A short History of the Stile The Word ‘stile’ is thought to have Anglo Saxon origins and have evolved from from the Old English ‘stiġel’, “a set of steps for getting over a fence”, which in turn is thought to be based on the Proto-Germanic ‘stigilō’ “an entry, entrance, overpass or device for climbing,”. TheyContinue reading “Styles of Stiles”
Tag Archives: #Northwestnatureandhistory
Guide to Geese, Part Two
Guide to Geese Part Two In part one of my concise, two-part guide we looked at Canada, Brent and White-fronted geese, in this part we look at Pink-foot, Greylag and Barnacle geese. Pink-footed Geese, Anser brachyrhynchus The ‘Pinkfoot’ visits us from October through to March and usually associates with other geese such as Greylag andContinue reading “Guide to Geese, Part Two”
The Caton Oak
In the Lancashire village of Caton in the Lune valley, on top of a medieval monument consisting of a set of stone steps, known as the ‘Fish Stones’ due to the fact that medieval monks from nearby Cockersand Abbey would display Salmon for sale upon them, stands a young Oak tree with an ancient history.Continue reading “The Caton Oak”
The Wood Anemone
I was inspired to write this article after a short walk around the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham yesterday, where Wood Anemone and another flower of the woodland floor which I have recently written about, Lesser Celandine, are abundant. Plant of the Ancient Woods The Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa, is a plant of theContinue reading “The Wood Anemone”
The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where
The Bluebell The flowering of the native British Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, is one of the surest signs that summer is just around the corner. Along with the blooming of the Snowdrop and Daffodil it is one of the three events which mark the flow of spring from the cold of winter through to the heatContinue reading “The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where”
‘Tis true, ‘tis true, the Swallow’s here
The Swallows are back in the British isles and although the saying goes “Two Swallows do not make a summer” quite a few have been seen around the country so I think we can safely say that summers on its way! I always like to tip my hat, (so to speak as I don’t usuallyContinue reading “‘Tis true, ‘tis true, the Swallow’s here”
First Swallows of the year!
I just heard and then saw two Swallows flying over on my way into work here in Padiham in Lancashire. It’s always means a lot to me when I observe this as it’s a sure sign that summer is not far off and I have always been in awe of the enormous distances and tribulationsContinue reading “First Swallows of the year!”
The Cross of Greet
The Cross of Greet, or Top o’ Cross, is located on the highest point of the fell road between the villages of Slaidburn and Bentham at 1400 ft above sea level, marking both the watersheds of the Ribble and Lune rivers and the old, pre 1974, Lancashire/Yorkshire boundary. It sits at the top of theContinue reading “The Cross of Greet”
Northwest Nature and History 