A Sussex-based author has featured a threatened Macclesfield site of natural beauty in their latest book.

The campaign to save Danes Moss North features in a new book by acclaimed nature writer Roger Morgan-Grenville.

Last year, the 62-year-old former soldier set out on a 1000-mile walk across the country, celebrating British wildlife.

He went from the Solent to Cape Wrath to follow the spring as it progresses northwards, to investigate why should we care about species loss in the UK and to meet the many individuals who are helping to reverse it – from Curlews in the New Forest to restoring sea grass near Edinburgh, from the allotments of Sheffield to the Peat bogs of Kelder, regenerative farming in the Cotswolds, and reintroducing beavers near Inverness.

Roger Morgan-Grenville was a soldier from 1978-86 and later helped to set up the charity Help for Heroes. He is also the author of Liquid Gold (2020) and Shearwater (2021), and Taking Stock (2022) published by Icon. His latest book features Danes Moss in Macclesfield.

At the end of his walk he made a final trip to Macclesfield, to visit Danes Moss.

As well as being in the area of a site that Cheshire East Council and shared landowners want to build hundreds of homes homes and a link road on, it is also a natural habitat and peat bog.

Danes Moss is home to an abundance of wildlife including Britain's fastest declining resident songbird, the Willow Tit. It would be, Morgan-Grenville says, 'a jewel anywhere in Britain.'

The writer met the South Macclesfield campaigners who are fighting to prevent the development of 950 houses which could destroy it.

A Willow Tit. (Image - © Francis C. Franklin / CC-BY-SA-3.0 Unchanged bit.ly/3xv5fNU)

He describes their work in his new book, Across A Waking Land, published by Icon books in April.

Morgan-Grenville will be returning to Macclesfield to launch the book and speak at an event arranged by Save Danes Moss Community Group on 20 April at St Michael's and All Angels Church, Macclesfield at 7pm.

Doors for this Market Place event opens at 6.30 pm.

Save Danes Moss are keen that this event is open to all and there is no pre-booking or admission fee.

The site is also thought to contain over 200,000 cubic tonnes of peat.* (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

However, they would welcome donations to cover our costs and to go towards our fundraiser. Donations can be made at the event (cash or card welcome). We are very grateful to Roger and Mark for giving their time for what will be an inspiring evening and look forward to seeing you there.

Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start.

Roger Morgan-Grenville says, "Without people like these, projects would be rising up, unchallenged, in inappropriate places all over the country… in the fight to protect and enhance what we still have, none of us can be neutral any more If you want it, then, for now, you must fight for it. We all must. Every inch of the way".

Save Danes Moss is a very active and effective campaign with a dedicated committee working to highlight the many issues around the development proposals they describe as 'devastating'.

Lizards, birds and butterflies are among the species that thrive on the under-threat site. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

It has overwhelming support from both residents and businesses who have turned up at protests, decorated shop windows and spread the word far and wide. Macclesfield businesses to have supported the campaign include Plums Kitchen, Prestbury Plant and Garden, to most recently Yas Bean.

Thomas Eccles, Chair of 'SAVE DANES MOSS' says, "Danes Moss is the most wonderful, much-loved green space in the heart of our community."

"To walk there is to enter another world; green, vibrant and full of wildlife. To lose such an amazing place to building development is unthinkable and has resulted in an incredible campaign to save and protect Danes Moss with support from across the community."

The campaign also has notable supporters from further afield including Mark Cocker, Chris Packham, Richard Mabey, Kathleen Jamie and now Roger Morgan-Grenville.

The cover of the new book, which we have linked a purchase link to at the bottom of the article.

The book costs £17.47, and can be purchased HERE.

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