Author Archives: Northwest nature and history

The Loss of the Riverdance

On the night of the Thirty First of January, sixteen years ago, I experienced some of the wildest weather I’ve ever been out in. I remember the night well because I had to walk over two miles home from work in it, and also because of how strange a night it was. At the timeContinue reading “The Loss of the Riverdance”

Red breasted Merganser

Red breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator, can be seen on Stocks reservoir at the moment from the bird hides, and on streams and rivers in the area too. This unusual diver is a partial migrant in the British isles, heading inland from the coast when bad weather arrives to find more sheltered places to fish. TheContinue reading “Red breasted Merganser”

The Wild Primrose

The month of January, cold and bleak as it may be, with little sign of life in the countryside save the occasional foraging Wren, still holds promise. Native flora like Wild Primroses, Primula Vulgaris, may be seen in sheltered parts of the hedgerows and woods around this time of year, poking their way through theContinue reading “The Wild Primrose”

Littledale Free Church

Littledale Free Church sits in the valley of Littledale near the village of Caton and is now abandoned and used as farm storage. Reverend John Dodson It was built in 1849 for Reverend John Dodson, who came from a family of shipping magnates in Liverpool, and was built at the same time as nearby LittledaleContinue reading “Littledale Free Church”

The White-Clawed Crayfish

The White-Clawed Crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, is the only species of Crayfish native to the British isles, they are small crustaceans similar in appearance to a Lobster but a lot smaller. Some of the Northwest’s rivers, including the Lune, Wyre, Ribble and their tributaries, count amongst the crayfish’s strongholds in the British isles, they are veryContinue reading “The White-Clawed Crayfish”

The Sheep and its role in shaping Britain’s Landscape and History, Part Three

Part Three, the development of the modern day Sheep farming industry In the final part of this 3-part series we look at how Sheep became valuable for their carcass as well as just for their wool, leading to today’s modern sheep industry. Re-evaluating the value of a sheep As the population of the British islesContinue reading “The Sheep and its role in shaping Britain’s Landscape and History, Part Three”

Cotton Grass

Cotton Grass Eriophorum angustifolium, is a perennial (meaning re-occuring year after year) plant native to the blanket bogs of the British isles and found all over the northern fells. It often covers large expanses of moorland turning them white with its characteristically cotton-like seed heads, which can be an amazing sight in the height ofContinue reading “Cotton Grass”