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”
Tag Archives: #Forestofbowland
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”
The Abandoned Steam Crane in Jumbles Quarry
Stocks reservoir sits at the head of the Hodder valley in Lancashire and was constructed over the latter half of the 1920s, opening in July 1932, you can read about the history of the reservoir here; Sources of Stone For the construction of the dam and its many associated buildings, culverts, causeways, bridges etc nearbyContinue reading “The Abandoned Steam Crane in Jumbles Quarry”
The Wood Mouse
The Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus, (Apodemus deriving from the Ancient Greek for ‘away from home’, and sylvaticus coming from the Latin for ‘of the woods’), is a very common rodent of the British countryside and quite a handsome looking wee beastie, with a dark brown back, yellow/brown flanks, white chest and belly. They are oftenContinue reading “The Wood Mouse”
The Queen of the Forest
The Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis, (Accipiter being Latin for ‘hawk’, which comes from accipere, ‘to grasp’, and gentilis meaning ‘noble’,) known as the ‘Queen of the Forest’, is quite a large raptor, with the adult standing up to 70cm tall and having a wingspan of around 1 metre. As with other raptors, like the Peregrine andContinue reading “The Queen of the Forest”
Xanthoria parietina, the Sunburst Lichen
Sunburst Lichen In the world of Lichenology the Sunburst Lichen, Xanthoria parietina is considered a bit of a weed, growing rapidly and spreading to take over, sometimes literally growing over neighbouring, slower-growing or more delicate species of lichens, its scientific name comes from ‘xanthos’, a greek word meaning yellow, and parietina comes from the sameContinue reading “Xanthoria parietina, the Sunburst Lichen”
Cotton Chronicles, Kirk Mill, Chipping
Kirk Mill At the height of the Industrial Revolution the village of Chipping, originally an agricultural village, quickly became a thriving centre of the cotton industry, in 1831 a population census counted 1334 inhabitants, whereas only a few years earlier this number had hardly reached 3 figures! Seven spinning mills provided the employment for thisContinue reading “Cotton Chronicles, Kirk Mill, Chipping”
The Tiny Wren, and the Tale of how he became King of All the Birds
Jenny Wren The Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, is the second smallest bird in the British isles, after the Goldcrest, and for such a small bird it has a huge personality. When you take into consideration their diminutive size they are incredibly loud, their familiar song, which is full of complex chirps, whistles and rattles is deliveredContinue reading “The Tiny Wren, and the Tale of how he became King of All the Birds”
Northwest Nature and History 