Silverdale and Arnside Art and Craft Trail 2017

Over this last weekend the Silverdale and Arnside Art & Craft Trail has been show-casing the work of artists and craftsmen from the local area and inspiring visitors from near and far. 

The Trail spanned both villages and some venues in between. We chose to start at Silverdale, which, with Arnside, makes up an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is on the shores of Morecambe Bay and home to approximately 1500 people.

The arts and crafts were displayed in a mixture of public and private buildings, including St. John's church, Silverdale school and the Gaskell memorial hall, named after the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell who spent holidays in Silverdale and is said to have written some of her works in Lindeth Tower, in the village.

The National Trust own several pieces of land within the parish of Silverdale and the RSPB's Leighton Moss is close by.

 The village had been yarn bombed, which reminded us of Cygnet in Tasmania, where we first saw this done.

There was every type of art and craft on show but my favourite has to be the stained glass work of the artist, Debbie Copley (debbiesshed,com). Her hand-painted glass birds, displayed on driftwood or using wire, were absolutely delightful.

Debbie obviously comes from a talented family as her brother, Duncan Copley, was also displaying his skills sculpting wood!
 
By the time we got to Arnside we were all crafted out. So, after a quick walk along the promenade, it was home for a cuppa.

Thinking again about those lovely stained glass birds, I've already had my (early) birthday present, but there is always Christmas....

Sunderland Point; a small village with a big history

Sunderland Point lies at the end of a causeway with the tidal estuary of the River Lune on its Eastern shore and the Irish Sea on the west. The causeway is covered and the point cut off twice a day by the high tide; the only exception being when the tide is lower than 8 metres in the first and last quarters of the moon .

The tides in this area take no prisoners so a consultation of the tide table is essential before attempting to drive or walk across.

The Friends of Sunderland Point warn, on their web page:

"Tide tables should be consulted before visiting. Both the

Causeway and car park are likely to be under several feet of water for 1 to 2 hours before and after high tide.

DO NOT RISK IT!"

The history of the Point as a port dates back to the beginning of the 18th Century when it served as an out port for the Port of Lancaster, dealing in both the cotton and slave trades. There was then a warehouse, a custom house and a hostelry. The port was superseded by Glasson Dock and most of he buildings have since been put to good use as Grade 11 listed dwellings.

There is evidence of the slave trade at Sambo's grave. This marks the resting place of a slave who arrived at Sunderland Point in 1736  and died in  Upsteps Cottage.

The exact cause of death is unknown but stories abound, one being that he died of a broken heart when he believed his master, who had gone on to Lancaster and then beyond, had left him.

Whatever the cause of death, Sambo had to be buried in unconsecrated ground as he was not baptised but in 1796 an inscription of Reverend James Watson's verse placed on the grave reminding us:

"Then the GREAT JUDGE his approbation founds

Not on man’s COLOUR but his worth of heart"

This simple grave attracts many visitors and is still tended by the school children who paint pebbles to decorate it.

A visit to Sunderland Point is a unique experience. But please read the notices, Elizabeth:

  

Gait Barrow Nature Reserve - Part 3

Lying at the heart of Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Gait Barrow Nature Reserve is one of Britain's most important areas of limestone pavements. I quote from Natural England's publication: Gait Barrows. National Nature Reserve:

"The landscape at Gait Barrows has been shaped over many thousands of years. Much of the nature reserve lies on ancient Carboniferous limestone which was laid down in warm tropical seas some 300 million years ago. With the influence of more recent mountain building periods that created mountain ranges like the Alps, this bedrock has been flexed and uplifted to give the low hills and crags of the limestone landscape that we are familiar with today. In the last Ice Age some 14,000 years ago, deep ice covered this part of Northern England and Hawes Water Basin was formed by the deeply scouring ice sheet as it passed from what today are the Cumbrian high fells to the Irish Sea. This deep trough in the limestone was then filled with groundwater to create the Hawes Water we know today. The intricate features of the limestone pavements have been shaped and modified by glacial action in the last Ice Age, and more recently by rainfall and groundwater. On the open pavements you will see wide flat blocks called clints, separated by deep fissures known as grikes. Lying on the clint surfaces are shallow gutter-like runnels and pan-like solution cups, which collect and funnel rainwater from the rock surface."

 Our photos can only attempt to show the scale of the pavement. The grikes are evident in the image below..

The blocks or clints are steep sided..

It is amazing to see what grows in this seemingly inhospitable landscape..

Having Colin in the frame gives an idea of scale...

 This hypericum was growing in a grike at least 60cm below the surface...

There was one more thing to delight on our visit and that was the sight of a High brown fritillary.

Colin did very well to get these photos before the flighty thing disappeared amongst the bracken..

I'm quite sure this won't be the last time we feature this reserve because we look forward to many more visits as the seasons change.

Gait Barrow Nature Reserve - Part 2

Yesterday we showed a few of the plants to be seen at present in the reserve (see here) but we didn't include the orchids. These need a post of their own.

Common-spotted orchids were there in their hundreds..

as were many others which we've not yet identified..

including these fine specimens..

But the real treat was to see these Lady's Slipper orchids. Although past their best, they are still a fabulous flower...

Next year we'll be sure to visit mid May to see them in their full glory.

Gait Barrow Nature Reserve: Part 1

Gait Barrow Nature Reserve is about seven miles north of us and we enjoyed it so much that we've been twice this week.

What we're posting over the next couple of days is just a snapshot of the whole, so if you'd like more information there is a leaflet in PDF format here

First the plants..

Birdsfoot trefoil was prolific.

Birdseye Primrose - a little past its best by now but still lovely..

Yellow water lily; the flowers of this waterlily stand several centimetres proud of the water

White water-lilies out on Haweswater..

Still they come... the lovely violet..

The most natural of fern gardens..

Common Rock Rose, growing in its perfect environment!

Common Valerian..

Slender St John's Wort..

Bugle...

Yellow Rattle

Swathes of Ragged Robin..

I think this could be Hard Fern. It isn't one I've come across before but it is a very elegant specimen..

  Ox-eye daisy..

Stonecrop

Thyme..

Meadow Sweet..

Germander - I think. It's my best guess anyway.. 

Likewise, broad leaved helliborine.. Susan? John? any thoughts please?

Foxglove

And a whole array of grasses

And then there were the orchids.. but we will try and do them justice tomorrow!