Northwest Nature and History
@nwnandh.bsky.social
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📥 274
📝 731
Writer from Northwest England specialising in Natural History and Local History
pinned post!
Just finished updating the homepage for my website, now all of my articles are categorised in a hyperlinked contents page, one click and you can read all of my stuff. Give it a try!
#nature
#history
#lancashire
#yorkshire
#cumbria
#Wordpress
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk
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Northwest Nature and History
All about the Natural History and History of the Northwest of England
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/
3 months ago
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From the damp green sphagnum and rush, they rise like small black tongues, licking the air after the rain, whispering secrets the soil won’t tell aloud
#Mycology
#Fungi
#Ecology
#nature
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/28/e...
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Earthtongue Fungi
Earthtongue fungi, belonging primarily to the family Geoglossaceae, are a fascinating group known for their distinctive tongue- or club-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from the soil in eerie-loo…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/28/earthtongue-fungi/
3 days ago
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Churn Clough Reservoir on the flank of Pendle above Sabden
#Pendle
#Sabden
#Lancashire
4 days ago
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#Pendle
#Lancashire
#Snow
5 days ago
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Just fact-checked this for the umpteenth time, I’ll be writing a follow-up to it at some point this year, the whole thing must be picked apart with a fine tooth comb and I intend to do that.
#ShivMalik
#ForestCity1
#Suffolk
#Cambridgeshire
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/22/f...
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Forest City: a Critical Dissection of Proposals, and Suggestions of Viable Alternatives
Forest City 1 is a recently proposed city development planned for agricultural land on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border. A private initiative its purported aims are to address the housing crisis i…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/22/forest-city-a-critical-dissection-of-proposals-and-suggestions-of-viable-alternatives/
5 days ago
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Cranachan, a traditional Burns’ night dessert 🏴🥃
#BurnsNight
#BurnsNight2026
#Scotland
#recipes
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2023/01/24/n...
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Northwest Recipes Cranachan, a traditional Burns’ night dessert
Robert Burns, (1759 – 1796) Burns’ Night celebrates the life of Scotland’s National poet, Robert Burns, and falls on his birthday, January the 25th, he is famous for penning, amongst many other wor…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2023/01/24/northwest-recipes-cranachan-a-traditional-burns-night-dessert/
6 days ago
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Didn’t It Rain When the Godmother of Rock and Roll played at a rainy train station in Manchester
#RockandRoll
#Blues
#Gospel
#Manchester
#Lancashire
#Music
@mcrhistory.bsky.social
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/24/d...
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“Didn’t It Rain”
On one rainy evening in May 1964, an abandoned railway station in Manchester became alive with the soul-stirring sound of gospel and blues.
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/24/didnt-it-rain/
7 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 22/01/2026 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
9 days ago
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We would watch and watch the silver dance of the mystic Northern Lights. And soft they danced from the Polar sky and swept in primrose haze
#Auroraborealis
#northernlights
#Astronomy
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/21/t...
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The Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, must rank amongst one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles. These shimmering curtains of light, dancing across our night skies,…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/21/the-northern-lights/
10 days ago
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If I had store By sheep and fold, I'd give you gold; But since I'm poor, By crook and bell, I wish you well.
#Shepherding
#Farming
#Wales
#Photography
12 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 18/01/2026 🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
13 days ago
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January, the Hard Month, the first of an objective new series entitled: The Duties of a Gamekeeper
#Gamekeeping
#Fieldsports
#Conservation
#Countryside
@moorlandassoc.bsky.social
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/17/t...
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The Duties of a Gamekeeper: January, the Hard Month
The month of January, in the heart of winter when claws of ice, wind and rain grip the British countryside, can prove hard for those that work outdoors, it is also a pivotal time when decisions mus…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/17/the-duties-of-a-gamekeeper-january-the-hard-month/
14 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 16/01/2026 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
15 days ago
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In the latest addition to my Northern Shores series we visit the beach to gather Bladderwrack
#BeachLife
#Seaweed
#Ecology
#Nature
@britishnatureguide.bsky.social
@morecambebay.bsky.social
@seafloorscience.bsky.social
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/14/n...
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Northern Shores: Bladderwrack
Bladder wrack, Fucus vesiculosus, is a familiar sight to anyone who has wandered our coasts, a member of the brown algae family, it is easily identified by its flattened, leathery fronds that branc…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/14/northern-shores-bladderwrack/
16 days ago
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Today I found out that there’s an estate agents in Islington named after the fictional character Hotblack Desiato, the frontman of Disaster Area in Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
#H2G2
#Hitchhikersguidetothegalaxy
#DouglasAdams
#books
#bookshelf
hotblackdesiato.co.uk
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Hotblack Desiato: Islington, Highbury & Camden Estate Agent
Hotblack Desiato are an estate and letting agent with branches in Islington, Highbury and Camden. Selling, letting & managing properties since 1979.
https://hotblackdesiato.co.uk/
19 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 12/01/2026 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
19 days ago
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reposted by
Northwest Nature and History
Stiles
20 days ago
Stile earning its keep, Yorkshire way 🥰
add a skeleton here at some point
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Did you hear about the man Used to rule out in Iran He was power’s greatest fan People lived out of his hand Khamenei a go go (with apologies to The Stranglers)
#News
#IranianRevolution2026
#IranProtests
#AllEyesOnIran
🇮🇷
20 days ago
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Signs of life amidst Bare winter branches promise Spring is soon to come 🌱
#winter
#Spring
#Trees
#Hazel
#Catkins
#nature
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/01/12/h...
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Hazel
(Johnathan Billinger) The Hazel, Corylus avellana, has smooth silvery bark, brilliantly green downy leaves, and early in the year forms bright yellow Catkins which dangle and sway in the wind, givi…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/01/12/hazel/
20 days ago
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In the latest addition to my Cotton Chronicles series I look at the brutal Lancashire tradition of clog-fighting
#Lancashire
#History
#CottonChronicles
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/10/c...
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Cotton Chronicles: Lancashire Clog Fighting, A Brutal Northern Tradition
This vicious activity was once a widespread pastime across industrial Lancashire and other northern mining communities, lasting roughly 200 years from the 18th century into the mid-20th century. It…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/10/cotton-chronicles-lancashire-clog-fighting-a-brutal-northern-tradition/
21 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 07/01/2026 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
24 days ago
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reposted by
Northwest Nature and History
Tomsprints
25 days ago
For Epiphany (today), here’s a nice 1859 window by William Wailes, from All Saints Church, in Maidstone. Oh, that wonderful Marian blue:
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Taking down the Christmas decorations, going to miss our little tree :(
24 days ago
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When I wur nobbut ten year owd t’Grandparents took me airt. We wentter Whalley on the bus their fav’rite spot, no dairt
#Whalley
#History
#Lancashire
@whalleyabbey.bsky.social
@lancstelegraph.bsky.social
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/07/w...
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Whalley Abbey
The ruins of Whalley Abbey stand on the northern bank of the Calder in Lancashire’s Ribble valley and were once the second-richest in the county.
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/07/whalley-abbey/
24 days ago
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Finally started on my Meccano project, in our plastic era it’s so satisfying to build something out of steel and nuts and bolts!
#Meccano
#Engineering
#Vintagetoys
add a skeleton here at some point
26 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 05/01/2026 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
26 days ago
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Roe deer ‘slots’ in the snow
#snow
#deer
#winter
26 days ago
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Maduro paraded through New York Vercingetorix paraded through Rome History repeats itself
#VenezuelaLibre
#Venezuela
#madurocaptured
#HistoryRepeats
27 days ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 04/01/2026 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
27 days ago
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In my first article of 2026 we head down to the canal to fish for Perch
#fishing
#angling
#canals
#nature
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/03/l...
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Lurking in the Canal; Perch, the Highly Adaptable Piscine Predator
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a highly adaptable predatory freshwater fish native to the British isles. It is found in a wide variety of habitats from ponds and lakes to brooks and rive…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2026/01/03/lurking-in-the-canal-perch-the-highly-adaptable-piscine-predator/
28 days ago
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A family portrait of 4 generations, the grumpy little lad is my Granny Mae’s father Billy Cronshaw, it was taken outside Sparth House Farm in Clayton-le-moors, the building’s still there but it’s a hotel now
#History
#Genealogy
#Lancashire
28 days ago
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Animals leave signs Of night-time activities In the fresh white snow
#snow
#tracks
#winter
#nature
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2023/11/30/t...
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Tracking Animals in the Snow
Now that the first flurries of snow have dusted the Pennine Peaks (it’s just started snowing here in Padiham as I edit this! (Nov 2023)) I thought it would be a good time to publish this short guid…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2023/11/30/tracking-animals-in-the-snow/
29 days ago
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reposted by
Northwest Nature and History
Bart Hoekstra
about 1 month ago
Happy New Year! 🎆 As expected, sadly, the radars once again lit up with MILLIONS of birds fleeing from
#fireworks
. GIF of the
@knmi.nl
Herwijnen radar See other years:
horizon.science.uva.nl/fireworks/
Thread and more science below 🧪🪶
add a skeleton here at some point
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Birdle 🇬🇧 01/01/2026 🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
about 1 month ago
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Watched Jools Holland this New Years as we always do (it’s one of the only times I’ll watch tv, good thing too as it was so dull!) and didn’t see the dancing clock-head man this time, have they ditched him?
#JoolsHollandHootenanny
#hootenanay
#NewYear2026
about 1 month ago
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Happy New Year To All! 🎉 From
#Northwestnatureandhistory
#HappyNewYear
#HappyNewYear2026
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/31/h...
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Happy New Year!
Here’s wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous 2026! From Alex and Louise Burton-Hargreaves in Lancashire JanuarySwans on the Straight Mile FebruaryParagliders on Pendle MarchGawthorpe Hall April St…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/31/happy-new-year-2/
about 1 month ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 31/12/2025 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
about 1 month ago
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Just found out today (among lots of other interesting things about my family) that my great grandmother Lavinia was the first person to successfully receive a total hip replacement!
#NHS
#History
#orthopaedic
#surgery
www.wwl.nhs.uk/pioneer-of-h...
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Pioneer of Hip Replacement Surgery
https://www.wwl.nhs.uk/pioneer-of-hip-replacement-surgery
about 1 month ago
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@shivmalik.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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First published on substack this article looks at the flaws and dangers of the Forest City proposals, and some viable alternatives to the issues it purports to address
#ForestCity1
#Housing
#Sustainability
#Environment
#Cambridgeshire
#Surrey
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/28/f...
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Forest City: a Critical Dissection of Proposals and Suggestions of Viable Alternatives
Forest City 1 is a recently proposed city development planned for agricultural land on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border. A private initiative its purported aims are to address the housing crisis i…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/28/forest-city-a-critical-dissection-of-proposals-and-suggestions-of-viable-alternatives/
about 1 month ago
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Common Ivy, Ecology, Uses and Historical / Cultural Context of
#Ecology
#Herbology
#Nature
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/27/c...
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Common Ivy
Common ivy, scientifically known as Hedera helix, is an evergreen climbing plant native to, and ubiquitous throughout the British Isles, excepting the far north and a few spots like the Isle of Man…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2025/12/27/common-ivy/
about 1 month ago
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Finally organised all that Meccano, now to build something, unfortunately the gears on the clockwork motor are a bit mangled, so it’ll have to be steam-powered….
#Meccano
#Mechanics
#Engineering
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Got a massive box of Meccano for Christmas from my wife, looks like I’m going to be busy next year (it’ll take a while to sort it out too) check out all the old baccy/lozenge tins!
#Christmas
#Meccano
#Antiques
#Engineering
about 1 month ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 25/12/2025 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
about 1 month ago
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Beechwood fire burns bright and clear, if the logs are kept a year. Store your Beech for Christmastide, with New Year Holly cut beside.
#Christmas
#MerryChristmas
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/12/26/t...
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The Logs upon the Fire
Beechwood fire burns bright and clear, if the logs are kept a year. Store your Beech for Christmastide, with New Year Holly cut beside. Chestnut’s only good, they say, if for years ’tis…
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/12/26/the-logs-upon-the-fire/
about 1 month ago
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Merry Christmas Everybody!
about 1 month ago
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Birdle 🇬🇧 24/12/2025 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
about 1 month ago
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Bright as glows the Holly berry Bright as gleams its pointed leaves be the gladsome spells that merry Christmas round your fireside weaves
#Christmas
#Holly
#Traditions
northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/12/19/t...
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The Symbolism of the Holly
Holly, scientifically known as Ilex aquifolium, from acus, meaning ‘needle’, and folium, meaning ‘leaf’, is more than just a decorative element during the Christmas season; it’s also a plant …
https://northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk/2024/12/19/the-symbolism-of-the-holly/
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Northwest Nature and History
Stiles
about 1 month ago
Gate topped squeeze stilin'. Can life get any better?
add a skeleton here at some point
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Tonight’s
#WritingTunes
is the cosmic album Interstellar 5555 by Daft Punk, it’s worth watching the full movie, it might be animated but that doesn’t detract from its awesomeness, (Nightvision in particular gets to me for some reason)
#Music
#Writing
#DaftPunk
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
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Interstella 5555 - Full Movie (in order) - YouTube
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTT7zbo_Fv8olwazusz7kbZyDf5Oj6FNz&si=V4sw9DiXiyrMwNP4
about 1 month ago
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Latest posts on r/RuralUK; ➡️Is Labour’s ‘war on farmers’ cranking up a gear?
www.reddit.com/r/RuralUK/s/...
➡️We don’t support fox hunting
www.reddit.com/r/RuralUK/s/...
#Farming
#Hunting
#RuralAffairs
#Countryside
#Britain
#Reddit
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From the RuralUK community on Reddit: Is Labour's 'war on farmers' cranking up a gear?
Explore this post and more from the RuralUK community
https://www.reddit.com/r/RuralUK/s/hh2FfVMe1K
about 1 month ago
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