The Stoat, Mustela erminea, is a Mustelid, related to the Weasel and Otter, the first part of its scientific name; Mustela, relates to the species’ musty smell, and the second part; erminea, is the name given to a Stoat when it is wearing its winter coat. Handsome predator In winter the Stoat’s fur changes colourContinue reading “The Stoat’s Winter Coat”
Tag Archives: #Forestofbowland
A Brief History of Browsholme Hall
Deep in the wooded countryside of Bowland sits the privately owned Elizabethan hall of Browsholme, inhabited by the Parker family and commonly stated in tourist brochures to be the oldest family home in the area, although several local family-owned farms also hold claims to this title. In this article i’ll briefly look at the historyContinue reading “A Brief History of Browsholme Hall”
Tracking Animals in the Snow
Now that the first flurries of snow have dusted the Pennine Peaks (it’s just started snowing here in Padiham as I edit this! (Nov 2023)) I thought it would be a good time to publish this short guide to identifying some of the animal tracks you might see whilst out and about. A good wayContinue reading “Tracking Animals in the Snow”
Sheep Scanning
Sheep are ‘short day’ breeders, meaning they mate when the days become shorter in the autumn so their lambs are born early enough to take advantage of next year’s spring growth. Around this time of year hill farmers will scan their ewes to find out how many lambs they are holding. They do this byContinue reading “Sheep Scanning”
The Village of Keasden
The picturesque village of Keasden is situated in the far Northeastern corner of Bowland, just over the Yorkshire/Lancashire boundary, it is a small hamlet consisting of little except St Matthew’s church, built in 1873, a phonebox and a scattering of farmhouses. The name Keasden originates from ‘cheese den’, or ‘cheese valley’, as the area’s richContinue reading “The Village of Keasden”
The Dog Rose
The Dog Rose, Rosa canina, is a deciduous shrub native to the British isles, it is found in a wide variety of habitats but prefers hedgerows and scrubby patches of woodland, where it grows in a sprawling manner, its stems arching over each other and getting entangled with other briars and shrubs. It usually reachesContinue reading “The Dog Rose”
Captain Richard Pooley and Wray Endowed School
To the North of Bowland, where the waters of the Roeburn meet the Hindburn, sits the attractive little village of Wray. Largely built of 18th century sandstone cottages Wray has always been an industrious, self-sufficient community, historically a textile town, with mills powered by the flow of the two lively rivers tumbling down from theContinue reading “Captain Richard Pooley and Wray Endowed School”
The Water Ouzel
The Dipper, or Water Ouzel Cinclus cinclus, (cinclus originating from a Greek word ‘kinklos’, meaning ‘small’) is the British isle’s only aquatic song-bird, it is sleek yet dumpy at the same time with beautifully dark, chestnut coloured plumage and one of the finest swimmers you will ever witness. Aquatically Adept An expert swimmer the DipperContinue reading “The Water Ouzel”
Northwest Nature and History 