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Browsholme Hall's Tithe Barn will be the setting for an early autumn lecture delivered by Neil Whalley on the evening of Tuesday 1st October.

The Celtic past in North West England is fascinating but, according to Neil, often overlooked. Fragments of evidence from history, archaeology and literature help us piece together a world of ancient gods and tribal territories, and a medieval warrior society inhabited by semi-legendary kings, bards and saints. Meanwhile, place names offer a glimpse at the lost Celtic language of Cumbric, once spoken in the region. 

Mike Pugh, Chair of Champion Bowland, will introduce the lecture, which aims to raise funds for both Champion Bowland and another local charity, Slaidburn Archive. The evening will take place in the atmospheric surroundings of the Tithe Barn at Browsholme hall, thanks to the generosity of the Parker family.

Mike Pugh said, "We are all looking forward to the first Tuesday in October for the Bowland Lecture at Browsholme Hall. This year offers a new perspective on the peoples of Bowland with Neil Whalley recounting our Celtic past."

The lecture will begin at 7.30pm, with a pay bar available from 7pm.  Admission is £5 and places need to be booked in advance by emailing sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk, or by telephoning 07973 923142.

A Celebration of Culinary Heritage and Local Produce with a week of Feast Bowland Events

The annual Feast Bowland week returns from the 21st to the 27th of September, offering a week-long celebration of the rich culinary heritage and local produce found across the Forest of Bowland. This year’s events promise a variety of activities, including guided walks, foraging, picnics, dark sky explorations and food tours, providing participants with a unique opportunity to engage with Bowland's outstanding food culture.

Event Highlights:

Picnic & Play in the Park: Kick off the festivities on 21st September with a family-friendly picnic and outdoor games at Dunsop Bridge.

Herbal Medicine Walk: On 24th September, learn about herbalism and wild foods during a guided walk and workshop at Barrowford Heritage Centre.

Bowland and Bay Food Tours: Experience the best of Bowland produce with artisan food tours on 25th September, featuring cheese tasting, craft gin, and more starting in Clitheroe.

Elderberry Jam Making: Join the Lovely Cow Shed on Jeffrey Hill for an elderberry forage around the farm on 25th September,  followed by a jam-making session using your foraged goods.

Pendle Skies and Peat Pie: An exciting evening of dark sky discovery on 26th with a talk by local astro-photographer, Lee Hunt.  He'll take us on a virtual journey through the night skies of Pendle, accompanied by the delectable Bowland Peat Pie!

Autumn Foraging at Middlewood: We wrap up the week on 27th and discover all there is on offer across organic meadows and temperate rainforest in the beautiful Roeburndale woodlands.   

Hetty Byrne, Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism Officer said: 'We're excited to be linking with some excellent providers once again to celebrate the wonderful local produce and wild foods found across Bowland.  We want to make our events accessible and inclusive to all, which is why some are free, or low-cost,  and, where possible, subsidised to make external events more affordable.  Hopefully, there will be something of interest for everyone'.

There are also some exciting fringe events taking place during the week, provided by local hospitality businesses, and all members of the Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism network. The events are about discovering Bowland's bountiful, seasonal produce through experiences such as foraging and supper clubs.

For further information and booking details visit: www.forestofbowland.com/feast-bowland-2024

This month sees the launch of a special photography competition to celebrate Bowland as a newly named National Landscape during our 60th anniversary year.

The Forest of Bowland photo competition – Life through a Lens - is a fantastic opportunity for photographers to showcase their skills in capturing the essence of this beautiful area.

With three categories to choose from - people, nature, and place - participants can highlight the distinct beauty of the Forest of Bowland. Whether it's the warmth of community life, intriguing wildlife, or the unique character of local landscapes and places, each category offers a chance to tell a different story through the lens.

Winners can expect exciting prizes and the honour of having their work featured in various publications and online platforms associated with the Forest of Bowland. 'Life through a Lens' is not just a competition but a celebration of the Forest of Bowland, its seasons, and its significance as a National Landscape.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer or an enthusiastic beginner, it’s a chance to celebrate the stunning landscapes, wildlife, and activities in the area.

Tony Lund, Forest of Bowland National Landscape Partnership Manager said, "Our national name change in November 2023 highlighted that the Forest of Bowland is one part of a living patchwork of landscapes where outstanding beauty isn't only found in nature, but in our thriving local communities". 

The competition will run from 1st August to 30th September 2024, with shortlisted entrants and winners announced early October.

Tony continued, "This photo competition is an opportunity to celebrate rural life in all its different forms – whether that's the special character of a village, farming life, magnificent landscapes, wonderful wildlife or people enjoying the area – whatever sums up Bowland life for you!   The summer months are a great time to get out with your camera, but if you don't get a chance over the next few weeks, we're also happy to accept photographs taken in previous seasons."

Local businesses – all Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism Network members - have been generous in prize donations. These include Hayloft accommodation (with secret garden and hot tub) for one night at Laythams Holiday Lets Retreat; A night's stay for 2 people at Gibbon Bridge Hotel;  A night in a shepherd’s hut (2 people) from Bowland Escapes; A night's stay in glamping pods at Wenningdale Escapes; A meal for 2 at the Traddock, Austwick on the 10 course tasting menu and a bottle of wine; Lunch for 2 people at the Fleece Inn, Dolphinholme; A £50 voucher from Bee Creative Designs; A family day pass from the Bowland Wild Boar Park and a £30 voucher from The Cabin, Barley.

There will also be a People's Choice Award which the public can vote from the shortlist of photos across the categories.  The winner will receive a £200 James' Places gift voucher kindly donated by Ben Scott Contracting Ltd and the runner-up, a month's supply of fresh coffee donated by Godhead Coffee.

Feedback from this year's exhibition featuring the shortlisted entries from 2023 captured the imagination of the public with the following comments: 'Fantastic collection of mesmerising images. Bravo!' and 'Choosing a favourite was nearly impossible!

Competition entries can be uploaded on the Forest of Bowland National Landscape website at:

www.forestofbowland.com/bowland-life-through-lens

Photos must not be submitted to any other competitions or initiatives. Remember to check the specific competition details for submission deadlines and terms and conditions.

Happy snapping!  

Forest of Bowland National Landscape hosts a celebration of what’s possible

Hosted by The Forest of Bowland National Landscape team and Access the Dales, the event was described as an ‘exciting celebration of what’s possible’, and was designed to help organisations, businesses and individuals learn more about accessibility, share examples of best practice and engage in inclusive activities in a beautiful outdoor setting.

Activities included bushcraft skills, foraging, forest bathing, charcoal sketching and more, with workshop discussions focused on autism, dementia, mental health, inclusivity in the outdoors and tourism.

A variety of all-terrain wheelchairs were also available for the duration of the event for delegates to try out for themselves.

Sustainable Tourism Officer for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Hetty Byrne explains: ‘Feedback from the event has been incredible and very humbling. We were joined not only by visitors from the local area, but also from Kent, the Wye Valley, the Lake District, Northumberland, and even Fife and London.

‘We were thrilled that the event was so well received and opened up some really important conversations around accessibility and inclusivity.

‘Delegates were keen to take part in a host of outdoor workshops while sharing ideas with each other and learning from our session leaders.

Sarah Dornan, Countryside Access Officer for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape said: ‘Events like this provide a wonderful opportunity to come together and share experiences and best practice. We are proud to showcase what’s on offer in Bowland and delighted that we could offer this event to people for free, which was made possible via DEFRA Accessibility Funding'.

For details of Access for All opportunities in the Forest of Bowland visit: www.forestofbowland.com/access-all-guide

Wyre Coast & Countryside Service will be running their regular walks from Garstang over the summer months.  Taking place most Mondays (apart from Bank Holidays) from 11am, these relaxing walks last just an hour and are a great way to take in some fresh air and enjoy the views. No need to book ahead but do check with the organisers to find out more and keep up to date with any changes.

Take a walk through time in the Trough of Bowland on the 21st of August and step back millions of years to discover the geology of this popular visitor destination.  The morning will also offer the chance to look for minerals and fossils along the way.

Why not head out at dusk and explore the night-time world of the bat? These flying mammals are fascinating creatures and there is no shortage of guided walks this season. Choose from Claughton-on-Brock on the 23rd of August or the 9th of September, Calder Vale on the 5th of September or Gisburn Forest on the 6th of September.

The Wyre Rivers Trust will be leading a guided walk around the Caterall countryside on the 14th of August, then setting off to collect native tree seed at Claughton-on-Brock on the 4th of September and Scorton on the 19th.  Join them to find out all about the Trust's important conservation work – and give them a hand with their collecting.

For those with a creative eye, Friday 6th September offers half day workshops on smartphone nature photography at Gisburn Forest and nature-inspired pottery in Slaidburn, so why not discover your inner artist?

As the summer draws to a close, journey to Dunsop Bridge on the 7th of September for an immersive morning of movement in the Centre of the Kingdom.

Forest of Bowland National Landscape Project Officer, Sandra Silk, said, "Bowland has beauty in every season but, as the heather starts to cover the fells, this is a fantastic time to get out and experience this wonderful part of Lancashire and North Yorkshire. The Festival Bowland programme has a whole range of events - many of them free or low-cost – and they offer a great way to explore the area."

Full details of all the Festival Bowland events, including booking information and costs, can be found on the Forest of Bowland National Landscape website - https://www.forestofbowland.com/

(Note – You only need to attend a single workshop – though you’d be welcome at two if super keen!). 

• Central Dales Workshop:

Venue: Malham Methodist Chapel, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 4DA

Date: Saturday 3rd August 2024

Time: 10:00am - 4:30pm

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nidderdale-nl/t-avmadgr

• Northern Dales Workshop:

Venue: Leyburn Arts Centre, North Yorkshire, DL8 5DL

Date:  Sunday 4th August 2024

Time: 11:00am -  5:30pm

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nidderdale-nl/t-lnrdzyd

• Nidderdale Workshop:

Venue The Owl Barn, North Yorkshire, HG4 3PU

Date: ​Sunday 11th August 2024

Time: 10.00am to 4:30pm 

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nidderdale-nl/t-vvdxdev

• Performance at the North of England Curlew Conservation Awards:

Venue: Masham Town Hall, Market Place, Masham, HG4 4DY

•  Sunday 18th August 2024
• 3:00pm to 8:30pm

10 of the 20 places at each workshop have been allocated for people directly linked to curlew conservation – whether this is on farms, in a reserve, at the coast or in the uplands. You might contribute directly to curlew conservation through your work, the arts or through volunteering.

10 places at each workshop are totally open to all and will be allocated on a “first come-first serve” basis.

No ability to read music is required.

The workshops are totally free – however, you will have the opportunity to donate to Curlew Action on the day.

To book one of the places reserved for curlew conservationists, you will require a password – to access this, contact Matthew Trevelyan at matthew.trevelyan@northyorks.gov.uk, stating how you are involved in curlew conservation.

Call of the Curlew Workshop Description:

The call of the curlew heralds spring and has inspired a wealth of folklore, poetry, art and music. Their unique vocalisations - which feature complex harmonics and pitch variations - are often described as haunting, but just as often as ecstatic. Calls are composed of both major and minor tones and can provoke strong feelings of both sorrow and joy. Perhaps this explains why curlews have stirred such a range of responses from poets, musicians and writers.



Mary and Karen will use the call of the curlew as the melodic starting point for new songs, written and composed together with workshop participants.



There will be the opportunity to perform the songs in Masham Town Hall, as part of the North of England Curlew Conservation Awards (on August 18th).



Karen is a renowned nature writer with a special affinity with the north of England and editor of “Curlew Calling”, a recently republished anthology of writing and poetry celebrating curlews. Mary Keith is a freelance musician who has worked with numerous theatre groups, choirs and communities around the world.  Mary and Karen have worked together since 2016 when they took part in the Curlew Country Arts Project in Shropshire.

This event has been supported with grant funding from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.

The event is organised by Nidderdale National Landscape and supported by National Landscapes and National Parks from across the north. 

Venue: Masham Town Hall, Market Place, Masham, HG4 4DY

•  Sunday 18th August 2024

Time: 5:00pm to 8:30pm

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nidderdale-nl/t-noejqkm

This year’s award ceremony will feature:

• Speaker on Curlew Conservation Amanda Perkins, Curlew Country
• Speaker on Curlew Conservation, Tom Orde-Powlett, Bolton Castle Estate
• Presentation by Rebecca Dickens – 2023 Overall Winner
• Performance by the newly formed Pennine Hills Curlew Choir, following a series of workshops with Karen Lloyd and Mary Keith.
• Poetry Readings, introduced by nature writer and poet, Karen Lloyd.
• Screening of “The Lost Songstress” – a film produced by Alicia Hayden in partnership with Wader Quest, supported by their 2023 anniversary grant.
• Curlew artwork display by local children.

Award Categories:

 

The Farmland Curlew Award

The Farmland Curlew award recognises the special efforts made by nature friendly farmers, who have curlew at the heart of their enterprises. Farmers who include curlew in their daily rounds, work tirelessly to identify and protect nest sites, often in partnership with local wader projects. Farmers who restore species rich meadows, sacrifice crops, and set land aside to create areas of cover and wetland features. Farmers who advocate for curlew, and work with communities, schools, colleges, organisations and government to promote conservation. We want to hear about the innovators and problem solvers who have found practical solutions to help curlew in our landscape. Farmers who show that however large or small a holding, there is always something that can be done to help curlews.



The Upland Curlew Award

The Upland Curlew award recognises the special efforts made by upland land managers who have a special interest in curlew. The uplands are often cited as the last stronghold for breeding curlew – something we shouldn’t take for granted. This year, we’re hoping to receive nominations for those who focus on curlew conservation in the uplands, restoring and maintaining habitat in this critical landscape, so characteristic of much of the north. Upland managers are often working at the landscape scale in partnership with conservation organisations – involved for example in projects to ring and survey birds, monitor and protect nests and restore and manage peatlands.

Young Curlew Conservationist Award

This award celebrates the effort of a young curlew conservationist, under the age of 18. They might have been involved directly in a curlew project or made a special effort to promote curlew conservation in school or college. They may have been involved in a project on the farm or in the uplands or created a work of art on a curlew theme.



Volunteer Award

Curlew projects often rely on the work of volunteers, who spend hours in the field, and provide the detailed data that is at the heart of the monitoring effort. They are often directly involved in efforts to protect nests and manage habitats. These volunteers demonstrate enormous patience and knowledge, their insights and hard work critical to projects across the north. This award is to recognise the special effort made by a volunteer and their important contribution to curlew conservation.

Booking

The awards are promoted via the Nidderdale National Landscape’s Ticketsource page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nidderdale-nl

Places at the award ceremony will be prioritized for people directly linked to curlew conservation – whether this is on a farm, in the uplands, at the coast or in a reserve. You might contribute directly to curlew conservation through your work, the arts or through volunteering.  Family members and friends of those directly involved are also welcome to book a place.

You’ll also need to book a place if you are part of the Curlew Choir.

To book, you will require a password – to access this, contact Matthew Trevelyan at matthew.trevelyan@northyorks.gov.uk, stating how many tickets you require and how you are linked to curlew conservation – or if you’re part of the choir.

 The remainder of the places will be available for members of the general public.

This event is totally free – however, you will have the opportunity to donate to Curlew Action, Wader Quest and Curlew Country on the day.

There will be a modest buffet and a bar available on the night.

Step outside this summer and discover the beauty of Bowland

For full details of the events below, including booking information, please see https://www.forestofbowland.com/festival-bowland

Under 18s must be accompanied at all Festival Bowland events and not all events are suitable for children. Please check with the organiser.

Wyre Rivers Trust Amble

Caterall

Free (Booking essential)

A Walk Through Time (Fully booked. Reserve list available.)

Wednesday 21st August, 10am – 12 noon

Trough of Bowland

Free (Booking essential)

Wyre Rivers Trust - Brock Valley Bat Walk

Claughton on Brock

Free (Booking essential)

Wyre Rivers Trust – Seed Collecting Amble

Wednesday 4th September, 10.30am – 12.30pm

Claughton-on-Brock

Free (Booking essential)

Calder Vale Bat Walk

Thursday 5th September, 8 – 9.30pm

Calder Vale

Bat Walk

Monday 9th September, 8 – 9.30pm

Claughton-on Brock

Free (Booking essential)

Smartphone Photography in Nature

Friday 6th September, 10am – 1pm

Gisburn Forest

£10 (Booking essential)

Autumn Berry Bowl Pottery Workshop

Friday 6th September, 1 – 4pm

Slaidburn

£50 (Booking essential)

Forest Bat Walk

Friday 6th September, 7.30 – 9pm

Gisburn Forest

Free (Booking essential)

Move More Naturally

Saturday 7th September, 9am – 12 noon

Dunsop Bridge 

£20 (Booking essential)

Wyre Rivers Trust - Seed Collecting Amble

Thursday 19th September, 10.30am – 12.30pm

Scorton

Free (Booking essential)

Immerse yourself in the world of bumblebees on this free Forest of Bowland National Landscape/Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Hay Time workshop.

Friday 31st May, 10am – 1pm, Gisburn Forest

The morning will begin with a short indoor presentation on the ecology of bumblebees, and some key identifying features of our more common species. We'll then head outside to see what bumblebees we can find in the meadow and surrounding area.

There will be information on our "BeeWalk" programme and how you could put your new skills into practice by joining our volunteer project and surveying on one of our pre-set transects. Sites are located throughout the Forest of Bowland and across the Yorkshire Dales, so a great excuse for some days out!

After the session, feel free to buy a tasty lunch in the café, or stay on  and enjoy the wider forest landscape.

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Free but booking is essential. For more information and to book a place, please email sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk or phone 07973 923142.

With a second year of Farming in Protected Landscapes funding secured, Pasture for Life welcomes farmers in the Protected Landscapes of the Lake District, Forest of Bowland, Nidderdale, North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales to sign up for free to the Pasture & Profit in Protected Landscapes Programme.

After an enjoyable and informative first year, Pasture for Life are delighted to be able to continue to develop this programme, supporting farmers for free and building on the community that this programme has evolved into.

If you enjoy spending time on thought provoking farms and learning from other farmers, they welcome you to join by signing up to the programme, which includes free Pasture for Life membership too. At the heart of the programme are the events with wood pasture, soil health, dung beetles, herbal leys, butchery and marketing just some of the topics we intend to explore further in more detail. In addition to these events we have 2 study tours planned, a partnership with Innovative Farmers to establish a bracken field lab and a financial roadshow with Nethergill Associates calculating Maximum Sustainable Output on some of our farms.

To hear more about the programme from three of Pasture for Life's farmers Watch this video.

Please do get in touch, the Pasture for Life team would love to hear from you.  You can reach us by emailing Rob, Amy or Jane on rob@pastureforlife.org, amy@pastureforlife.org or jane@pastureforlife.org or feel free to call Rob on 07967 379131 to chat it through.

Signing up is easy. Pasture for Life will provide you with a link to complete a short document and if having a mentor is something you are considering, the next steps for that are really easy too!