25,000 YEARS IN ONE EVENING: Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture 2021

1st September 2021

Originally planned for autumn last year but delayed due to the pandemic, Maps, Mines and Minerals: 25,000 Years of Bowland History, will be delivered by award-winning geologist Dr Nick Riley MBE and will take place online on Tuesday 5 October 2021, beginning at 7pm.

The Arms of William, 16th Lord of BowlandFrom the melting of the last ice sheet to the present day, the presentation will explore the interaction between people, landscape and geology – explaining how this has shaped life in Bowland across millennia.

William Bowland, 16th Lord of Bowland said: “Bouncing back after months of lockdown, this year’s lecture – our 10th – will take a long view of the Forest we call home.  No-one could be better equipped to guide us through 25,000 years of history in one evening than Nick Riley.

“Born in Blackburn, Dr Riley is the UK’s leading authority on the geology of Bowland. In 2003, he was awarded an MBE ‘for services to UK geoscience’.  More recently, he was awarded the John Phillips Medal by the Yorkshire Geological Society for his ‘lifelong contributions to understanding the geology of Northern England’". 

Traditionally held at Browsholme Hall, the Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture has built a large following over recent years.  Given the continuing situation, however, the decision has been made to hold this year's event online, so that as many people as possible can be accommodated. Open to all free-of-charge, the format will also allow virtual visitors from beyond Bowland to discover the heritage of this beautiful area.

William, 16th Lord of Bowland, will introduce the evening, which aims to raise funds for two local charities: Slaidburn Archive, which works to record the history of the Hodder Valley; and Champion Bowland, which supports projects benefiting the environment, local communities and visitors to the Forest of Bowland. Both organisations rely heavily on grants and donations to continue their work.

Places for the lecture can be booked by emailing sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk.


Bowland Dark Skies Festival 2024

- 21st December 2023

Traditional Boundaries Training

- 21st November 2023

All-Terrain Wheelchair Demo Day

- 20th September 2023

Tramper Taster Day

- 22nd August 2023

Pendle Peat & Pie Challenge

- 26th April 2023

New Bowland Visitor Guide

- 20th February 2023

The Festival Continues!

- 10th October 2022

Hay Time Gets Creative!

- 3rd August 2022

REBELLION IN THE FOREST

- 20th July 2022

Langden Intake Gravel

- 1st July 2022

Meadow Art Workshops

- 23rd May 2022

Discovering Wonderful Waxcaps

- 9th September 2021

Tramper Taster Day

- 8th September 2021

Visiting Bowland

- 14th June 2021

Name that Bee!

- 13th April 2021

Meadow Makers Project

- 8th April 2021

Festival Bowland 2021 is here!

- 6th January 2021

COVID-19 Update

- 5th January 2021

Covid-19 Update

- 31st December 2020

Green Recovery Challenge Fund

- 10th December 2020

Bringing Home the Turf

- 7th December 2020

Let's Support Local This Christmas

- 26th November 2020

Photo Competition Winners

- 18th November 2020

COVID-19 Update 05.11.2020

- 5th November 2020

Best of Bowland Photo Competition

- 12th October 2020

New Discover Bowland website

- 29th September 2020

Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoety

- 26th August 2020

Festival Events Go Virtual

- 10th August 2020

Days to Remember

- 31st July 2020

Coronavirus Update

- 6th June 2020

COVID-19 Update

- 20th March 2020

Hay Time Rescue - Project Summary

- 11th February 2020

Bowland Dark Skies Festival

- 6th January 2020

What is Bowland Without its Trees?

- 3rd September 2019

Postcards for Kindness

- 4th July 2019

Meadows to Morris Dancing

- 10th June 2019

Tramper Taster Day

- 15th May 2019

Half a Kilometre of Hedge

- 24th January 2019

Wildflower meadow rescue mission

- 17th October 2018

Traditional Boundaries Training

- 20th September 2018

National Landscape Family's Week

- 13th September 2018

Bowland Heads Back to the Stone Age

- 12th September 2018

Bowland by Night

- 3rd September 2018

Meadow Magic

- 18th June 2018

June is Blooming!

- 15th May 2018

Bowland Wader Project Newsletter

- 22nd February 2018

Outstanding Week 2017

- 5th September 2017

Festival Bowland Fun in Autumn

- 22nd August 2017

Summer in Bowland

- 26th June 2017

Winter Hedge Laying Workshops

- 29th November 2016