Tag Archives: #Lancashire

Espying Sneezewort on Hapton Moor

(Excerpt) Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) is a perennial member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family and typically grows between 30 and 60cm tall, occasionally a little higher, with stiff, upright stems that may be slightly hairy in the upper parts. The leaves are narrow, lance-shaped and finely toothed along the margins, quite different from the feathery, much-divided foliage of its cousin Yarrow, which is also found on Hapton moor.

Small-leaved Lime, Relict of the Ancient Wildwood

(Excerpt) The northern limit of native T. cordata in Britain lies in the English Lake District at approximately 54°30′N, with the majority of sites within about 25km of the Morecambe Bay coast. Populations are concentrated on the wooded hills from Warton to Ulverston and extend inland up the valleys of the Lune, Kent, and Duddon, with the most northerly localities in Borrowdale and beside Ullswater.

Rewilding in Britain, from Concept to Controversy

(Excerpt) The concept of rewilding seeks to restore self-sustaining ecosystems by reducing intensive human management, reintroducing key species or processes, and allowing natural dynamics greater play.

In the densely populated and long-managed landscape of Britain the concept has evolved from a niche conservation theory into a mainstream yet polarising approach, generating disputes over land-use, rural livelihoods, biodiversity outcomes, and, most recently, wildfire risk.

Northern Shores: Living Relics of the Ice-Age; the Vendace, Schelly and Charr of the English Lakes

(Excerpt) England’s Lake District is home to several species that are considered living relics of the last Ice Age, these include three distinctive cold-water fish: the Vendace, the Schelly and the Arctic Charr. All belong to the salmonid family and depend on deep, cool, well-oxygenated lakes for their survival.

The Duties of a Gamekeeper; High Summer on the Moors

(Excerpt) As July draws to a close across the moors our upland gamekeepers find themselves in the thick of one of their busiest and most critical periods. With The Glorious Twelfth fast approaching their work shifts from protecting nesting birds to assessing populations and preparing for what can be a time of make-or-break for the upland shoot.

The Scotch Argus of Arnside Knott

(Excerpt) The Scotch Argus is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of roughly 44 to 52 mm. Both sexes are predominantly dark chocolate-brown and their upperwings carry a distinctive band of bright orange-brown containing a row of black eyespots, each typically centred with a small white pupil. In flight the butterfly appears almost black, flashing its orange bands as it moves.

The Rise and Fall of Blackburn’s Star Brewery

(Excerpt) In the 20th century the brewery completed several acquisitions included Henry Shaw & Co. (1924), Fountain Free Brewery (1927), Bury Brewery (1949), Preston Breweries (1955), and Yates & Jackson (1984). The Eanam site became the Star Brewery around 1948 and in the 1960s, under Chairman John Yerburgh, a major expansion created a striking nine-storey aluminium-clad tower brewhouse (opened 1966) with ‘Time for Thwaites’ signage and a time capsule. Shire horses were reintroduced for deliveries in 1960, becoming an enduring symbol.