Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, is a common wild flower in the countryside, found growing in damp meadows and woods, on roadside verges, along hedgerows and near streams, it usually flowers between June and September. Its frothy tufts of delicate, graceful, creamy white flowers have a distinctive, sweet fragrance, possibly one of the reasons for its commonContinue reading “Meadowsweet”

The History behind Stocks reservoir

The history behind Stocks reservoir In 19th century Britain many people found they had enough disposable income, and public transport links had improved enough, for tourism to take off in a really big way, this was largely due to the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution, with all of the coal powered manufacturing activity associated withContinue reading “The History behind Stocks reservoir”

Northwest Recipes: Summer Salad with Lamb and Courgette

Lamb and Courgette Salad Easy Salads such as this Lamb and Courgette salad are some of my favourite summer dishes to make, there’s not much to prepare or do, not much washing up, and when they are done you can bang them straight out on a plate and serve! This salad should serve about 3Continue reading “Northwest Recipes: Summer Salad with Lamb and Courgette”

Water Voles

Water Voles, Arvicola amphibius, prefer the banks of slow-moving rivers, streams and lakes with plenty of cover and minimal disturbance. They are much larger than other voles, their bodies can be up to 20cm, with a long tail and short, brown fur, which means they are very often mistaken for brown rats, they have aContinue reading “Water Voles”

The Temp, a short history of the Temperance Hotel in Quernmore

Quernmore is a small, picturesque, and very peaceful village situated on the western fringes of the Bowland fells about 3 miles east of Lancaster, its population as of the 2011 census was 567 although it is thought to have once been much more when it was a local hub for farming and quarrying. The villageContinue reading “The Temp, a short history of the Temperance Hotel in Quernmore”

Yew, the Death Tree

The Yew, Taxus baccata, is one of only three coniferous species (trees that bear cones and needles instead of leaves) which are native to the British isles, the others being the Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris, and the Juniper, Juniperus communis. The ‘Death tree’ It is most famously found in the country’s graveyards and the groundsContinue reading “Yew, the Death Tree”

Ermine Moth Colonies

There are eight species of Ermine moth in the British isles with the Bird Cherry Ermine which, as you might have guessed, prefers Cherry trees, being the most common, the adult moths can look very similar and some can only be differentiated by the food plants they are found feeding upon. Explodes in numbers EveryContinue reading “Ermine Moth Colonies”