A new and original angle on one of the great unsolved mysteries of archaeology: the Vitrified Forts of Scotland. The mystery of the vitrified forts has challenged, and defeated, generations of archaeologists and historians. Despite the sheer volume of theories […]
How one of the few remaining herds of the iconic but vulnerable Fell ponies were driven out of their natural environment by the new policy of ‘nature recovery.
Heavy draught horses, Angus beef cattle, sheep, and a firewood business. On my recent visit to Ireland I travelled to County Cork to visit my old friend David MacDonald. We met 25 years ago when he travelled from Bristol to […]
A short tour of County Meath and County Clare, playing music whenever we can and assisting with making a short film about Holy Wells and the (almost) lost custom of Keening. We might encounter the people of the Sidhe, and […]
(Extract) I learned about heavy horses working a harvest season with Geoffrey Morton in East Yorkshire, then learned about timber snigging with Joss Rawlings in Greystoke Forest. We were paid by the ton, piecework, but windblown timber needed special care. […]
The Fell pony has helped to create the unique habitat and unique culture which has been deemed worthy of World Heritage Site status, and they deserve special recognition and special treatment, rather than exclusion and persecution.
Rossendale to Appleby Fair, by road, in 1978 Note: this was written in 1978, and quite a bit has changed since then, with road-widening and development, but most of the stopping places are still there. A lot more areas fenced […]
How are they defined? And why do we need to know? Text: Bill Lloyd. Pictures: Brian Morgan Click here to download PDF document. There are so many twists and turns in the road which leads to a working definition of […]
A beginner’s guide to logging with horses. Part technical manual, part environmentalist manifesto, part spiritual quest, this book traces Bill Lloyd’s path from the insulated comforts of a salaried position as an arts administrator into the world of forestry contracting […]
Appleby Fair 2018 Police Commissioner’s Review and the Gypsy Representatives’ Response Summary: At a heated public meeting after Appleby Horse Fair in 2018, Councillor P. Dew alleged that there had been ‘a complete breakdown of law and order’ in Kirkby […]