Rhododendron, arguably the most destructive non-native plant in the British isles The common Rhododendron, Rhododendron ponticum, is widely regarded to be one of the most destructive and widespread non-native terrestrial plant in Britain and has been responsible for the degradation of many of our native habitats, including our temperate rainforest, of which there is veryContinue reading “Rhododendron, the foreign invader smothering our native woodlands”
Category Archives: #Lancashire
Hamerton Hall
Hamerton hall is a grade 2 listed, 16th century hall near to the village of Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland, it was once the ancestral home of the Hamertons who were a very wealthy medieval family who were said to have been able to ride all the way from Slaidburn to York without leavingContinue reading “Hamerton Hall”
Beware the Blackthorn Winter
There are many old rural sayings and bits of wisdom that often hold a kernel of truth to them, some of them don’t make much sense at all, others prove to be very useful and well worth paying heed to. One example of the latter is “Beware the Blackthorn Winter”. Blackthorn prunus Spinosa is aContinue reading “Beware the Blackthorn Winter”
Ring Ouzel in Bowland, notes and observations
The Ring Ouzel, Turdus torquatos is a member of the Thrush family and in appearance is similar to a Blackbird, indeed another common name for them is the ‘Mountain Blackbird’. They are quite a smart looking bird, jet black all over except for a bright white band across their breast, this is referred to inContinue reading “Ring Ouzel in Bowland, notes and observations”
The Caton Oak
In the Lancashire village of Caton in the Lune valley, on top of a medieval monument consisting of a set of stone steps, known as the ‘Fish Stones’ due to the fact that medieval monks from nearby Cockersand Abbey would display Salmon for sale upon them, stands a young Oak tree with an ancient history.Continue reading “The Caton Oak”
The Wood Anemone
I was inspired to write this article after a short walk around the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham yesterday, where Wood Anemone and another flower of the woodland floor which I have recently written about, Lesser Celandine, are abundant. Plant of the Ancient Woods The Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa, is a plant of theContinue reading “The Wood Anemone”
The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where
The Bluebell The flowering of the native British Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, is one of the surest signs that summer is just around the corner. Along with the blooming of the Snowdrop and Daffodil it is one of the three events which mark the flow of spring from the cold of winter through to the heatContinue reading “The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where”
Crash Landing at Dunsop!
This article tells the story of an incident I witnessed some years ago whilst walking along the Hodder valley in Lancashire. In August 2012 I was out walking from Knowlemere estate towards Whitewell, enjoying the late summer scenery and minding my own business, as you do, when I espied (good word that, I’ll have toContinue reading “Crash Landing at Dunsop!”
Northwest Nature and History 