In Deepest, Darkest Yorkshire, under the shadow of Pendle, in the church of St Peter and St Paul, in the ancient village of Bolton-by-Bowland, can be found one of the most ornate tombs in all of Christendom. This is the final resting place of the medieval landowner and noble Sir Ralph Pudsey, his three wivesContinue reading “Ralph Pudsey and the Silver Bit, a Ribble Valley Fairytale”
Tag Archives: #Forestofbowland
The Salmon Run
At the moment you might be lucky enough to see Salmon running on the streams and rivers of the Northwest as they make their arduous and risky journey upstream to their spawning grounds. Where to watch Weirs such as at those at Abbeystead and Waddow hall near Clitheroe and waterfalls such as Stainforth where theyContinue reading “The Salmon Run”
Charming Goldfinch
A group of Goldfinch are called a ‘Charm’ and they are indeed one of the most charming songbirds you might spot in the countryside. The scientific name of the species: Carduelis carduelis, comes from carduus, which means ‘thistle’ or ‘Teasel’, as the bird is very fond of the seeds of this plant, in fact theContinue reading “Charming Goldfinch”
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”
Mushroom Picking
It’s nearing the end of September and the start of mushroom season, more wet weather is forecast and in this part of the country, with our rainy prevailing winds, we have some of the best fields and woods for picking funghi you could hope to find anywhere. Mushroom picking is traditionally a social activity, it’sContinue reading “Mushroom Picking”
The Sky in September
The next few days are very eventful for observers of the sky and its many machinations, to begin with early tomorrow morning (Wed the 18th of September as of writing) a partial eclipse of the moon may be visible from the British Isles. The eclipse will occur from 1.41am to 5.47am with the best time to observeContinue reading “The Sky in September”
Northwest Walks, Beacon Fell to Brock Bottom and back again
This is a short 3 mile walk around Beacon Fell Country Park, it should take about a couple of hours, including time to have a picnic! The going is fairly easy as a large proportion of the route is on country lanes or paved, and the descent and return back to the carpark are onContinue reading “Northwest Walks, Beacon Fell to Brock Bottom and back again”
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”
Northwest Nature and History 