Settle Wildflowers 140: 1st of Month Climate Walks Aug 2025 to Malham Tarn Fen

Climate Walks happen on the 1st of each month.

1 Aug 2025 -  Yorkshire Day. six of us made  a repeat visit to Malham Tarn Fen. 

A new plant not seen there before. Nettle-leaved Bellflower (and I have a list of 400 plants I have seen on the Malham Tarn Estate) 

Three species of flowers in excellent condition: Bladderwort, Sawwort, Mare's-tail, 

We set off from the car park. Could I encourage my friends to find and remember a lichen each, a moss each, a fern each, a grass each? (i.e. a total of five for each group)?. Angela wrote down all the plants we found. So many just on the road and track before we reached the fen. 

Trees are so important for mosses in giving shade to walls - But if trees are too dense then very little can grow under them

The mature trees, (even if they are sycamore and beech), on the narrow sliver of land between the old dry stone- walled road (the track) and the current tarmac road "By pass (See link to old map)" also with drystone wall on one side, provide shade, enabling mosses to grow luxuriantly on the wall tops. - It is the combination of trees and light that allows this 

We noticed Giant Bellflower (Campanula latifolia) with its huge, very pale-blue bell flowers and simple leaves on the main roadside and one plant on the trackside.

Once through the gate and onto the fen (but still next to the gate) Muff noticed a deeper blue bellflower that looked wrong..

because it was not a Giant Bellflower.   It was Nettle-Leaved Bellflower (Campanula trachelium).. It had nettle-shaped leaves and hairs inside the corolla tube. I have never seen this recorded here before. Actually I am not sure I have ever seen it before (but may have bypassed it in someone's garden) 

It was so beautiful that I actually came back up the next day when the sun was shining to take a better picture.

This does grow wild, especially further south.. but it also grows as a garden escape. I wonder where this one came from?

Bladderwort - The fastest insectivorous plant in the world (maybe)
Once onto the boards we turned left and came to what I call the Paul Holmes Pool. Paul Holmes was the first warden at the Field Centre (which closed three years ago), and arranged for a section of this pool to be cleared every two years, otherwise it would all fill in with vegetation then peat, by a process of succession.  The open water areas allow Bladderwort to grow, an aquatic plant with divided leaves that have 2mm long bladders/ jugs with lids on them. The lids flick open when microscopic water animals swim past and the animals are sucked in - food for the Bladderwort. See useful

online  videos   here  and here  

You can see the green divided leaves submerged in the water all year, but it is only in August - and then only some years when the water table is low -that you can see the beautiful snapdragon like flowers.

 

This year (2025) there were more than I have ever seen before, including one that was right next to the bridge/rail or the board walk.

The flower was about 1 cm across, It has a big spur;

Distribution map of  U australis -but it may be U vulgaris

The divided leaves have "bladders/jugs" to catch microscopic life

This picture shows the bladderwort flower, the bladderwort dissected leaves in the water,  a Potomogeton (pondweed)  that has holes in it made by the larva of the non-biting midge Cricotopus brevipalpis, and Water Horsetail - Equisetum fluviatile.
I remember Henry Disney (entomologist and the Field Centre Warden then) would tell us about the Cricotopus brevipalpis each time we came past it in the 1980s. This insect has a very disjunct distribution,

Bladderwort

As well as Water Horsetail in the pond (left), there is the much rarer Mare's-tail 

Water horse-tail on left, Hippuris vulgaris 
on right. 
Horsetail is an ancient plant, it has cones, not flowers, and its relatives lived at the time of the dinosaurs. 
The Mare's-tail has tiny flowers 

See the tiny flowers in the axils of the leaves.

August is the best time for Grass of Parnassus

The stream today this year is completely full of Water Starwort  Callitriche stagnalis

Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea looking, oh, so delicate.

Angelica, Meadowsweet and Devil's-bit Scabious - but Oh, dear, the Reeds are continuing to increase and take over. (Shirley's picture)

The Sawwort was looking really good. -
Must remember this date - 1st of August. 

As we returned to the road - we paused to read the Climate Sheets news and prayers for 1 August:- 

Some of the issues raised:

Heat:
USA and Europe reaching record breakin temperatures this year because of heat does;

Spaiin and Portugal reached record breaking June temperatures: 46 degrees.

India:in just three years India's weather related deaths rose by 15% and damaged crop area more than doubled. 

US budget: US Senators are debating a budget bill designed to take forward the Trump Administrations priorities , including:

a phase out of incentives for solar and wind energy projects;

a requirement for the government to sell leases for new oil and gas drilling including protected wetlands; to approve more coal production and to reduce regulation of the coal industry;

attempt to defund climate research and environmental monitoring.

Plastic Pollution: there is a big international Conference on limiting plastic pollution taking place in 5 - 14 August 2025, Geneva, Switzerland. I hope the leaders will agree on something.  The Tarn Fen is (almost) litter free due to the respect that people treat the nature reserve. 

The 89% Project: Between 80 and 89% of the world’s people want their governments to be doing more to address climate change. Let’s tell their stories.

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The Malham Tarn Estate belongs to the National Trust. Malham Tarn House used to be leased to Malham Tarn Field Centre until three  years ago. It is a fantastic jewel of a Nature Reserve. The National Trust continues to manage the Estate - Thank you.

The 1st of the month walks are run in the Craven Area for Churches Together in Settle and District, for Craven Conservation Group and for anyone interested in partaking. I attend or lead most of the walks.

You can find out more about flowers in the Settle and Langcliffe area in August here by seeing flowers through the year as visited on Lockdown Walks in 2020.

After the walk we returned to the valley and I went to Langcliffe Yorkshire Day Celebrations where we shared a fine "Jacob's Join" - local expression for bring and share meal, on the Green, and sang on Ilkley Moor ba' t'at

Settle Wildflowers 139: Aug 2025: Evening Primrose -

I started recording plants on my lockdown walks in 2020 within a three mile radius of the Langcliffe-Settle (1.5 mile) axis. On 27 July after a year's gap I spotted a new species in Langcliffe Parish, on the main road between Settle and Langcliffe.

I had seen this in our area over 30 years ago at Giggleswick Railway station, but not since then. 

Evening Primrose and motor-bikes

Some one told me there is some by Tems Beck in Giggleswick - I haven't seen it.. Maybe I need to go for a walk.

I did see some last July - on 15 July 2024 when I went by train to Liverpool to get my passport.

A little bit at High Bentham station, quite a bit at Carnforth , then masses at Lancaster Railway station

Bentham

Carnforth

Lancaster

More Flowers of Langcliffe and Settle by month

 

Parcevall Hall -Christians Aware Summer School July 2025 - Some Pictures.

 The group "Christians Aware" have a summer school each year at Parcevall Hall in the Yorkshire Dales (between Appletreewick and Pateley Bridge).  In 2023 I ran an afternoon session for them on Lichens. They later asked me to write a section on lichens for a book on biodiversity they were going to produce.  On the Sunday evening 20 July 2025 I was invited to attend the evening meal at Parcevall Hall,  so that I could be present when Barbara Butler introduced the new book "Rooted in Hope - A Christians Aware Resource towards building biodiversity". I was delighted to see the book.. I have written about the book here.

Here is a picture of us in 2023 on the terrace holding our hand lenses - this picture appeared in the book:

I had been scheduled to lead a visit on the Monday afternoon. Where to take the guests? Many of whom have attended these weeks here before.

I wanted to take them to places close to Parcevall Hall - there are so many good places within five miles as the crow flies. Places with wildflowers, with good views and with geological interest.

I say "as the crow flies". Parcevall Hall is built on a limestone slope, next to the North Craven Fault. To get there from anywhere involves driving either a spiral, (e.g. from Harrogate) or a zig-zag route (from Settle) to descend into the valley at 160m above sealevel then up the steep slope to the hall (260m) amongst its beautiful gardens. There is a view over the fault to the summit of Simon's Seat - a big hill (485m) made of millstone grit, just  a mile away

I used the Monday morning to visit six possible places:

1. Coldstones Cut - Splendid viewing platform above the Hanson's Limestone Quarry at Greenhow.

2. Greenhow Burial Ground - which has good wildflowers

3. The road south of Greenhow - was it near any bog areas? I wanted to find a bog so I could talk to the group about peat.

4. Stump Cross Caverns - for the teashop - and information on caves

5. Grimwith Reservoir for the view of water

6. The roadside back down to Parcevall Hall for its wildflowers

The seventh possibility - the museum at Pateley Bridge - was not open on Mondays, so that was a non-starter.

1. Coldstones Cut - Splendid viewing platform above the Quarry at Greenhow.

There is a good view of the Vale of York from the car park on the main road. The walk to the summit was billed at 500m from the car park - i.e half a kilometre. It certainly took me all of 15 minutes to reach the top of the spiral viewing platform.

At the top left of the picture you can see the Millstone Grit summit of Simon's Seat which is close to Parcevall Hall

2. Greenhow Burial Ground at Greenhow village

Garden Ladies Mantle - This garden escape weed might look nice but it is spreading rapidly in Britain.  This graveyard actually contains one or two native species of Ladies Mantle which score high on grassland conservation lists.

Although I have seen a good variety of plants there before, I could not see any plants that I thought would impress the group today - and would not want to take them trampling round anyway.

 3. The road south of Greenhow - Was it really close to any bog areas? Answer: No it wasn't. - And I remembered how straight the road is and how dangerously fast the cars travel.

4. Stump Cross Caverns and Café: No time to stop

5. Grimwith Reservoir: I drove to the car park.

6. Roadside Verge: I found a suitable place to park where you could look down to Trollers Gill and see to Gill Head where the last mine in the area to have been worked was situated - actually it was reworked, extracting fluorite from the mine spoil heaps.

I drove down to Parcevall Hall to hear the end of the morning talk by farmer John Dawson...and had lunch with the group.

In the afternoon we met in the lounge at 1.45 and as it was then raining a little I gave out hand lenses and explained to people how to use them. Put the lens really close to your eye, then bring your finger nail (or object to be examined) really close. The rain petered out and we set off.

We stopped at the road verge with a view back to the centre and to the valley leading to Gill Head. I asked each person to find a different wildflower.  The verge was rich in wildflowers, unlike the adjacent heavily grazed fields, and there were no rare plants or orchids that people might inadvertently pick.

Elijah (from Kenya) chose Ragwort and was fascinated to discover that each "flower head" was made up of over 100 flowers "Bouquet of bouquets", he said ."Bouquet bouquet".

Tagwort. 

We pressed our flowers in a newspaper I had brought for the purpose. 

Then carried on to Grimwith. On the way a participant in my car shouted "Orchids" so we stopped. There were lots of Common Spotted Orchids.

I took a phot of the spotted leaf of the orchid - and only later noticed I had a photo of this "Blob". I have been told it is a Trombid Mite - The group are known as Red Velvet Mites. The young stages are parasitic on insects, the older ones are predators of insects. 

We drove on to the official Car Park

Looking at Lichens on the fence.

Oh no, more Garden Ladies mantle

Peltigera praetextata - Dog Lichen

I invited them to sit on benches in silence and listen to the birds and other sounds 

At this point it was quarter to five. I thought that the cafe at Stump Cross might be closed. We split into two groups - most went back to Parcevall Hall, but two people came with me.

We visited Stump Cross briefly and I picked up leaflets and discovered that the cafe does actually stay open till six. Then we went to the car park at Cold Stones and enjoyed the view towards the Vale of York. (but no time to walk to the summit).

Looking down towards Nidderdale

We returned in time for the evening meal.  Then Euann and Nona showed slides and gave a talk on various communities they had visited in Britain.

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On the Tuesday afternoon I came back and a few people used their pressed plants to make greetings cards, with sticky back plastic. It was sunny so I took a table and two chairs so we could do this outside. Elijah made one of his bouquet bouquet - Ragwort.

I sat on the wall (as in the picture above) and looked at the thick crustose lichen growing under the tree that I had noticed two years ago - that I had come to the conclusion was Pertusaria albescens. It should be white,  (albescens means whitish) but here it seemed to have a pinkish sheen

handlens

Pertusaria albescens on the wall under the tree on the terrace at Parcevall Hall, seen very close-up

Ali came out and joined me on the wall. She plays the guitar and sings, and with Chris on the piano had led songs in the evening complin worship. She said "I'll write a song about lichens". She asked me a few question about the lichens I was sitting on - such as the Pertusaria I have mentioned and Parmelia saxatilis, a big grey foliose lichen that has white ridges and, when seen through a hand lens tiny finger like projections. This has been used for dying wool and as such has local English / Scots names- either Crottal or Stoney-Rag. She asked why I enjoyed studying them and elecrically recorded my answers for a couple of minutes. 

In the evening she played the song:

In the afternoon we also had a session on "LOAF" principles led by Cordelia. (Local, Organic, Animal Friendly, Fair trade)

I came back on the Thursday afternoon when the group went for a walk at Bolton Abbey. .. Maybe if time I will write about that another day.

Meanwhile here is the view I had when driving to Parcevall Hall from Settle via the Embsay and Eastby Road on the Tuesday morning: with a sudden surprise view of Lower Barden Reservoir. (I had always used this road at night before).  then Simon seat on the right and Parcevall Hall amongst the trees above the valleys.

See "A Christians Aware Resource towards building biodiversity"  here.

Rooted in Hope - Building Diversity book launch: at Christians Aware Summer School July 2025

Reading this is a veritable "Readers Digest" experience - a joy to read - A book with decent sized readable print - with colour pictures,  friendly diagrams, and with articles of different length you can dip into whenever you fancy a read.

Over 25 main contributors present enjoyable informative chapters then there is a section on poems and another on resources.

There are articles on topics from Kew Gardens to Cocoa, from Peat to Salt Marshes, from the Columban Essay Competition to Prayers, from Eco Church to Therapeutic Gardening - plus dozens of other hidden gems.

It is the title of the Christians Aware new book. It is due to have its official launch on 6 September 2025 which will be at St Paul's Church, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP.

The organisation Christians Aware has a summer school each year at Parcevall Hall. Last year the theme was "Building Biodiversity". Barbara Butler invited me to write a chapter on Lichens. They had enjoyed the Lichens session I had run for them in 2023.

So now the book is here! 

I recognise five other contributors who live in the Craven Area - people who have given talks to Christians Aware or who the group has visited. I recognise at least three members of Green Christian. 

See christiansaware.org.uk

The book costs £15 but has been part subsidised. 

Here is a picture of me showing the book to Rev Stephen Dawson in Settle at the Coffee Morning this week 23 July at St John's Methodist Church

YNU Field Excursion to Redmire Quarry - 19 July 2025 and some lead mine lichens

Seven spot ladybird examines
Rhizocarpon petraeum

Redmire Quarry is a large shelf high on the side of the valley of the river Ure (Wenseleydale, N Yorks)   with SW facing limestone cliffs at 350m above sea level. 

I especially enjoyed finding lichens on the led mine spoil heaps above the quarry. See lower down on the article.

We had special permission from Caslte Bolton Estate to visit the quarry.

Terry Whitaker was the organiser of the meeting and had also provided a stove and water so we could make tea, on the picnic table that is there by the private hut.

We arranged to meet up again at 2pm by this table

11a.m.

My entomological contribution.   
Derek saw two other species as well.

Terry Whitaker was the organiser of the meeting and had also provided a stove and water so we could make tea, on the picnic table that is there by the private hut.

 I spent so long making and drinking his tea when I first arrived that I missed going to see the final moth traps being opened. Apparently they had an excellent catch. At least six people had come from Yoredale Natural History Society.

The moth trappers had departed and the rest of us sat for a photoshoot at 11am before setting off as a group.

There was a "Limestone Dandelion" and lots of Limestone Bedstraw.

"Limestone Dandelion" the lowest involucral bracts stick out.

Limestone Bedstraw

Other people saw the beautiful blue Viper's Bugloss (Anyone from the trip want to send me a picture?)

 Gaby released some of the special moths they had captured.

Northern Eggar Moth  (= Oak Eggar Moth) on Gaby's boot

Northern Eggar Moth  (= Oak eggar Moth)

Tiger Moth

The first and only bit of Knotted Pearlwort   Sagina nodosa  (it has white anthers) in a slight rain gully on the track on the way up.

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 A platform along the length top of the cliffs has pebbles and mounds and evidence of lead mines. It is  bordered by rabbit proof fencing and beyond that the land, now gritstone with heather and limestone without, rises with remains of lead mines and grouse moor.

The first of any Spring Sandwort plants.
Spring Sandwort has pink anthers.

I spent much of the time on this rabbit grazed platform. It had short vegetation - in fact mostly moss and lichens: 

I had carefully collected a sliver of rock with Rhizocarpon petraeum from the cliff on the way up .....

Rhizocarpon petraeum on the cliff face

Distribution map from the BLS website

... only to discover that this bright white crustose lichen with its concentric rings of black apothecia was super common on the piles of pebbles on the platform above.

View back down to the picnic table and cars

Cetraria islandica

The Cladonia rangiferina seemed
to occur in all sorts of shapes and forms.
Here it has wide flattened podetia.

The Cladonia rangiferina 

Not sure what this white Cladonia is.

Moonwort

On the top, Big Shaggy-moss - the official name of Hylocomiadelphus triquetrus (formerly Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus) was the dominant vegetation, closely followed by Cladonia rangiformis (My name: Limestone Giraffe Lichen): Both of these were pale pastel green in the grey light of cloudy midmorning which preceded the drizzle of 1p.m.

Then my eyes picked out the dark glossy brown tangles of wire-netting-like Cetraria aculeata. I could not find any of its relation  C. muricata though I looked hard.  

Green mounds 12cm in diameter of a cushion moss (Tortula tortuosa?) had dead summits on the mounds which were covered in black stuff. Was this a result of the drought 6 weeks earlier - or was this the result of a lichen? Many of these black areas had a  rough textured thick white crustose lichen with tiny urn shaped apothecia - Diploschistes muscorum . I am used to seeing this on moss on limestone walls where Cladonia pocilum grows.  A glance at Dobson's book says it also grows on C rangiformis - well plenty of that here. 

Diploschistes muscorum growing on black stuff on Cushion Moss Note C rangiformis in the foregrounds

Closer up.

Diploschistes muscorum growing on black stuff on Cushion Moss

Thyme and Sheep's-fescue grass were the main higher plants.

Moonwort

Rabbit tunnel

Left side: quarry side; right side: moorland side

A strange lumpy form of Cladonia rangiformis

Peltigera

i lost my handlens / penknife. I retraced my steps and found it. What a relief

Definite evidence of rabbits

I had also lost everyone else by now. I spent a long time enjoying this new habitat for me. I wondered if a real lichen expert would notice more species than I was noticing, but ended up walking over lots more of the only the same species. Only one Peltigera (Dog Lichen).

I found one moonwort shoot in SE048929 and two moonwort shoots close to each other in SE048930 in another.

We had arranged to meet up again at 2pm by this table.. and had lunch. Well prepared with umbrellas.

2pm. Well prepared for the rain

I climbed up the mound (and island of bedrock) behind the picnic table and found surface vegetation similar to the top platform of the quarry - and also some beautiful yellow Hygrocybe. (waxcaps) with slimy caps.

Hygrocybe. Some had slightly reddish streaked stipes (like H puniceus) and others had  stipes which were smoother and just yellow and white

Yellow Hygrocybe Waxcaps amongst the
Thyme and Big Shaggy-Moss

Back at the Village Hall early we had tea, the roll call of Societies and the plenary session. Then we repeated part of the plenary and had more tea when several more members turned up at the official time of 4pm. It was good to meet old and new friends.