Blood Rain

The Remarkable Meteorological Phenomena of Saharan Dust Events Every so often, the skies over the British Isles take on an eerie, hazy glow, and cars are blanketed with a fine layer of reddish dust. These are the telltale signs of a Saharan dust event, a remarkable meteorological phenomenon where dust from the Sahara Desert travelsContinue reading “Blood Rain”

Northwest Walks, a short walk around Whitewell

This short and easy walk starts and finishes at the Inn at Whitewell in the Hodder valley, it shouldn’t take longer than 2 hours and, although it can be a bit muddy at a couple of spots, is fairly easy going. It’s a popular place in the summer so can be very busy on sunnyContinue reading “Northwest Walks, a short walk around Whitewell”

Northern Shores: Rockpooling for Blennies

Blennies are a captivating group of small, often colorful, fish that inhabit marine and brackish waters. Belonging to the suborder Blennioidei, they are known for their quirky behaviors, distinctive appearances, and remarkable adaptability. They are typically quite small in size, ranging from 3 to 15 centimeters in length, though some species can grow slightly larger,Continue reading “Northern Shores: Rockpooling for Blennies”

Build your Nest High; Can Crows predict the weather?

The Crows are building their nests at the moment, high in the canopies of the tallest trees. As of writing, at the start of April, many have finished construction so will be adding the finishing touches, such as nest linings, and settling in. Country folklore has it that if they have built their nests lowContinue reading “Build your Nest High; Can Crows predict the weather?”

Limekiln Landscapes; the Legacy of Bowland’s Limekilns

Hidden away deep in the Forest of Bowland, sagged and slumped under the weight of time and overgrown with mosses, ferns and lichens, lie relics of a once great industry; the manufacture of Quicklime. These unassuming structures, now mostly reclaimed by time and nature, were once vital to the agricultural and economic life of theContinue reading “Limekiln Landscapes; the Legacy of Bowland’s Limekilns”

Beauty and the Beast; the Lacewing and the Lion

Lacewings are amongst the most enchanting and delicate insects encountered in the British isles and are named so for their exquisitely intricate wings, which resemble fine lace due to the network of veins that crisscross them. These wings are typically held roof-like over their bodies when at rest, giving them a distinctive silhouette and areContinue reading “Beauty and the Beast; the Lacewing and the Lion”

The Upland Collection

Here is a list of some of the articles I have published which fall under the broad category of ‘moorland’ or ‘uplands’, it’s by no means exhaustive as there will be some I’ve missed out, some which overlap other themes and others which sit on the fringes. I hope you find it a useful and/orContinue reading “The Upland Collection”

Northwest Recipes, Bowland Venison Curry

Venison is widely considered to be one of the healthiest and most environmentally sustainable meats available and it certainly is very available here in the Northwest of England! Here you can find almost all of our species of deer, native and introduced, including Red, Roe, Fallow and Sika, which I wrote about earlier this year,Continue reading “Northwest Recipes, Bowland Venison Curry”