The dataset consists of plant species data from a range of upland vegetation types. The study sites are situated within the Moor House National Nature Reserve in the North Pennines, UK. The area is grazed by free-ranging sheep and paired plots of grazed and ungrazed vegetation were set up at nine locations between 1953 and 1972. These plots have been monitored using the same (pin frame) methods at irregular intervals between their establishment and 2016. Within each plot fixed transect and frame positions are used. The data includes structural and frequency data for vascular plants and presence/absence data for bryophytes and lichens. The plots were set up and are currently maintained by Natural England (NE) and its predecessor bodies and since 1982 they have been monitored by the Environmental Change Network (ECN) through the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH).