In t’ quiet little village o’ Blacko, tucked up agen t’ dark slopes o’ Pendle, t’ owd Cross Gaits Inn ’ad stood nigh on two ’undred year. Its low beams still smelled o’ woodsmoke an’ tobacco, an’ on certain neets t’ locals swore t’ past walked among ’em.
Tag Archives: #Lancashire
Violet Coral Fungus
(Excerpt) C. zollingeri is a characteristic member of the CHEGD fungal assemblage (Clavariaceae, Hygrocybes, Entolomataceae, Geoglossacaea and Dermoloma). These taxa are restricted to nutrient-poor, often mildly acidic grasslands that have remained largely unimproved for decades or sometimes centuries.
Nightshades of Northern England
The Nightshade family (Solanaceae) includes the familiar food plants potato, tomato and aubergine, yet several of its members are toxic.
Three of these poisonous species are common in Northern England:
Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
The three species differ markedly in appearance, toxicity, and habitats, here we look at these differences, how to identify them, and the roles the plants have played in our culture and history.
The Vikings still Speak
In Lancashire’s west where the salt winds roar, the Vikings left names on the sand and the shore. Formby the farmland that Forni did claim, Ainsdale the valley that carries Einulf’s name.
Hen Harriers, Fates and Fortunes, Part Two
In Part One of this continuing series we left the Hen Harrier in the recent past, with the mixed fortunes of 2022 to 2024: record fledging years giving way to weather-hit productivity, satellite tags failing silent, and the brood-management trial paused for review.
Autumn Days when the Grass is Jewelled
(Excerpt) Autumn brings with it many sensory delights; sounds, tastes and sights unique to the season, yet it does not arrive with a single scent but instead with a layered, shifting perfume that settles into the hedgerows, woodlands, and wet country lanes.
The Black Seam: Mine Machines
(Excerpt) Lancashire’s coalfield was one of Britain’s most productive and innovative, its deep, gassy and heavily faulted seams drove continuous advances in mining technology from the medieval period through to the late twentieth century.
A Condensed History of Clitheroe Castle
(Excerpt) Clitheroe Castle served as the caput (administrative centre) of the Honour of Clitheroe, a large estate stretching along the western side of the Pennines. The de Lacy family, whose principal seat was at Pontefract, used it as a base for local governance and it functioned as a court, small prison, and centre for the administration of the surrounding forests and manors. A small garrison was maintained through the 13th century.
