#Do More Go Explore

Help British Woodlands

There are so many reasons why woodlands are important to our wellbeing that it would be hard to list them all. They provide a habitat for numerous wild creatures, they provide green lungs for our landscape and they provide people with a place to get close to nature. Historians believe that Britain was once covered in forest from the very south to the farthest north. Only tiny fragments of this great forest and woodland still exist. There are things we can do to restore some of it to create a better land use balance.

1. ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEE THE BENEFIT OF WOODLANDS

Scientists and naturalists agree that woodlands are vital to the wellbeing of the overall environment and ecology of Britain. Just some of the benefits of woodlands are: The regulation of the climate. Air cleansing and air quality maintenance. Water cleansing, absorption and flow control to reduce flooding. The provision of natural habitats for a myriad of animals / biodiversity. Recreation areas for people. The production of sustainable timber (Planted forests only). The provision of coppiced wood. Aesthetic landscapes. Reduction of soil erosion. Historical and cultural meeting places.

Continue reading →

Popular British Meals (1 – 10)

A recent survey (2013/14) revealed that spaghetti bolognaise is Britain’s most commonly cooked meal but you won’t find it on this list. The real reason it’s so popular is because it’s so easy to make. Take mince plus handful of spaghetti plus one jar of ready-made Bolognaise sauce. A perfect solution for hardworking mothers. Actually, it’s quite nice but it’s not a traditional British meal. This is our list of the top ‘twenty five’ British meals based on how often people searched for recipes, tweeted what they’d just eaten and a rapid survey of supermarket baskets. It’s not science but we think it’s still pretty accurate.

All meals listed on this page have evolved in Britain, even the curries. As already mentioned, this list does not include: spaghetti bolognaise, pizza, hamburgers, Rogan Josh, chicken in white wine sauce and many, many other meals that the British love to eat but which came as complete recipes from other countries. The results are in order from the most popular to the least popular. Even so … number 25. Lancashire Hotpot is still very popular indeed. This really is the best of the best. That said, here we go:

Continue reading →

Ways to Help Red Squirrels

“Stronghold forests are large areas of coniferous and mixed forest identified as having the potential to sustain resilient and healthy populations of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) over the long-term. With suitable planning and management the woodland composition and layout should provide the native red squirrel with a competitive advantage over the introduced North American grey squirrel (S. carolinensis) and strongholds should be defendable if grey squirrels arrive.”  (Source: The Forestry Commission Scotland)

Continue reading →

Top Ten Ways to Protect & Conserve Britain’s Coastline

Whether it’s a popular tourist beach or a stretch of remote coastline it’s truly important to remember that it’s an ecosystem made up of thousands of living creatures doing their best to survive. Just because you can’t always see them doesn’t mean that they’re not there. We love the seaside and with 11,073 miles of coastline it may sound like we have plenty to spare. We don’t! Over the centuries our coastline has been intensely developed and utilised for both pleasure and commerce. The effects of the Industrial revolution, world war and countless shipwrecks have all had their impact. Our coast has experienced a lot in past few hundred years and we have a duty to protect and preserve what we can for ourselves and future generations.

Continue reading →

Top Ten British Treasures

Over the decades a significant number of ‘British treasure troves’ have been discovered across the United Kingdom. Most of them were located either by accident or by the patient work of enthusiasts with metal detectors. In most cases these treasures were hidden by their owners during times of social and political upheaval – although in the case of the Sutton Hoo burial and the From Hoard they were associated with deliberate religious rites. Although many such discoveries have already been made it is widely believed that many more exist waiting to be revealed.

While the gold and gemstones are enough to excite the treasure hunter in all of us, the true value of these finds lies in their ability to open a window in the lives of the British peoples across the millennia. This is Britain Explorer’s Best of British Treasures.

Continue reading →

Helping British Frogs and Toads – Top Tips

Yes they can look ugly and yes we’ve never met anyone who likes frog slime – but – frogs and toads are actually fantastic creatures and a very valuable part of nature’s ecosystem. Unfortunately, many of Britain’s frogs and toads are under threat.  Here are the top ten (simple) ways to help protect and preserve these wonderful creatures.

1. CREATE FROG & TOAD HABITATS (MICRO HOUSES / PONDS)

Water is essential to both frogs and toads. Creating a pond or area of calm water is the first step and will almost magically attract new amphibian inhabitants. It’s best if the pond has a steady supply of fresh water or is a balanced and self cleaning ecosystem. Stagnant water is unattractive to both humans and most wildlife.

During key breeding months the pond may look as if it is overwhelmed with spawn but it’s a normal process and will often disappear naturally within a few days. Please make sure that there is at least one log or track that will allow frogs to climb out of the pond. It’s also worth noting that frogs and toads will tend to avoid colonising ponds that have been stocked with predatory fish. Try and avoid moving frogs from one pond to another as this should be considered a last resort.

When it comes to actual homes for frogs and toads there is a wide range of commercially available products which are usually made from ceramic materials or weather resistant wood in a wide variety of designs. However, a simple clay pot turned upside down with some soil scooped away at the base for an entrance works very well too. Some rocks around and on top of the pot will both hide it and discourage other creatures from turning it over.

Other kinds of habitats include hollowed out logs and carefully piled bricks that create an interior chamber. Habitats should always be placed out of direct sunlight in a cool and shady area. If you can create a small but permanent pile of old logs nearby this will provide the frogs and toads with natural cover. As the logs decompose they will attract food sources for the frogs.

Continue reading →

Strange Fun Facts London

In the past London has been called Londonium, Ludenwic, and Ludenburg. The first hot chocolate store was opened in London by a Frenchman and was called the The Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll. There are four World Heritage Sites in London: The Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, and Kew Botanical Gardens.

Continue reading →

Fun Facts About British Wildlife

The only deer that are actually indigenous to Britain are Roe Deer. Both Fallow dear and Muntjac were introduced in the past 1000 years. There’s really is a mushroom called “Plums and Custard” and the goldcrest is the tiniest full-grown bird in Britain and is just over 3 inches long.

Continue reading →

When Did They Build Stonehenge

Stonehenge itself seems to have been constructed in three phases. Important: The timing of these phases is habitually re-estimated and, as a result, a variety of timelines are still being used. The dates below overlap but are based on the most recent research 2011 /2012.

First Phase: Selecting the Site (c. 3,100 – 3,000 BCE / 2950 – 2900 BC)

The first phase started around 3,100 BC and consisted of a circular ditch with an earthen bank on either side but predominantly on the inside. The area inside the inner embankment was a flattened disk approximately 100 – 110 metres in diameter. It had a sizeable gap or entrance facing northeast in which may have been two upright posts which would have been aligned with the ditch. Beyond these may have stood two further posts – the precursors to the larger Heel Stone and its partner. There was a further small gap in the ditch a few degrees west of exact south. Just within the central enclosure was a ring, 86.6 metres in diameter, made of 56 pits which was discovered by John Aubrey in 1666 (1662) and later named after him. Each pit was dug to a depth of 76cm and was 106cm in diameter. These may have been used to house wooden posts, probably the trunks of mature oak trees as a diameter of a meter indicates a fairly significant socket. However, a depth of only 76cm indicates that these posts could not have been very tall. This does actually make a certain amount of sense if they were anchor points rather than supports. (More about this later in our next section about Stonehenge.)

Continue reading →

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival

The first Tewkesbury Medieval Festival took place in 1984 and has become a regular occurrence usually staged during the second weekend in July. Not all of the early events held were about the Battle of Tewkesbury and there have been forays into local history including the Storming of Holm Castle as well as the legendary life of King Arthur. The original event was the brainchild of Peggy Clatworthy and Celia Bennett and over the past 29 years it has grown to become the largest medieval fair and re-enactment of a historic battle in the United Kingdom.

Continue reading →