FARMLAND on the picturesque Levisham Estate in the North York Moors National Park could revert back to moorland.

A new management plan for the area put forward by the national park authority would also see improvements made to its remote landscape and wildlife.

Estate and moorland officer Michael Graham says in a report that a blueprint has been drawn up for the next five years for the 3,358-acre estate, which the authority bought in 1976, with further purchases of farms in later years.

Now the draft plan for its future is to be sent to about 30 organisations for their views before it goes back to the authority for a final decision in March.

Mr Graham says the strengths of the estate are its landscape, ownership by the national park, its wealth of historic and archaeological remains, its popularity with walkers and other visitors which contribute to the local economy, and that it is easily accessible by road and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

But threats to it include overuse of the existing rights of way, erosion by heavy rain, fire, especially the risk from the moors railway, illegal use of the moors by motorbikes and four-by-four vehicles, and the loss of character of the moors through increased numbers of visitors.

Mr Graham says habitat action plans are being drawn up for the estate's rivers, streams, moorland, woodland, marshes, fences, and grassland.

It is planned to create new rights of way in the woodlands on existing tracks and paths which are to be improved, and English Nature is to be asked to help fund wildlife enhancement schemes.

New bridleways are also planned, with one route linking Goathland station and Newtondale Halt on the moors railway.

Action is to be taken to improve buildings, fences, gates, water supplies, drainage, and way marking, and to control moles, rabbits, squirrels, roe deer, nettles, thistles and bracken as well as improving several eyesore spots on the estate, says Mr Graham.

The estate, which has three

Sites of Special Scientific Interest designations, has the largest area of heather moorland in England.

It also has a wealth of archaeology and a rich diversity of habitats, he says, which provides breeding grounds for curlew, red grouse, and merlin.

But he says the moor has suffered from overgrazing for many years.

"It has suffered a lack of management in recent years. There is considerable potential to improve the landscape and wildlife of the moor."

Mr Graham says the key to enhancing the area is to reduce the number of grazing animals through an agricultural scheme, and to carry out heather management.

Updated: 10:00 Wednesday, January 07, 2004