Our Wild Purple Moors

Purple heather for miles and miles.

Looking back to Widdop Moor
Approaching Top Withens from Withins Height End.


Sphagnum Moss.

Thurs. 27th Aug. 09.
This post is not so much about nature but more about our walk today. We've been keeping an eye on the weather and also the colour of our surrounding moorland. Today the weather was set fair and the purple colour of the moors looked perfect. Our walk started on Widdup Moor and followed the Pennine Way over Withins Height End, the highest point on the walk and finished up at Top Withens the ruined farmhouse supposedly the setting for Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights", I.T.V.1 just happens to be showing a new adaptation of the novel starting this coming Sunday. To sum up....we've seen the moors at their best, a fresh breeze, the lovely purple tones and the're right on our doorstep, what more can be said.

The Early Season Gem

I'm at the end of the season for one of my main interests....WILD ORCHIDS
but I'm also interested and follow the fortunes of another flower that grows in our area.
It was back in early April this year when Audrey and myself climbed Pen-y-ghent (Hill of the Winds) to photograph the Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga Oppositifolia). It grows on the 1800-1900ft. contour on the limestone crags and it really is a little gem.It's a true Arctic/Alpine flower a leftover from the last Ice Age.
It grows down at sea level in the Arctic and I've found it growing at 8500ft. in the Swiss Alps. In the British Isles it can be found on some of the Scottish Mountains, a few mountains in the Lake District and in Wales and it's most southern location in the British Isles is on the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.
By the end of April the flowers have all faded and it's all over for another year.

Wild Upper Teesdale

Cauldron Snout

Bird's- Eye Primrose

Some closeup shots for the video

Monday 10 Aug.09.
It's been cloudy and damp today so I thought I would look back at one of the outings I made in May (Friday the 8th to be precise.) to Upper Teesdale.It was a special visit hopefully timed to see the Spring Gentians in flower.(Gentian Verna).This is wild high country and the only place in England to see the Spring Gentian growing.
After a cold, wet, windy unpromising start to the day the sun came out and opened up all the flowers.
I include a small selection of our great day out.
The 4 people taking part on the walk were Eric ,Peter(Erics Pal),Audrey and Myself.

Behind our House

Tuesday 4th Aug. 09.
In the fields at the back of our house the orchids have seeded.There are about 300 of them, looking in my field guide
on British Orchids and telephone conversations with Lancashire Naturalist Trust I am almost certain that
there are two species of orchids,the Common Spotted and the Southern marsh Orchid.

All my wild orchids have set seed

Tuesday 4th Aug 09.
A quick look around my garden today gave me a degree of satisfaction because most of of my Common Spotted and Marsh Orchids have set seed there are approximately 170 of them, so who knows where the seeds will be carried to when the seedpods have ripened in a few weeks time.