Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara, a member of the Asteraceae family, is a perennial herb known for its bright yellow, Dandelion-like flowers that emerge early in spring, often before its broad, hoof-shaped leaves appear. This unique blooming pattern has earned it folk names like ‘son before the father’ and ‘foal’s wort’.
Author Archives: Northwest nature and history
The Red Rose of Lancashire
The story of the Red Rose of Lancashire begins in the 14th century with the royal House of Lancaster when this noble family, descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, adopted the red rose as a heraldic badge, a simple yet striking emblem used to identify supporters in an era of shifting alliances and feudal loyalties.
The Structural History of Samlesbury Hall
The earliest phase of Samlesbury Hall dates to around 1325, when Gilbert de Southworth (Sir Gilbert de Southworth, Knight, Lord of Southworth, Croft, and Samlesbury, to give him his full title) constructed the Great Hall as his family seat, replacing a structure damaged during the Great Raid of 1322 by Scottish forces, a major raid carried out by Robert the Bruce during the First Scottish War of Independence.
The Tale of Bob Platt
Bob Platt weren’t a temperance fella in fact he’d a likin’ fer beer. Bur he ne’er used’t go beyond’t limit except once or twice durin’t year.
Twenty Questions for Mega-project Developers
Last year news was released of a private initiative to build a £100 billion, 45,000 acre city of 400,000 homes in the countryside east of the city of Cambridge.
Upon hearing about the proposal, called Forest City 1, which would count as Britain’s largest ever such ‘mega-development’ and is intended to be the first of several, I scrutinised it in great detail.
Winter Gnats
Winter Gnats (Trichoceridae), also commonly known as winter craneflies, are a small family of delicate, long-legged flies in the order Diptera. They are particularly noticeable during the cooler months, and thrive in our damp, temperate climate where mild winter days provide perfect conditions for their activity.
Northwest Recipes: Lancashire Hotpot
Back in the 17th century, the term “hotpot” didn’t refer to food at all; instead it described a hot spiced ale drink, sometimes mixed with spirits. The word gradually shifted meaning, and by the 1830s to 1840s, “hot-pot” or similar terms started appearing for meat stews in places like Liverpool.
The Common Bulrush
Bullrush spread via robust rhizomes underground, forming dense colonies that can dominate wetland edges, and flowering occurs from June to August, with wind-pollination ensuring widespread dispersal. Come autumn, the female spikes burst open, releasing fluffy seeds on the breeze, each equipped with a downy parachute for travel.
Northwest Nature and History 