Dunsop Bridge’s Beginnings

Part of a Series of Notes about Dunsop Bridge and other Hodder Valley Communities At the heart of Great Britain, in the centre of the Forest of Bowland, sits the pretty, well-kept village of Dunsop Bridge. Just 9 miles northwest of the Ribble valley town of Clitheroe, this tiny settlement is often celebrated as theContinue reading “Dunsop Bridge’s Beginnings”

HARP in Bowland; The Refurbishment of the Haweswater Aqueduct and its impacts on the communities of the Hodder Valley

The Haweswater Aqueduct delivers water from Haweswater Reservoir in the Lake District to over two million people throughout Cumbria, Lancashire, and Greater Manchester.  It’s a 110km/82 mile-long pipeline, carrying up to 100 million gallons per day under gravity induced flow, built in the 1930s to 1950s and is currently undergoing extensive upgrades. This refurbishment isContinue reading “HARP in Bowland; The Refurbishment of the Haweswater Aqueduct and its impacts on the communities of the Hodder Valley”

Shepherd’s Crowns

We have a shelf in our house with all sorts of knick-knacks and treasures arranged upon it, an eclectic collection of interesting and shiny objects that we’ve chosen in a manner akin to a Magpie, and carefully placed like a Bower bird. These things include seashells, candles, Mamod steam engines, interesting coins and things I’veContinue reading “Shepherd’s Crowns”

Slaidburn Steam Rally

Slaidburn Steam Rally, or The Slaidburn Steam and Vintage Vehicle Display, to give it its official name, is an annual event held in the village of Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland. Although originally conceived as solely for steam a variety of other vehicles now attend, including vintage cars and tractors, alongside stalls showcasing localContinue reading “Slaidburn Steam Rally”

Northwest Walks, a short walk around Whitewell

This short and easy walk starts and finishes at the Inn at Whitewell in the Hodder valley, it shouldn’t take longer than 2 hours and, although it can be a bit muddy at a couple of spots, is fairly easy going. It’s a popular place in the summer so can be very busy on sunnyContinue reading “Northwest Walks, a short walk around Whitewell”

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”

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is the name of the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The word ‘shrove’ is the past tense of the English verb ‘shrive’, which describes the means by which to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of confession and penance. On this day, Catholics are encouraged to go toContinue reading “Shrove Tuesday”

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.