All about the Natural History and History of the Northwest of England
Lancashire cheese is one of Britain’s most traditional cow’s-milk cheeses and renowned for its distinctive creamy-to-crumbly texture and a mild, buttery flavour that develops complexity with age.
Here we look at the history of this cheese’s production from the earliest records to the modern day, concluding with a nice, simple recipe for a traditional cheese & onion pie.
Mute swans (Cygnus olor), with their snowy white plumage, elegant S-curved neck, and bright orange bill topped with a black knob, are one of Britain’s most iconic waterbirds and particularly fond of our 2,700-odd miles of canals.
Here in the Northwest we are lucky enough to have over 438 miles of these waterways, namely the Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater, Macclesfield, and Manchester Ship canals, upon which these majestic birds are a common and welcome sight, even in the heart of our largest and busiest cities.
Speckled Woods are a familiar butterfly to most of us here in Britain yet are often overlooked in favour of flashier species like the Peacock or Red Admiral.
Understated and widespread they may even appear dowdy compared to their lepidopteran cousins yet, as with any wild creature, patient observation reveals them to possess more beauty and character than you would ever suspect.
A creeping, mat-forming plant Purple Saxifrage possesses small, opposite, overlapping leaves (hence the latin epithet oppositifolia) that are fleshy with a tiny pore at the tip which can exude lime in calcareous conditions. Its solitary flowers, typically 1 to 2cm across, sit on short stalks and feature five petals ranging from a pale pinkish-purple to rich violet, sometimes with darker veining.
For the Upland Gamekeeper spring is a season of intense activity, a critical time of fast change at the fulcrum between the wild & windy months of winter and the more benign months of summer, when the moors become vibrant with life.
Tucked away on the outskirts of the quiet village of Read, in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, sits Read Park, a 450 acre estate surrounding Read Hall, a Grade II listed manor house that has been a local seat of power for over half a millennia.
Adults are very smart and distinguished in their breeding plumage, sporting a silvery-grey back and upperwings, a clean white underbody, and a distinctive black cap. Their bill is long and orangey-red with a black tip, while their legs are short and red. In flight, they show a buoyant, floating style with narrow, angular wings, often hovering before plunging to catch prey.
St Leonard’s Church stands proudly in the heart of Padiham, Lancashire, and is a striking example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture that continues to serve its original purpose. While its current building dates from the late 1860s, the story of worship on this site stretches back further, more than 570 years, and traces the changing fortunes of the community from medieval village through industrial mill-town to the place we know and love today.
Northwest Nature and History