News articles

It was announced today (Nov 5 2020) that William, 16th Lord of Bowland, an active and longstanding champion of the Forest of Bowland, its people, landscape, heritage and rural economy, is to become a Trustee of Champion Bowland.

Champion Bowland is a grant-making charity that helps fund local projects which benefit the environment, local communities and visitors within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape (National Landscape).

The notoriously camera-shy Lord of Bowland has a track record, dating back to 2009, of schools visits, sponsorship of business awards and local heritage, the commissioning of music (Songs of Bowland, an original choral composition by Lakeland composer Christopher Gibbs), and even the ceremonial unveiling of the occasional road sign. He also hosts the Annual Lord of Bowland Lecture at Browsholme Hall, a much-loved local history event due to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year (2020) but postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions.

William Bowland said: “I am honoured to be invited to become a Trustee of Champion Bowland, an outstanding charity that does so much for the Forest of Bowland, its people, landscape and visitors.  I look forward to contributing to its important work”.

Mike Pugh, chairman of Champion Bowland, said: “I’m delighted William Bowland, a committed champion of Bowland, is joining the ranks of Champion Bowland. William’s energy, dedication and vision will make a huge difference. We greatly look forward to working with him for the benefit of all those who live, work or visit our beautiful Forest”.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

WILLIAM, 16th LORD OF BOWLAND

William Bowland, 60, succeeded to the Lordship of Bowland in 2008.  Since then, he has worked tirelessly with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape to celebrate and promote Bowland, its people, landscape, heritage and rural economy.  For more information, see: https://www.forestofbowland.com/lordship-bowland

For further information, contact Margaret Wright on email: publicity@championbowland.org.uk  or tel: 01282 776285 or mob: 07989 401595.

https://www.championbowland.org.uk

There are some fantastic prizes on offer in the Forest of Bowland National Landscape photo competition running throughout October.
We'd love you to share images that capture the beauty and opportunities this outstanding area has to offer year-round. These may include landscape or wildlife images, or people enjoying activities in the area - whatever captures Bowland at its best!

• A dinner, bed & breakfast walking break for two at the Shireburn Arms, Hurst Green (kindly donated by James' Places)
• Lancashire food hamper (kindly donated by the Bowland Food Hall at Holmes Mill).
• A Milking Parlour cheese, butter & biscuit hamper (kindly donated by Cobden View Holiday Cottage, Sabden) 

The winners and shortlisted images will appear in the 2021 printed Bowland Discovery Guide and on National Landscape supported websites and social media.

To upload up to 3 photos and for details of the prizes, terms and conditions and a map of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape visit the website:  https://www.forestofbowland.com/photo-competition-october-2020 

The closing date for the competition is Sunday 1st November 2020.  A shortlist will be 

made by the National Landscape team and the finalists will go to a public vote (via social media and the National Landscape website) week commencing 9th November.  

Images can be taken from any season, so if you didn't manage to take some summer shots, there's still chance to get out and capture the best of Bowland in the autumn sunshine.  We're looking forward to seeing all of your submissions!

Rural businesses in the Forest of Bowland are working together to rebuild the visitor economy as demand for domestic holidays in countryside settings looks set to increase.

Led by Champion Bowland – a charity that provides accessible small grants for local projects which benefit the environment, local communities and visitors – the Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism Network has launched a new destination marketing website designed to attract everyone to explore the beautiful Forest of Bowland.

This site: www.discoverbowland.uk went live this week – along with a new social media campaign designed to drive traffic to the new website. Champion Bowland has provided the seed capital to launch the site, with future funding to come from stakeholder businesses who have signed up to participate.

The new destination website launches with a deliberate focus on bringing in bookings for the 2021 season.

Rural accommodation providers continue to be hit hard with ongoing restrictions affecting the wedding market – an important source of revenue for many rural businesses.

But next year, millions of adventurous couples and active families are expected to seek fresh air and plenty of outdoor activities on UK staycations in rural settings.

As autumn gives way to winter, the focus of the website content will shift to promoting Bowland as a genuine year-round destination, with a comprehensive calendar of events, activities, festivals and shows.

Forest of Bowland National Landscape sustainable tourism officer Hetty Byrne said:

“It’s been a very challenging year for the rural economy in Bowland, but many of these enterprising businesses have been busy preparing to welcome back visitors with even better facilities next year.

“We’ve been working hard with our sustainable tourism business network and local suppliers to collate the content and build this website and we are confident the new website will significantly increase awareness of Bowland and inspire outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers and foodies to discover the area.

“We will also be encouraging visitors to stay longer and – ideally – spend more money with local businesses to do their bit to help the rural economy recover.”

Chairman of Champion Bowland Mike Pugh said:

“We were delighted to receive such a positive response to the destination website when we first floated it last year and when the pandemic arrived, we decided to accelerate our existing plans when we recognised the need to Build Back Better.

“As a charity that aims to invest in schemes that develop the rural economy and benefit the towns and villages of the Forest of Bowland, we are proud to be in a position to ensure the website launched in time to get Bowland firmly back on the tourism radar for the 2021 season.”

Local Tourism Business owner Dominique Ashford, Dale House said:

“We are really excited to be able to tap into this exciting new website as, since we reopened, we have noticed an increase in enquiries from across the country from people who are nervous about holidaying abroad and also don’t want to negotiate crowds of people in the usual tourist traps.

“We believe the new destination website will inspire a new generation of visitors to Bowland who will really appreciate the fresh air, the amazing landscapes, the stunning wildlife and the delicious food and drink to be found in the Forest of Bowland.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Forest of Bowland National Landscape (National Landscape)

The Forest of Bowland is one of 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty across Britain and covers 803 square kilometres (312 square miles) of rural land in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Designated as a National Landscape in 1964, it’s important for its heather moorland, blanket bog and rare birds like the iconic Hen Harrier – symbol of the Bowland National Landscape.

In 2005 the National Landscape became the first protected area in England to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas and this honour was repeated when the Charter was re-awarded in September 2010.

In November 2011 the National Landscape were recipients of the prestigious 'Best Destination' runner-up award from The International Responsible Tourism Awards.

About Champion Bowland

Champion Bowland is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which provides easily accessible small grants for local projects which benefit the environment, local communities and visitors within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape.

Champion Bowland raises funds from visitor donations, charitable activities and other sources – including this website.

In recent years, Champion Bowland has helped fund projects as diverse as outdoor classrooms for local schoolchildren, bird hides, pollinator patches and wildflower meadow conservation. Read about the projects Champion Bowland has supported in recent years here.

Organised by the Poetry School, and judged by novelist, activist and UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and poet, critic and commissioning editor Jade Cuttle. The Ginkgo Prize aims to illuminate the climate crisis and the role that poetry can play in provoking consciousness and change. 

The competition encourages poets from all backgrounds and abilities to interrogate and explore our built and natural environments, to challenge the global climate crisis and celebrate ecological beauty by lending creative space to the writing of poetry.

To help applicants enter, Ginkgo has set up virtual workshops throughout the submissions period (31st July – 31st October 2020). These workshops aim to encourage the writing and understanding of ecopoetry. There will be essays from leading environmental writers and more workshops announced soon.

This year, they are launching a separate prize with the UK’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – the theme will be Landscape, and the £500 prize will be awarded to The Best Poem of Landscape. This prize will be free to enter if a poem already submitted to the Gingko Prize qualifies as a landscape poem.

The winner of the Ginkgo Prize will be awarded a week-long glamping residency and bespoke rewilding workshop at Knepp Rewilding Safaris.

A trip to the countryside can provide endless opportunities for making – and re-living – happy memories, as well as being great for our physical and mental wellbeing.

There are times though, when a visit to the great outdoors isn't possible and at those times, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape team hopes their new online resources will come in handy.

The Days to Remember project aims to encourage older people and those living with dementia, alongside family members and carers, to enjoy a "virtual" exploration of this beautiful area.

The newly launched web page has everything from tips and resources for making your own Great Outdoors memory box; to links to puzzles, quizzes and colouring sheets and a relaxing guided meditation.

Sandra Silk, Forest of Bowland Project Officer said, "Last year we worked with Lancashire County Council's Heritage Learning Team to produce a Great Outdoors memory box full of activities designed to trigger positive recollections and encourage conversations about past countryside visits and adventures. Unfortunately, this part of LCC's loans service is temporarily on hold so the new web page is our way of sharing some of those ideas online."

Activities include Bowland wildflower "playing cards" which can be downloaded and printed; a series of images from around the National Landscape, which can be used to make up a photograph album; recordings of the calls of Bowland birds, including the iconic curlew and lapwing, plus ideas for other resources to spark happy memories.

The web page also includes a guided meditation written and narrated by Helen Leece of the Gathering Fields Retreat near Abbeystead. Based on the sights and sounds of a Bowland meadow in summer, the twenty minute audio, which includes natural sounds and simple music, is designed to offer some gentle relaxation.

"Ultimately, we would like to help people experience Bowland in a variety of ways", said Sandra, "whether that be through improving signposting and access so that people have the confidence to explore for themselves, or through offering guided sessions and activities. In the meantime, we hope our online suggestions will help people stay connected to nature."

The Days to Remember web page can be found at https://www.forestofbowland.com/days-remember and more information about the project is available by emailing Sandra at sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk or by calling 07973 923142.

Coronavirus restrictions have meant that many of this year's face to face events have had to be cancelled so, instead, event organisers have gone digital and moved online.

Sandra Silk, Project Officer with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape said, "Each year we look forward to meeting new people and old friends through the Festival programme. Sadly, we haven't been able to do that this year but, rather than miss out, we've worked with colleagues at the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership to put events online. We're really excited by how many people have joined us "virtually" to find out about everything from archaeology to bats and wading birds. We even managed to move our national Meadows Day celebrations online."

Events are free to attend and you don't need a camera on your device to be able to join in.

Events planned for August include family-friendly bird ID, peat restoration and a look at Pendle Hill's "radical" heritage.  Black grouse, Roman roads and an introduction to rewilding will feature in September, along with online Bowland Foodie Foray sessions.

"Holding our events digitally means that people can join us no matter where they live", said Sandra, "so we're really grateful to all the presenters who have made these virtual events possible. It's also great to welcome people who may not normally be able to take part in face to face events, whether that's for health, transport or other reasons.  We certainly hope to include online events alongside our more traditional format in future Festival programmes."

Details and booking information for all Festival Bowland online events can be found on the Forest of Bowland National Landscape website at https://www.forestofbowland.com/online-events-learning. Anyone wanting to know more about how the online events work can email Sandra on sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk

Visiting the Forest of Bowland National Landscape

With the recent easing of restrictions many facilities and local hospitality businesses have reopened in the National Landscape.  Whilst enjoying more time in the Forest of Bowland please continue to stay safe and consider the following:

• Know the Countryside Code - Plan ahead, take a map and exercise within your limitations to keep pressure off local resources.
• Avoid hotspots and busy spots – we know everyone has their favourite place in Bowland, but if large numbers of people all head to the same place, it becomes impossible to safely socially distance. If you arrive at a site that is already busy, please find an alternative. 
• Our farmers have been working hard to maintain food supplies during the pandemic. Support them and our communities by leaving gates as you find them, sticking to the path and keeping dogs on the lead (Note: If you are with a dog and cattle chase you, it is safer to let go of your dog's lead).
• Strictly no BBQs or open fires, due to the danger of wildfire.
• Leave no trace. Take all your litter home.
• Respect the plant and wildlife which has thrived during lockdown.
• Travel sustainably: If you can, journey on foot or bike. This means you experience the wonderful scenery of the National Landscape en-route and you don’t have to worry about finding a car parking space.
• Keep to current social distancing guidance.
• Be sure that you check ahead to make sure that places are open and what they are offering following the recent lockdown. Remember that is mandatory to wear face masks in shops and takeaways.
• Stay at home if you, or anyone in your household or support bubble, have symptoms of COVID-19 and keep to the isolation guidance issued by government.  Take hygiene precautions when you are outside and wash your hands as soon as you are back indoors
• Be kind and respect one another.

For those wanting to stay indoors or who are shielding at home, take a look at our 'At Home in Bowland' resources and Online Events Programme for ideas and inspiration, or to get in touch please email bowland@lancashire.gov.uk  

Further Information

• Follow the latest Government guidance on what you can and cannot do 
• Government Guidance on Access to Green Spaces
• Government Guidance on Social Distancing

Richard and Rachel’s vapour infused tipple using wildflowers is helping re-GIN-erate traditional meadows across Bowland.

A second serving of a seasonal gin distilled with wild herbs, grasses and blooms from some of the richest wildflower meadows in England has just been released at a virtual celebration of traditional hay meadows.

And last year’s Hay Time gin was a huge success, selling out within just six weeks of its release.

Goosnargh Gin distillers Richard and Rachel Trenchard have been working with farmer Peter Blackwell and Forest of Bowland National Landscape Farming and wildlife officer Sarah Robinson to source and harvest a blend of wild herbs, grasses and flowers to impart distinct verdant tones to the finished gin. Hay Time is just one of Goosnargh Gin’s creations which are distilled in small batches, using traditional methods in copper alembic stills near Bleasdale, in the shadow of Beacon Fell.

The company uses local, organic and sustainably grown botanicals. “We’re keeping the exact blend of Hay Time a secret, but we have used flowers, grasses and leaves from species like meadow vetchling, sweet vernal grass, red clover and yellow rattle to distil the gin, giving it the unique essence of Bowland,” explained Rachel. “A sip of this carefully distilled gin – served with tonic and a garnish of fresh green apple – will transport you straight to these exceptionally special and ecologically significant Bowland meadows on a sunny summer’s day – alive with birdsong and the gentle background hum of bees.”

For every bottle of Hay Time gin sold, Richard and Rachel will donate £5 to projects in the Forest of Bowland, to encourage the education of young children about the importance of protecting these areas.

The wildflower-rich Coronation Meadows at Bell Sykes Farm act as a living seedbank – one of the last unimproved flower-rich grasslands in this part of Lancashire. Established by HRH Prince Charles in 2013 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, Coronation Meadows are a network of some 90 protected wildflower meadows which maintain a living seedbank to provide a springboard for the restoration and creation of new sites across the country.

Until now, Peter’s sheep and cattle have been the primary beneficiaries of this rich oasis of biodiversity, but with the first bottling of this very special gin, we humans can discover what we’ve been missing... and help safeguard the future of this vitally important habitat.”

For further information visit https://goosnarghgin.co.uk/

National Meadow Day celebrations took place on 4th July.  Normally they take place at Bell Sykes Farm, Slaidburn.  This year, as we weren't able to meet face to face our celebrations took place virtually, joined by Goosnargh Gin telling us about their new season Hay Time release.   Take a look at some short film clips we took showing the species-rich meadows at Bell Sykes in June.

From Wednesday 13 May the Government is allowing people to “exercise outside as many times each day as they wish” and stating that “people may drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there”.

Whilst many of us will want to return to our National Landscapes for the health and well-being benefits they provide; safety remains our priority.

The landscape will still be here for everyone to enjoy when it is safer to do so and more facilities are available, but our over-riding priority is to ensure that both visitors and the residents of the Forest of Bowland remain safe; and to ensure we don’t place undue pressure on public highways, emergency services or key workers.

If you are making a special journey into the Forest of Bowland, please carefully consider your own wellbeing and that of the National Landscape's many small communities: home to many vulnerable people and a working environment for farmers and land managers.

Please bear in mind that the vast majority of facilities – including cafés, hospitality businesses and potentially many public toilets are not currently open.

If you've enjoyed exploring your local patch of Bowland from home, please continue to do so, while respecting the social distancing rules.

If you plan to visit the National Landscape in the coming weeks, we ask you to please act responsibly by sticking to these rules:

• Know the Countryside Code Plan ahead, take a map and exercise within your limitations to keep pressure off local resources.
• Avoid hotspots and busy spots – we know everyone has their favourite place in Bowland, but if large numbers of people all head to the same place, it becomes impossible to safely socially distance, putting you, your family and others at risk. If you arrive at a site that is already busy, please find an alternative. 
• Many people in the local community are among the most vulnerable groups and still need to self-isolate. While walking, please keep a safe distance from homes, schools, and farms.
• Our farmers have been working hard to maintain food supplies during the pandemic. Support them and our communities by leaving gates as you find them, sticking to the path and keeping dogs on the lead (Note: If you are with a dog and cattle chase you, it is safer to let go of your dog's lead).
• Respect the plant and wildlife which has thrived during lockdown. This is a critical time for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, so again please keep your dog on the lead and stick to the path.
• Strictly no BBQs or open fires, due to the danger of wildfire.
• Leave no trace. Take all your litter home.
• Travel sustainably: If you can, journey on foot or bike. This means you experience the wonderful scenery of the National Landscape en route and you don’t have to worry about finding a car parking space.
• Stay two metres apart and avoid gathering in villages where many of the shops and services remain closed.
• Be kind and respect one another.

Helping us with this huge collective effort to nurture our outstanding landscapes right now, means they will still be there for us all to enjoy when the current coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted and will ensure our vital rural economy bounces back even stronger.

For those wanting to stay indoors or who are self isolating at home, take a look at our 'At Home in Bowland' page for ideas and inspiration, or to get in touch please email bowland@lancashire.gov.uk 

Further Information

Press Release from Natural England: New Guidance on Spending Time Outdoors

Government Guidance on Access to Green Spaces

Government Guidance on Social Distancing

In keeping with the latest Government guidance, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape team has taken the decision to work from home for the foreseeable future. We have postponed or cancelled all planned face-to-face events, volunteering activities, and nature and wellbeing group activities.  We will be following the latest advice on the situation from Public Health England.

This means we won’t be reachable on our main office phone number – however, we are carrying on with business as usual as far as possible and we are all still working remotely. If you have a query, please email or ring individual mobile numbers, and they’ll reply or give you a call as soon as they are able.   Or use the general Bowland email bowland@lancashire.gov.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

"Stay home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives"

The latest Government guidance means that everyone is required to stay at home. Although we can go out for exercise, that means close to your own home. People must not travel from other areas into the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, and you should not travel distances within the National Landscape for walks or other exercise.

This helps to reduce the spread of the virus. It will also help to minimise the risk of accidents on our roads, reducing unnecessary pressure on the NHS and emergency services at this extremely difficult time. It will also support our local communities who need to access their local shops and services while maintaining the required distances from others to keep everyone safe.

In these unprecedented times, please ensure you stay up to date with the latest guidance from the Government https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

The outdoors will be there for us after this is all over.  

Please follow us on twitter @forestofbowland and Facebook @bowlandNational Landscape for the latest updates from the Forest of Bowland National Landscape.   Or for inspiration of what you can do from home, especially with youngsters, visit our 'At Home in Bowland' page.

Follow the links below for further support from Lancashire and Yorkshire County Councils:

Lancashire County Council

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/your-health-and-wellbeing/coronavirus/#section4

Twitter                 @LancashireCC

Facebook            @LancashireCC

Lancashire Resilience Forum

@LancsResilience

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-community-support

Twitter                 @northyorkscc

Facebook            @northyorkscc

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum

@NYorksPrepared

With thanks and best wishes,

Forest of Bowland National Landscape Team