#Uplands – Page 2 – Northwest Nature and History

Herdwicks

Forged by the Fells Herdwicks are an ancient sheep breed native to the Lake District, with 95% of the estimated 50,000 breeding ewes concentrated within a 20 mile radius of Coniston Water. Their name derives from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning “sheep pasture,” hinting at the breed’s deep historical roots in the area. Local folkloreContinue reading “Herdwicks”

The Upland Collection

Here is a list of some of the articles I have published which fall under the broad category of ‘moorland’ or ‘uplands’, it’s by no means exhaustive as there will be some I’ve missed out, some which overlap other themes and others which sit on the fringes. I hope you find it a useful and/orContinue reading “The Upland Collection”

Drystone Walling at Harwes Farm

My wife is very good at choosing unique and fun presents, she has a knack for knowing what people like. For Christmas she organised a day out for me drystone walling at Harwes farm, situated high on the hills above the town of Colne, on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. Harwes farm is a CIC, a CommunityContinue reading “Drystone Walling at Harwes Farm”

Getting it Right for Grouse, this thought-provoking piece by Patrick Laurie looks at the controversies and facts of Grouse moors

“Ninety five percent of people who oppose grouse shooting have never been on a grouse moor and have no first-hand experience of moorland management”.… Getting it Right for Grouse

The Common Stonefly

The Common Stonefly, Diura bicaudata, (Diura meaning ‘day’ and bicaudata meaning ‘two tailed’) is a common insect in the rocky cloughs and streams of our uplands. It belongs to the order Plecoptera (from the Greek, ‘pleated wing’), which is an ancient order of insects originating at least 250 million years ago. There are 34 speciesContinue reading “The Common Stonefly”

The Melancholy Thistle

The Melancholy Thistle, Cirsium heterophyllum, Cirsium originating from the Greek word ‘kirsos’, meaning swollen vein which refers to thistles being used as a cure for varicose veins, and heterophylum meaning ‘different leaf’, is a fairly tall thistle with a deeply-furrowed, wooly stem, large flower-heads and soft, downy leaves with an almost felt-like underneath. It prefersContinue reading “The Melancholy Thistle”

Hen Harriers, Fates and Fortunes, Part One

The Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus, is a medium-sized bird of prey, found throughout Europe and resident in the UK. Its scientific name aptly describes the appearance of the bird, with circus, the Latin for ‘circle’ or ‘ring’, referring to the propensity of the female and juvenile birds to have white rings around their tails, (whichContinue reading “Hen Harriers, Fates and Fortunes, Part One”

Juniper in Bowland

The fragrant Juniper, Juniperis communis, (Communis being latin for ‘common’, which is unusual as vulgaris is more commonly used to convey this meaning) is the plant from which gin gets its name and flavour, and along with the Yew and the Scots pine, is one of the three species of conifer that remained native toContinue reading “Juniper in Bowland”