Lichens and mosses on limestone at Dalehead after Johnny Campbell and Amy-Jane Beer passed by up Penyghent

 Tue 25 March 13:47pm -Johnny Campbell (Second from left) and Amy-Jane Beer  passed by on their way up Penyghent and on up the Pennine way

Fountains Fell Behind them -- turn right...

and set off up Pen y ghent

I crossed over the road (behind me from where I took this photo) and into the field and studied the mosses and lichens on a few rocks of exposed pavement -the rest of the pavement was under soil and mosses.  15 species of moss in no time.  But I struggled to get more than seven lichens on the first few rocks SD843489 713589

Squamarina cartilaginea

The rock I was recording. By the time I took this they had reached the summit.

There was lots of Placynthium nigrum  on the limestone- some fruiting

I moved to some more rocks 20m away SD8435771393
The Placynthium nigrum had a little bit of the parasitic lichen - Toniniopsis verrucarioides

Toniniopsis verrucarioides on Placynthium nigrum

Acarospora glaucocarpa (This is quite close up)
Well that's my guess... but seems pretty similar to A cervina.

Acarospora glaucocarpa on the Placynthium nigrum

A big blob of Rhizocarpon umbilicatum - not many features on it in this photo but a thick thallus and it is turning a little yellow with K . 

So my lichen total was 13.

Myriolecis antiqua (Lecanora antiqua) - Lichens of Linton Church

On Sat 5 April I am planning to lead a two hour "Introduction to Lichens for beginners" churchyard walk.  at Linton Churchyard, Grassington, starting at 9.15 am. This is free but it is necessary to book (because if no-one-books I won't turn up )

Here is a new lichen for me for my area: 

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On the right hand side of the arch at the church entrance is a large whitish patch made up of lots of densely packed apothecia (fruiting bodies) with a "jam tart rim". - A species from the genus Lecanora.  If not on mortar, it will be influenced by the mortar between the stone

 blocks.

I have not seen this species in my home hectad of SD86 yet. (Though it has been recorded before 1999 in the Malham Tarn House monad)  I tested it left with a drop of C (bleach)  and right with a drop of K (alkali)

The apothecia discs  (Leftish)  go orange with bleach, and slightly yellow green with KOH (rightish) 

When Maxine saw the picture at our LCIG (Lichen Chat and Improvement Group) she immediately saw the colours of the spot tests (orange on apothecia)  and said "antiqua".

I was pleased. I had been introduced to this species at Preston Montford by David Hill in 2023 - see pictures

and found it I think on an old wall at Cober Hill, Cloughton (though there is no record within the correct monad for Cober Hill, only the one next to it.).

It has already been recorded in this Linton/Grassington Monad - pre 1999  SE0066  to be precise: SE 0049663224

See more Lichens Posts

Pennine Way - Johnny Campbell tour - Malham - Horton section - Rob Cowan Great North Road - Amy Jane Beer Nature Writer -and more

Johnny Campbell and friend Freddy Hodkin are walking the Pennine way and arranging performances en route.

Johnny Campbell Singing at Malham Methodist Chapel

 

He wrote: "Myself and @freddiehodkincomposer  of @righttoroam_kernow will be walking the 268 mile journey in 19 days, 17 shows en route to champion and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Britain's first long distance trail!)

I was given a poster about the event at Horton in Ribblesdale on 25 March -by Horton Church - but then saw there was an event at Malham on 24th also featuring the writer of a book due out in April of "The Great North Road" - 

Which became the A1. 

Having grown up in Ripon, 5 miles from the great North Road and with memories of being concerned (and possibly confused) at the tender age of say 8 or 9 that this Roman road was now being covered by tarmac dual carriageway  I was keen to hear this speaker, so went to Malham Chapel.

Rob Cowan

It was a lovely occasion - We heard the fascinating talk by Rob Cowan with readings from his book, including a picture of a skeleton recently being excavated at Catterick.    The light walls and modern projection equipment worked well.

Johnny Cambell's voice resonated in the well-lit chapel. This was done up about 15 years ago - pews removed and a special floor with illustrations of Malham Cove, Janet's Foss etc illustrated so that you can go on a mini-pilgrimage round the village within the Chapel building.

Sally from Malham Chapel was there providing hot drinks and squash and cake and crisps for both before and in the interval of the event.. (and an opportunity to visit the spacious disabled access loo.)

I used to attend Malham Chapel when I worked at Malham Tarn Field Centre.. So it was memory lane.. except that it looks completely different now with the pews removed.  One memory I have of the chapel was the Sunday school anniversary with about nine   8-11 year olds (At that age, how long will they keep coming I thought).  This evening three of them had actually come for the performance.

 I looked at Rob's book and will buy it next month.

I bought a DVD of Johnny's music and a tea -towel

And I met Amy Jane Beer - nature writer and in 1921 president of Friends of the Dales. 

She told me she was walking with Johnny to Horton on Tue 25th and would be speaking at the event at St Oswald's church that night.  So as I write this they are on that walk....

Past Malham Tarn Past the Field Centre and SSSI/ Ramsar site, SAC, National Nature Reserve,

Past the barn used for the scene in Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" 

Over Fountains Fell

Over Pen y Ghent

and down to Horton

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I remember many other people I have met on that route - 

From Peter Bayes and his wife at the Pen y Ghent Cafe who I met when as a  teenager I was walking the first half of the Pennine way. (maybe 55 years ago)

To the many adults on courses like "Exploring the Yorkshire Dales" from the Field Centre when we walked the 12 miles from the Tarn to Horton

To people from Lichens and Mosses expeditions  .. (We have REAALLY good Mosses and Lichens in some of the limestone cliffs and gills and pastures in this area. )

To The Bishop of Bradford (Now Leeds - Revd Nick Baines) on his first day as Bishop of Bradford, when we walked up PenyGhent in the rain

To Jasmine Paris, and other Spine walk racers. (I will add some links later)

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The next day I drove up to Dale Head at 2pm, in Silverdale valley between Fountains Fell and Pen y Ghent...to look out for Johnny and his group - I was only just in time - they were making such good progress. 

Here they are just before leaving the tarmac road to start the ascent of Pen y Ghent.

Amy-Jane Beer was with them and showed me a photo of the lichen Rhizocarpon reductum up Fountains Fell, with its apothecia in concentric circles. 

I waved them on and then crossed to the grassy mossy lumpy pasture opposite with a very few exposed rocks of limestone pavement - where I enjoyed the warm afternoon. Inspired by the British Bryological society Meeting last week I recorded 15 Bryophytes. I tried to find 10 lichens on the same rocks. It was hard work - I managed seven - and then had to move 20 m where I found rocks which included an extra 3 species.