This is a guide to some of the Hill Sheep breeds that can be found in the Northwest of England, (for an explanation of some of the terms used please see this article) ; The Derbyshire Gritstone This hardy breed of hill sheep was originally bred by Peak District hill farmers to survive in harshContinue reading “Some of the breeds of Hill Sheep that can be found in the Northwest”
Author Archives: Northwest nature and history
Upcoming articles!
Upcoming articles here on Northwest Nature and History include; An article about some of the hill sheep breeds that can be found in the northwest, to be followed with a 3 part series of articles entitled ‘The role of the sheep in shaping Britains landscape and history’ (expect a lot of articles about sheep, I’mContinue reading “Upcoming articles!”
The Lapwing
The Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, also known by various onomatopoeic names, most commonly ‘Peewit’ or ‘tew-it’ and, rarely, as the Green Plover, is resident to the British isles and in winter huge flocks (a group is called a ‘deceit’) can be seen on our coastal estuaries, mudflats and nearby farmland. Enchanting and enigmatic Lapwings are enormouslyContinue reading “The Lapwing”
The Hills are Alive, with the Sound of Bleating!
(My original title for this article was going to be ‘lambing time, a season of anticipation, and worry’ but I think my wife’s title is more fun!) Lambing Time For most sheep farmers right now lambing time is getting into full swing. Sheep pens all across the countryside will soon be alive with the questioningContinue reading “The Hills are Alive, with the Sound of Bleating!”
The Oystercatcher
Oystercatchers, Haemotopus ostralegus, used to be commonly known as ‘sea pies’ (describing their black-and-white ‘pied’ plumage, in a similar way to Magpies) and are a large and very distinctive looking wader with a long red bill, red legs, black head, black back and brilliant white front. They are one of the largest waders in theContinue reading “The Oystercatcher”
The Controversial practice of Controlled Burning
Controlled burning, also known as Prescribed burning, Muirburn or Heather burning, has long been used as a method of managing the heather moorlands of the British Isles. Every year, from the 1st of October to the 15th of April in upland areas and from the 1st of November to the 31st of March in otherContinue reading “The Controversial practice of Controlled Burning”
The Rocks beneath our feet, Part 1
The Ice Age and Glacial Erratics The Ice Age As with all parts of the British isles the Northwest of England owes the current shape and form of its landscape to the geological processes of many hundreds of millions of years, some of which we‘ll look at in this series of articles. The most obviousContinue reading “The Rocks beneath our feet, Part 1”
Spring on the Upland Farm
Spring is rapidly approaching and it’s the busiest time for our upland farmers. The dairy and cattle farmers will be welcoming the year’s new calves, while lamb farmers will up at all hours helping their ewes deliver lambs. Our upland moors and pastures have looked the same way for centuries, and this is largely becauseContinue reading “Spring on the Upland Farm”
Northwest Nature and History 