Adders are an increasingly rare sight in the English countryside but part of the Peak District is a stronghold for one of Britain’s most enigmatic creatures, as Matthew Taylor and Deborah Vernon discover.
VAGUE APPREHENSION tempered excitement. The torrential downpours had finally receded and glistening colours now washed over the Eastern Moors. Glossy green and lemon hued grasses scythed Bovril-brown earth, illuminating the sodden landscape beneath a clearing sky. We were here to take part in a workshop organised by the team charged with managing this special corner of the world to learn more about one of Britain’s most secretive creatures: the adder…