dense coniferous forestry tracks provide a perfect year-round buffet of pine and spruce cones. Walkers here frequently report sudden encounters with Reds leaping across the forest floor before scrambling effortlessly up the pine trunks.

The Viral Threat: Squirrel Pox

The primary driver behind the decline of our native reds is not just physical competition for food, it is a biological warfare of sorts. Grey Squirrels carry the Squirrel Parapoxvirus (squirrel pox). They shed the virus through their saliva, scent glands, and faeces without showing any symptoms themselves.

When a Red Squirrel comes into contact with the virus, the results are devastating. It causes severe skin lesions and scabs around the eyes, mouth, and feet, quickly leading to blindness and starvation. An outbreak can wipe out 80% to 90% of a local red population in less than a month.

Boots on the Ground: West Cumbrian Conservation Heroes

We would not have any red squirrels left in Moor Row if it were not for the tireless, volunteer-led conservation teams working every single week. Two primary voluntary organisations hold the line in our sector.

West Lakes Squirrel Initiative (WLSI)

Formed in 2013, the WLSI operates a massive territory from Maryport down to Muncaster, protecting the Moor Row, Cleator Moor, and Egremont corridors. They manage a network of around 50 specialized feeding stations (costing about £100 per feeder annually) equipped with motion-activated trail cameras. This allows them to monitor red populations without causing capture stress. When a Grey Squirrel invades a red zone, volunteers prioritise that area immediately to halt the spread of the deadly pox virus. The group humanely removes around 800 invasive grey squirrels every year.

Copeland Red Squirrel Group

Working hand-in-hand with the WLSI, this group focuses heavily on citizen science, territory surveys, and educational talks. They rely on local residents reporting sightings to instantly map population dynamics and deploy rapid conservation responses where they are needed most.

The Future of the Red Squirrel

Defensive volunteer actions are now being paired with large-scale scientific strategies.

The Red Squirrel Recovery Network (RSRN), a multi-agency partnership launched in 2023, is currently in its third year of a vital five-year project to protect the species. They are working on habitat optimisation, shifting commercial forests toward small-seeded conifers like larch and Scots pine that favor Reds over Greys. They are also funding non-lethal, oral contraceptives for Grey Squirrels, with specialised field delivery testing scheduled for 2028.

Nature is also providing its own backup. The gradual return of the Pine Marten (Martes martes) is turning the tides. Because Grey Squirrels are heavier and spend significantly more time foraging on the ground, they make much easier targets for the predatory Pine Marten than the light, nimble Red Squirrels who stay safely in the high branches.

How You Can Help in Moor Row

If you want to support our local Red Squirrel population right from your own back garden or during your weekend walks, follow these essential conservation rules:
  • Keep Them Wild: Avoid hand-feeding red squirrels or attempting to tame them. They need to maintain their natural foraging skills to pass on to their kittens.
  • Use Specialised Feeders: If you put out food in your garden, use specialised hopper feeders equipped with weight-sensitive exclusion plates. Light red squirrels can easily access the feed, while heavier greys are blocked. Fill them with whole hazelnuts in their shells, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
  • Practice Strict Hygiene: Shared feeders are prime zones for disease transmission. If you spot a grey squirrel using your garden feeder, remove the equipment immediately, clean it thoroughly, and leave it down to prevent spreading the lethal squirrel pox to any visiting reds.
  • Report, Report, Report: Real-time data is the most powerful tool the conservation teams have. Whether you spot a red or a grey in Moor Row, Cleator Moor, or Egremont, log it immediately with the West Lakes Squirrel Initiative or via the Red Squirrels Northern England digital mapping portal.
Red Squirrel Illustration
Red Squirrel Illustration
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

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ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS

About Moor Row

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Hello, and welcome. This Internet site is about the village of Moor Row in West Cumbria. The history of Moor Row is one intrinsically linked to the industrial boom that transformed West Cumbria. While the area's roots stretch back to before 1762, when the homesteads of Low Moor Row and High Moor Row dotted the landscape between Summerhill Mansion and Woodend with Cleator, the true genesis of the modern village lies in iron ore and the mighty railway.  From Homestead to Hub The early landscape was characterised by family landholdings, such as the estate of the Wildridge family at Low Moor Row, located on what would become Church Street. The marriage of Elizabeth Wildridge to the local gardener, Dalzell, and his subsequent inheritance of the estates, is a pivotal local event. This link is preserved today, not just through family lore but in the village's street names, a testament to the enduring influence of the early landowners. The Railway Catalyst The mid-19th century witnes...
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