Heather moorland

I was hoping the heather would still be in bloom when I planned a mid-August camera club mini outing to the moors above Haworth. We weren't disappointed. The colour was superb and the scent... I wish I could bottle it for you... it smells like warm honey on the breeze. Five of us made the six mile round trek, past the Brontë Falls and up to Top Withens, before returning down the Pennine Way through Stanbury. It's a steady climb up, though easier walking back down the Pennine Way, which nowadays is largely paved with stone flags to prevent erosion of the moor. It was wet and windy, but that didn't dampen our spirits and it was lovely to meet up with friends and enjoy some conversation, much missed since the pandemic took hold. We were careful to 'socially distance' but I'm sure the wind would have blown all our germs away anyway! 

On the hillside to the west we could see a grouse shoot, with lines of men (known as beaters) waving flags to drive the grouse towards the guns. I don't personally like the sport, and there are both pros and cons arising from the management of moors for grouse shooting. I'm told the heather might die out without management, as the land gets taken over by bracken, shrubs and grasses but it also has an impact on species diversity, carbon storage and the way water drains, which may affect flooding in our valleys.