The Remarkable Meteorological Phenomena of Saharan Dust Events Every so often, the skies over the British Isles take on an eerie, hazy glow, and cars are blanketed with a fine layer of reddish dust. These are the telltale signs of a Saharan dust event, a remarkable meteorological phenomenon where dust from the Sahara Desert travelsContinue reading “Blood Rain”
Category Archives: #History
Limekiln Landscapes; the Legacy of Bowland’s Limekilns
Hidden away deep in the Forest of Bowland, sagged and slumped under the weight of time and overgrown with mosses, ferns and lichens, lie relics of a once great industry; the manufacture of Quicklime. These unassuming structures, now mostly reclaimed by time and nature, were once vital to the agricultural and economic life of theContinue reading “Limekiln Landscapes; the Legacy of Bowland’s Limekilns”
Cotton Chronicles; Lancashire Looms
Lancashire Looms The Lancashire loom is a semi-automatic power loom that works by propelling devices called ‘shuttles’ to-and-fro to weave together warp (longitudinal) and weft (lateral) threads. It was invented by James Bullough and William Kenworthy in 1842 as an improvement on the original power loom first patented by Edmund Cartwright in 1784. If thatContinue reading “Cotton Chronicles; Lancashire Looms”
Admiring the Barns and Walls of Northwest England
The Northwest of England is home to some remarkably beautiful landscapes, shaped over millennia by traditional farming practices.
It is a part of the world famous for its ancient drystone walls and barns, built from the bones of the land and woven seamlessly into its very fabric in such a way that manmade and natural complement each other.
Closer to Home, Exploring the History around our Town; Hambledon Firing Range
I’ve poked and peered into all sorts of corners in my history articles, from Abbeystead to Whalley and everywhere between, but feel that I’ve overlooked some of the historical locations closer to home, around the towns of Padiham and Hapton where I live and work. With this in mind I set out the other dayContinue reading “Closer to Home, Exploring the History around our Town; Hambledon Firing Range”
Northwest Recipes: Hagese
In one form or another the dish now known as Haggis has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It is now synonymous with the nation of Scotland, but was once found served upon plates throughout the isles, being a versatile recipe with ingredients that were available in all seasons of the year.Continue reading “Northwest Recipes: Hagese”
The Symbolism of the Holly
Holly, scientifically known as Ilex aquifolium, from acus, meaning ‘needle’, and folium, meaning ‘leaf’, is more than just a decorative element during the Christmas season; it’s also a plant steeped in tradition, mythology, and symbolism. Historical Significance It has been a symbol of the winter solstice since pre-Christian times, its evergreen leaves representing the continuityContinue reading “The Symbolism of the Holly”
Morecambe Bay’s Cockles
‘From Silverdale to Kent sand side, Whose soil is sown with cockle shells’From Cartmel eke, and Connyside, With fellows fierce from Furness fells’ The expansive sands of Morecambe Bay cover over 120 square miles and from their muddy creeks and channels, where flounder abound, to the sandy, silty flats where fields of shellfish can beContinue reading “Morecambe Bay’s Cockles”
Northwest Nature and History 