Part One; How sheep farming became a major industry in the British isles There are currently around 38 million sheep in British isles, made up of more than 60 different breeds, not to mention an enormous variety of crossbreeds, or ‘mules’. In this series of articles I’ll write about the history of some of theseContinue reading “The Role of the Sheep in Shaping Britain’s History and Landscape, Part One”
Tag Archives: #Yorkshire
A (pint) Potted History of the Hark to Bounty Inn
One day Reverend Wigglesworth and his entourage were enjoying some apres hunt drinks in the pub
Down on the Dairy farm in March
Dairy farming Whilst I write a fair bit about sheep farming on here there are of course other ways in which the land of the Northwest is farmed, after all we produce over 15% of the UK’s farmed food and ¼ of the nation’s milk! With this is in mind I’d like to write aContinue reading “Down on the Dairy farm in March”
The Alder
The Common alder Alder glutinosa, is a very hardy species of tree found all along the cloughs, streams and riverbanks of the Northwest, with some areas of Alder woodland traditionally referred to as ‘Carr’. As it does not usually suffer from late spring frosts and is hardy to early autumn frosts it has been plantedContinue reading “The Alder”
Drystone Walls, a part of the Northern Landscape
Many visitors to the North of England comment on the multitude of stone walls winding their way across the landscape, these are part of the character of the countryside which brings those visitors here in the first place. On a cloudy day, their grey and green stones seem to fade into the hills and theContinue reading “Drystone Walls, a part of the Northern Landscape”
The Red-tailed Bumblebee
The Red-Tailed Bumblebee The Red-tailed Bumblebee’s scientific name is Bombus lapidarius, bombus simply meaning bee and lapidarius meaning ‘relating to stones’, referring to the small mounds of tiny gravel found where the bumblebee has dug a nest. Common and easily identifiable It is a common and easily identifiable Bumblebee found all across the British islesContinue reading “The Red-tailed Bumblebee”
Some of the breeds of Hill Sheep that can be found in the Northwest
This is a guide to some of the Hill Sheep breeds that can be found in the Northwest of England, (for an explanation of some of the terms used please see this article) ; The Derbyshire Gritstone This hardy breed of hill sheep was originally bred by Peak District hill farmers to survive in harshContinue reading “Some of the breeds of Hill Sheep that can be found in the Northwest”
The Lapwing
The Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, also known by various onomatopoeic names, most commonly ‘Peewit’ or ‘tew-it’ and, rarely, as the Green Plover, is resident to the British isles and in winter huge flocks (a group is called a ‘deceit’) can be seen on our coastal estuaries, mudflats and nearby farmland. Enchanting and enigmatic Lapwings are enormouslyContinue reading “The Lapwing”
Northwest Nature and History 