-fage.12 Rural L ife


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July, 2010 Rural Life.


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FLUTTERING BY: Flowers help attract butterflies to gardens


their own. Once again the show has enthused even


Go wild in the garden S


nature


o another Springwatch is over! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and let^s hope all the chicks we followed are flourishing in the big, bad world on


more people to get outdoors - and here’s a few things I’ll be doing this month. We had some glorious weather at the start of the month and if we’re lucky enough to


get more our'plants and flowers will get very thirsty. Try and use collected rainwater or wastewa­


ter from the kitchen where possible- and it’s never too late to install a water butt. When the heavens do open you’ll be surprised how much it collects and how far it goes. If you’re having problems with unwanted


bugs trying to munch your way through your plants, please use non-chemical controls. Things like bark chip, gravel and porridge


oats are a good way to keep slugs and snails at bay.


Try to set a few areas of grass aside to grow Remember, the kindest thing to do to help


baby birds, is nothing. Mother iSiows best and will be close by, but she will be grateful for some help with feeding, so keep putting out that food and water. Summer migrants will be around for a while yet, so listen out for the screaming swift par­


eolurno


long through the rest of summer and winter. As much or as little as you’re prepared to let run wild will make a difference - and let’s be honest, any reduction in lawn mowing is always welcome, especially in the heat of summer! It’s so important for insects, including some


moths and'butterflies as well as a safe place for bumblebees to nest in the matted grass underneath.


There will still be plenty of bird activity this


month, with some species raising their second or third brood.


ties and the whizzing round of those house martins. Sadly, initial results from the RSPB


summer wildlife survey. Make Your Natur Count, have revealed some worrying resuli among summer migrant birds in its first few


days with house martin numbers surprising!', low. Both of these birds rely heavily on human


with their nest sites almost exclusively on houses so spare them a thought if you need to do repair work and delay until later in the


summer where possible. Sec, another job saved!


■ To take part in the RSPB’s swift survey visit www.rspb.org.uk/helpswifts


Happy gardening in the sunshine! FLYING VISITOR: A young bluetit REAL WHIZ: The housemartin


landscape; a lost world of high moorland, strange rock outcrops and wide views. The highest point on the road


B


. from .Tatham Fells to Slaidburn is known as “Cross of Greet” or “Topoft’Cross”. There is no cross, just a large


boulder with a shallow square hole in its top. It stands on the Lune-Ribble


watershed, and marked the county boundary with Yorkshire’s West Riding until 1974, when the Slaidburn area became part of Lancashire. Directions: From the car park cross the road and follow the


infant river Hodder towards Stocks. After a gate the walking becomes much easier. On an improving track pass


through two more gates and then begin to climb the fellside aiming towards a stone barn on the skyline. From the barn cross a plank footbridge and turn left onto a


path besides a drainage channel. After the channel turns to the


right, continue to the top of the hill. As the ground levels out, aim towards a wall corner. Here pick up a track and turn left through a gate and keep ahead walking towards a prominent outcrop of gritstone.


The track leads to the road


e y o n d stocks Reservoir on the road to Bentham there is a remote and rarely visited


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STUNNING SCENERY; Stocks Reservoir and Pendle Hill in the distance.


C':v The trail


start: Car park Cross of Greet Bridge. DIstance:'8 miles Time: 4-5 hour Terrain: By any measure this is a strenuous waik. Map: OS OL 41 Forest of Bowland


between Clapham and Stocks. When you reach it turn left and then after a cattle grid turn left to traverse Bowland Knotts. The highest point is marked by a trig point. Return to the nearest wall, turn


left and use it as a handrail to cross to Ravens Castle. On route you will encounter a huge isolated rock marked as Cold Stone. Following the wall, begin to ascend to the first of two points confusingly marked as Ravens Castle. . Continue along the ridge to


Raven’s Castle following a fence. In just over a kilometre you reach a corner. Here turn left to walk down to the Cross of Greet on the Slaidbum-to-Bentham road. There is not a great deal left of


the Cross of Greet; just a square shape in a lump of gritstone. Cross the road and pass through a kiss­


ing gate in a fence. Through the gate bear left and follow the fence, as best you can, as it climbs the fellside. As you reach the ridge the trig point will come into sight. From


the trig point walk eastwards towards the road. Soon you will start a gentle descent into Far Costly Clough. A mile from the trig point you


will arrive at a shooters’ track. Turn right. Though not an easy track to follow owing to its habit of disappearing from time to time, the track will lead you back to the car park. ■ This walk was devised


by Malcolm McCulloch and described by John Griffiths and Bob Clare. Visit www.lancashire- walks.com for more walks explor­ ing the diversity of the Lancashire countryside


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