Tag: Nature

Bugged by little creatures’ antics

My little ant friend, with his huge piece of pastry. He was fascinating to watch.
Some of his friends helped him get the piece back to the entrance to the nest, a black hole visible just above the big pastry flake


I recently spent a week in Spain to celebrate the marriage of a good friend’s son. We had a wonderful few days staying at a hotel near the north-eastern city of Girona, close to the French border.

I was given a lovely spacious room, but noticed soon after arriving a large number of shieldbugs crawling up the net curtains and around the panes of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sheildbugs are common in the UK as well as in Spain, and are so-called because of their hard wing cases which are similar in shape to a knight’s shield.

Although I’m not a huge fan of multi-limbed creepy crawlies, I don’t like killing bugs unnecessarily, and so tried to shoo them outside. However, often when I came close, they would plummet dramatically from the curtain to the floor. Those fortunate enough to land on their feet would attempt to crawl to safety. Those that landed the wrong way up were unable to right themselves, and would flail their legs helplessly in the air until I, suppressing my squeamishness, scooped them up and chucked them outside.

The solution of course would have been to close the windows, but the temperature was at that really pleasant level, like a late Spring day in the UK, too warm to keep the windows closed but not warm enough to warrant shutting them and switching on the air con.

After a couple of days, I came to realise that these bugs were content to stay around the windows, rather than venture further into the room where they’d be really annoying. So I kept the windows open and, like a stream of passengers arriving on and departing from a station platform, some wandered in while others found their way out. But I learned to just leave them be, and we rubbed along together quite happily. Occasionally, one would bravely launch itself into the air to do a late-night circuit around the ceiling, but it would soon realise how scary it was, and quickly retreated back to the safety of the curtain folds.

They didn’t strike me as particularly clever, especially when compared to a posse of ants I found by the swimming pool later in the week.

After the wedding, I was able to spend a couple of days relaxing in the sun. I also managed to pick up another bug – that of the fluey kind. This is known as the Law of Sod, because when you are far too busy to get ill for the rest of the year, it will get you when you have a rare chance to stop and chill out.

While lying lethargically on a sunbed, I noticed a busy colony of ants on the ground below, furiously trotting back and forth along a straight line of sandy grout between the paving slabs surrounding the pool. Someone had dropped a few pastry crumbs, and the industrious army was collecting up the scraps and ferrying them back to the nest which, judging by the level of activity, seemed to be through a tiny a gap between a couple of slabs.

Moving closer, I could see that these insect soldiers never stopped, some working independently to find a crumb, others working in unison to drag a piece together.

I noticed that one particular ant had found a large flake of filo pastry about 10 times its size. It was a struggle, but with some support from his friends, he diligently dragged it to the hole, only to find his prize was too big to fit!

But that plucky wee soldier was damned if he was going give up. He tried manoeuvring it every which way to try to get it to fit. I went back to my reading, then shut my eyes, had a little snooze, and then when I woke up, he was still there, absolutely determined to bring home this hard-earned booty. Every so often, he’d take it away, and bring it back to try again.

I was fascinated by his persistence and he was still going when I finally left. I did go back the next day, and there were no crumbs left on the floor at all.

I’m hoping that our little friend eventually got his prize back to the nest and was treated to a well-earned pastry dinner.

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 23rd Oct and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 21st Oct 2026

 

Cray-zy about water voles

A native water vole, not to be confused with a brown rat. Image: Canal and River Trust
  Following my recent columns about invasive plant and animal species, Martin Lacy contacted me on the subject of crayfish. If you recall, our smaller native white-claw is under serious threat from its larger American cousin, the signal.   Martin said: “On our great chalk streams they hold regular hunting sessions (for signal crayfish) and invite locals to come along and help with the promise of a feast at the end…They taste quite delicious.”   It’s certainly one way to reduce the population, but before you race to your local waterway to catch yourself a tasty free dinner, hold your horses. You need to get permission from the Environment Agency who are monitoring the handling of the troublesome crustacean and don’t grant permission to any old Tom, Dick or Harry. You must give valid justification for removing them from the water, and evidence that they will be dealt with responsibly. Having what might be termed a ‘Crayfish Drive’ like the one Martin describes, is a tried and tested way of controlling the pest.   There are some companies who have taken this concept to a commercial level and supply the hospitality trade with wild signal crayfish. But the rules and regulations are rigidly applied to ensure the disaster of ‘farms’ that led to this crisis does not happen again.   They use specially-designed traps that do not impinge on the other flora and fauna within the waterways, and ensure habitats are left as undisturbed as possible. Once caught, the crayfish have to be kept in special tanks with secure lids. Companies are not allowed to sell ‘live’ crayfish (we don’t want them escaping again!), but use what they describe as humane methods to ‘despatch’ them so that they have an instant and pain-free end. When you understand the harm caused by these invaders, it must surely be preferable to support this industry than import them from countries such as China, which is where the bulk of the current crayfish supply comes from.   Crayfish thrive in chalk streams, and the businesses I found operate in Hampshire and East Anglia. Although their activities help our native white-claw, they only have the capacity to operate on limited stretches of water, which means signals are still far too numerous in waterways that are not fished. However, there are some successes, such as the release earlier this year by the Yorkshire Crayfish Forum of 182 juvenile white-claws into Haverdale Beck on the North York Moors that were successfully bred in a hatchery based at Flamingo Land near Pickering.   While researching this, I came across more information about our precious water vole, whose numbers have been slashed by another invasive pest, the American mink. It has been reported that over the past 50 years, numbers of water voles have reduced by over 90%. It is our most threatened mammal.   If you are familiar with Ratty from Wind in the Willows, then you will know what a water vole looks like. They are often mistaken for a water rat, but are not closely related to that rodent. I also discovered another startling fact – there is no such thing as a water rat in Britain. What many people call water rats are in fact brown rats or water voles.   Water voles, like white-clawed crayfish, are truly beneficial to our waterways, and help maintain the right environment and water quality for it and other creatures to prosper.   It is often mistaken for a rat, as they are similar in colour and size, although the vole is more brown, while the rat more grey with a pale belly. Voles have a blunt nose, while the rat’s is pointed. Voles have a furry tale and ears that are close to its head. Rats have pink hairless tails, and pink ears that point up from its head. Lastly, water voles are herbivores, while rats eat any old rubbish, be it meat or veg.   It’s not all doom and gloom though. In April this year, Yorkshire Water reported unexpectedly healthy colonies of water voles at locations in the Peak District and South Pennines. They can also be seen in the River Esk on the North York Moors, thanks to a lottery- funded preservation project.   Have you been lucky enough to see a water vole in the wild? Do let me know!

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 16th Oct and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 14th Oct 2026

Second-hand but not second best

Janice Brabban has been back in touch after she first contacted me looking for consistent advice on the control of the invasive species Himalayan Balsam that had found its way on to her land.

She says: “What a wealth of information your column has produced re. the Himalayan Balsam. I am so pleased I got in touch.”

She was delighted that there were contributions from fishermen and bee-keepers: “As much as I like honey I wouldn’t go for the Balsam type, it would seem unpatriotic!”

She was also very impressed with the advice from Chloe Lawrence, Invasive Species Project Manager at Tees Rivers Trust: “Really good that they have got other groups involved. I think that’s what’s needed and maybe the £3m grant means more publicity for Himalayan Balsam…It was interesting that if plants are removed from site, it is considered controlled waste and needs a licence. I will have to remember that – and how would that tie in with the advice from Darlington Borough Council to put it in a garden skip? But yes – burning on a woodland site, well, you just wouldn’t do it!… Some of the verges round here now seem to have been cut right back to hedge, so that should help. Thanks again for mentioning HB in your column!”

Mick Garratt also contacted me to share his experiences. “Last winter, the Tees Rivers Trust was actively seeking local volunteers to help survey and remove Himalayan Balsam along the River Leven. Unfortunately, I was away when the training was scheduled, and the opportunities didn’t happen after I returned…However, I did record sightings on the INNS Mapper app, as they had requested (INNS = invasive non-native species).

“I also know of a property-owner in Yarm along the riverbank who has chosen not to remove the plant because they think it looks pretty!”

That is one of the drawbacks. Its prettiness means people do not appreciate the damage it is doing to our riverbanks and the flora and fauna that surrounds them. They may also be mistaking them for similar-looking more welcome plants, such as Rosebay Willowherb and Purple Loosetrife, which have similar leaves and flowers.

On another note, I’m delighted when people find my old columns which trigger memories prompting them to get in touch. Regular reader Les Myers wrote me a message after reading some of my archive pieces (which can be found at www.countrymansdaughter.com). He came across one from February 2018, published following the death of well-known Daleswoman Hannah Hauxwell.

Les wrote: “I met Hannah Hauxwell when she must have been near the end of her life. She lived in a tiny cottage in Cotherstone next to the Red Lion pub. I was a meter reader.”

One day, Les had gone inside her house to take her readings. “She was a person who never threw anything away if she thought it would come in useful. She must have had 100 Utterly Butterly tubs piled up, as well of lots of other junk. She wore a pair of trousers with at least six patches on them.”

Hannah was from that ‘Make Do and Mend’ generation where lack of money and scarcity of materials, alongside a very stoic attitude, meant that rather than throw anything away, you fixed things that were broken, and darned or patched worn out clothes. In her day, these skills were essential for survival and so everyone learned them, bar of course the most wealthy who could afford to employ help.

The world is recognising the value of second-hand clothes, and it is now a badge of honour to declare your outfit is made up of charity shop finds. I’m due to attend a wedding in Spain soon and need several outfits. With the cost of the flights and hotel, I can’t justify spending even more money on new clothes. Therefore I’ve been glued to Vinted (the online platform that allows people to buy and sell unwanted clothing). I’ve got some fantastic bargains, unworn items at a fraction of the cost of new.

The downside is that it is addictive, and I am am not sure I have actually saved any money, for hanging on the back of my bedroom door now are several ‘new to me’ dresses that don’t even fit.

I will have to sell them on Vinted!

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 2nd Oct and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 30th September 2026

Fishing for the answer

 

The aggressive and non-native signal crayfish with its distinctive flash of white at its claw joint. This voracious beast is driving our native species towards extinction. Picture from the Non Native Species Secretariat website.

As I mentioned last week, I came across a reserve for the white-clawed crayfish on a recent walk near Threshfield Quarry in the Yorkshire Dales where information boards explained the threat from its foreign cousin, the signal crayfish. The reserve was a small pond designed with the specific needs of the crayfish in mind such as places to hide from predators, the right food, and of course, no sign of the dastardly enemy.

This problem was mentioned by reader John Aston from Thirsk who listed it among a number of invasive plant and animal species affecting our waterways. He’d read my columns about the troublesome invader, Himalayan Balsam, which prompted him to get in touch.

On that note, you may remember that it was the appearance of Anna on The Great British Sewing Bee TV programme that sparked a whole series of columns on this particular invasive species. Anna had highlighted the issue by featuring the pretty pink bloom on an outfit she had created and I was rooting for her because not only was she exceptionally creative, but she came from our very own York. I watched the final last night and guess what? She won! Go Anna!

The white-clawed crayfish is our only native species of crayfish and populations have been decimated by its bigger and brasher American counterpart. This vicious marauder was brought over from the north-west USA in the 1970s and 80s to become a delicacy on fine dining restaurant menus.

Demand led to commercial farms breeding them, but what they did not take into account was that, unlike salmon and trout which, due to a distinct lack of limbs, obligingly remained confined to their ponds, these crafty crustaceans had legs and therefore were able to climb out of the ponds and amble to freedom. If they couldn’t escape over land then, thanks to their scarily big sharp claws, another option was to burrow into the muddy banks until they were beyond the boundaries of the farm. Failing that, option three was to scuttle into the water pipes feeding the pond (which they did to protect themselves from predators) to find that these pipes led somewhere, and so they kept on scuttling, ultimately finding themselves at the opposite end. With one splash they were frolicking in open water.

Once liberated, these prolific breeders began to make whoopee, kicking the smaller, more passive and less randy native white-clawed crayfish out of their homes, leaving them exposed to hungry otters and that other ‘liberated from breeding farms’ pest, the mink. But that was not all – the poor white-clawed crayfish were left with very slim pickings for food, as the greedy Yanks were always first to the table, and just for good measure they also infected their British counterparts with the delightful ‘crayfish plague’ for which they had no resistance due to the fact they’d never been exposed to it before. It was a crayfish calamity which is still having repercussions today.

Round of applause then for those short-sighted idiots who brought signal crayfish over here without a thought for the potential impact on our one and only native species. The scientific blinkers were on, wilfully ignoring past disasters caused by introducing invasive species into the country in the vain hope that all would be OK; that a crayfish wouldn’t think to use its legs to simply crawl to pastures new. How could that be? The American mink catastrophe was still at the forefront of many people’s minds too (brief summary – American mink were imported and bred for their fur. They also escaped their farms through inadequate security and a few well-meaning but dim anti-fur campaigners who thought setting them free was a good idea. Our now almost extinct native water vole would beg to differ).

There are some very hardworking organisations and volunteers who are desperately trying to help these threatened species survive, but unless the invasive predators are brought under control, it is highly unlikely that our freshwater crayfish or our water vole will ever recover.

So if on your travels you see a white-clawed crayfish reserve, also known as an ‘ark’, then stop a while and take time to read those information boards explaining what the conservationists are trying to do. And hopefully, one day, we will learn from our past mistakes.

One day.

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 25th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 23rd September 2026

Experts sowing the seeds of change

The invasive Himalayan Balsam is colonising the banks of our streams and rivers leading to erosion and the decline of native insects and plants. But experts have told me how it should be tackled

My plea for specialist advice on how to tackle Himalayan Balsam has borne fruit. Reader Janice Brabban owns some woodland near Darlington and was horrified to discover it had been invaded by the troublesome plant. She was having difficulty finding out the best way to deal with and dispose of it, and felt she hadn’t received consistent advice from the places she had tried so got in touch with me.

Thankfully, help has come from a proper expert, in the form of Chloe Lawrence, Invasive Species Project Manager at Tees Rivers Trust, who explained that there isn’t one single body with responsibility making the situation more complicated. “Landowners, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, are responsible for ensuring they don’t spread onto other land, although they don’t have to eradicate them. Councils and local authorities are responsible for invasive species on public land, but not private land. There are also several government bodies, including the Environment Agency, DEFRA and the Non-Native Species Secretariat, all of which have different roles in areas such as prevention, early detection and management.”

She advises: “Himalayan balsam is relatively easy to manage by pulling it out by the roots, making sure the stem is snapped below the first node. It can also be strimmed or scythed, and there is even a biological control being used.”

Chloe acknowledges that although management is easy in theory, the plant is prolific across the UK. “Unless management starts at the source, ideally at the highest point of a watercourse, seeds will continue to spread downstream from upstream populations. Balsam has explosive seed pods which can spread up to seven metres, with each plant producing up to 800 seeds.”

But there is hope, because the Tees Rivers Trust has been awarded a £3 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant specifically for an invasive species programme, which aims to establish a more unified approach.

Further advice came from George Winn-Darley, a member of the Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership and the Yorkshire Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment Partnership, who is very familiar with our irksome bloom.

“It’s important that balsam is managed before it goes to seed,” he says, “particularly as the hot weather this year has meant it is seeding earlier than usual…The plants can be left in a pile away from any watercourses and will wilt down within a few weeks…They can also be burned on site, although I’d be particularly mindful of the wildfire risk across the UK.

“Seeds only remain viable for about two growing seasons, so if you can stop it going to seed for two consecutive years then you should be able to eradicate that patch…It is shallow-rooting and very easily pulled up by hand but if you lie it on the ground it is likely to root again so you need to hang it over a branch or something so that it dries out and dies which it will do very quickly. You can just knock the flower heads off before they start to create seed, cut it or strim it or just beat it with a stick to prevent it flowering and seeding…By and large you don’t see it in fields that are cultivated or grazed because those activities stop it from thriving.”

Balsam crowds out other vegetation on river banks, but dies back in frosty wether leaving exposed bare soil which is then washed away by winter rains causing the banks to erode, which also leads to water quality problems.

John Aston, from Thirsk, added, “Bees like it, and my beekeeping friends report that balsam honey is excellent. But most fishermen (and I’ve been one since 1963) loathe the stuff.”

John agrees with the methods on how to get rid of it but warns: “It’ll be back. All it needs is a seed on a walker’s boot or in an angler’s net.”

He lists other invasive species affecting our waterways, such as poisonous giant hogweed, knotweed, signal crayfish, demon shrimps, mitten crabs and American mink, all of which have thrived to the detriment of local flora and fauna.

Coincidentally, I came across a native white-clawed crayfish reserve on a walk near Threshfield Quarry in the Dales where information boards explained the threat from its foreign cousin.

But I’ll save that story for a future column.

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 18th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 16th September 2026

Not so blooming marvellous

 

Himalayan Balsam is pretty but not a native species and needs to be tackled
Following my column about Himalayan Balsam, a very pretty yet invasive species of plant, reader Janice Brabban got in touch.

“Thank you for your article drawing attention to non-native invasive species affecting our countryside. I am a woodland owner in the Darlington area. An ancient spring arises in the wood and forms a stream lower down in the paddock. Last year I was horrified to find the stream surrounded by Himalayan Balsam, which I immediately removed (the roots are very shallow and can be pulled out easily). I have had to do the same this year albeit to a lesser extent. I found it difficult to obtain any advice regarding its control and disposal. Mine had come from surrounding hedgerows. The council advised disposing of the plants in the garden waste skip at the local recycling centre – I didn’t do that, bad advice, I thought.”

Janice wondered whose responsibility it was to control these types of invaders, particularly when they have such a detrimental effect on our own flora and fauna, but her efforts produced little useful advice. “I ended up drying and burning. I can see that it is still growing happily in local hedges around here, the Heighington area, and as far as I can see it will continue as no-one seems to know what it is or what to do with it. So thank you for bringing the problem to the attention of your readers.”

A few days later, Janice provided a further update: “I think I have got rid of mine for now but will check every year and pull it out. I know the organisations are low on resources, so don’t want to point the finger. Since finding it on my land I have become more eagle-eyed and spotted it in places in back of hedges etc. where I had just never noticed before.”

We have to thank people like Janice for taking the matter seriously and doing what they can to limit the damage. Nevertheless it would it would be good to hear from someone who is familiar with Himalayan Balsam and knows the best way to deal with it. Are there any protocols in place when a new invasive species is found, I wonder? Do get in touch if you can enlighten us further (contact details at the end of this column).

I was also contacted by Richard Simpson after he had read my piece about tuberculosis and the sanatorium at Benenden in Kent. The sanatorium was established in 1905 after many postal workers fell ill with TB but could not afford to take time off for treatment, and thus continued to infect their colleagues.

“My grandfather’s cousin Archibald Leary was a post office worker in Wigan who contracted TB and died in the Benenden Sanatorium on 30th December 1930 aged 38. From his Post Office sickness pay records, he was given sick pay for just short of 12 months before being ‘sacked’ on 14th July 1929. It was good to see he was still able to use the sanatorium even though he was no longer an employee…He was buried in Wigan on the 2nd January 1931…It is quite remarkable how quickly he was buried following his death considering the need to transport his body over the New Year period.”

It’s sad to know that Archibald may have been saved had antibiotics been available then. Yet he did have access to the best help and knowledge around at the time through belonging to the Post Office society. Even after his employment ceased he was still treated at Benenden Sanatorium (although you’d have hoped so seeing as it is likely his working conditions may have contributed to his illness!).

Richard added: “Are you aware of any records of admissions to the sanatorium so that I can do some more research?”
I passed on some ideas to Richard as to where to go to find out more information. When I wrote the society’s history book in 2005, they had a museum, as well as the ‘Rising Mercury Society’, a ‘club’ for ex-patients that had been going for many, many years and which may be able to help Richard to access historical records.

Let’s hope he gets back in touch if he finds out any more about Archibald’s touching story.

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 28th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 26th August 2026

Deflowering the Truth

Himalayan Balsam, although pretty, is a threat to many native species of plant and wildlife. Picture by Hans at Pixabay


I love a Great British ‘Whatever’ competition show. I’ve avidly watched every episode of Menu, Bake Off, Pottery Throwdown and Sewing Bee. I’m not sure why they captivate me because I’m not an enthusiastic cook or baker; the last time I made pottery was when I was 12; as for sewing, I was thrown out of the Needlework class and dumped in Art because I was so bad. The last straw came when I accidentally sliced clean through my school tie as I was trying to cut a thread on the sewing machine. I was concentrating so hard on the thread that I failed to notice my tie dangling dangerously close to the scissors.

In the latest series of Sewing Bee, I’m rooting for Anna because she comes from our very own York. She’s also really really good, not only at sewing, but at coming up with exceptionally creative ideas for the very difficult challenges that are set every week.

The theme of the most recent episode I watched was Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and each of the three tasks challenged competitors to repurpose garments that had had a previous life.

On that note, I’m delighted that it is now cool to buy things from charity shops, when in the past it was assumed that only people who could not afford to buy from new darkened those doors. The amount of waste created by what we wear is mind boggling and I’m proud to admit that as I write this I’m wearing a dress that I’ve had for at least ten years. A few years ago, it would have been embarrassing to admit such a thing. Like most of us, I’m not a saint though, and still possess far too many clothes made in countries with dubious environmental and employment track records.

Last night, our girl Anna won the prestigious ‘Garment of the Week’ by producing an outfit with a clear and poignant environmental message about the threat of ‘invasive species’.

She chose Calico cotton which was used in India as far back as the 11th century. Named after the port city of Calicut in the province of Kerala, the unbleached cotton became popular in England thanks to the rise of the East India Company (1600 – 1874). Home-grown manufacturers of wool and silk were up in arms as their businesses suffered drastic reductions in revenue as their products fell out of favour thanks to this ‘invasive’ new material. It led to the Government introducing the Calico Acts of 1700 and 1721 which curtailed the import and wearing of Indian Calico.

Anna’s second nod to ‘invasive species’ came in the printed design that she placed onto the fabric. She chose the delicate pink flower of the Himalayan Balsam plant. It is indeed a very pretty bloom which looked gorgeous against the neutral palate of the unbleached cotton. But this plant is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the species was transported from the Himalayas in 1839 and planted in private gardens. But its fantastic ability to self-propagate meant that it soon transgressed its domestic boundaries and infiltrated the wild, settling among the moist surroundings of our waterways. When mature, its seed pods explode, casting the contents far and wide. It grows quickly, depriving native plants of space and light. Our bees and dragonflies lose places to forage while the natural habitat of our river-dwelling wildlife diminishes.

Anna’s stunning dress reminded us of the dangers of introducing species from another climate into our own, no matter how beautiful they may look. Most sensible adults today know the risks of smuggling living things from foreign shores into this country. There are unmissable warning signs at airports and ports that leave you in no doubt about the risks involved.

So I was flabbergasted when someone I had only just met admitted that she loved gardening – and had stashed some bulbs from her holiday in Australia in her luggage which she had then planted in her garden. Just like those who planted Himalayan Balsam in their 18th century gardens, not for one moment did she pause to consider what might happen if the plant crept beyond her own wall.

I can forgive an 18th century gardener who would have had little knowledge of the potential consequences.

But that’s as far as my forgiveness goes.  

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 7th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 5th August  2026

Mark my woods

In the 19th century large timbers shipped across from the Baltic and would have come into ports such as Hull. The marks are a code for where and who supplied and shipped the timbers, but their meaning is still not known. Pictures by John Buglass

Following my column about ancient reused timbers in house construction a few weeks ago, I’ve been contacted by a couple of experts who kindly took the time to put me straight on a few points.

Marine archaeologist and timber expert John Buglass was the first to correct an oft-repeated story:

“I am afraid that the reuse of ‘shipwreck’ in old buildings is a long held belief that has very little or no actual evidence. Several things to consider about ‘shipwreck’ timbers: firstly they are a wreck so are often badly damaged and salt affected (and often in remote locations); secondly if it was from a broken up ship at the end of its working life…then that is 30-40 years in a marine environment; thirdly, why would you go to great expense and time to haul timbers from the coast to an inland site when other closer sources would be available? That is not to say there aren’t some coastal buildings that have reused ships’ timbers but they are very few in number.”

So the romantic story that I have perpetuated is a load of old cobblers. How disappointing! I have a feeling my dad would be raising an eyebrow at me from above for not having dug a little deeper. I am always happy to be corrected by people with more expertise than me though!

John added: “We are only too familiar with the claim of many historic property owners that their house is made from ships’ timbers, despite the fact that it is located many miles from the nearest navigable waterway, let alone the coast. But this does little to dissuade the long held and cherished belief…This even extended to an inspection of Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage which could plausibly have had timbers from boats operating on nearby Grasmere, but sadly this was not the case. There are, of course, the exceptions which prove the rule. Probably the most extensive example is Chesapeake Mill on Bridge Street in Wickham, Hampshire. This Grade II* listed building is substantially built from American longleaf pine from the dismantled remains of the American warship Chesapeake which was captured in 1813 by HMS Shannon and dismantled in Portsmouth in 1819.”

He continued: “Hauling large timbers from the coast into the Dales is true in some cases…some large timbers in 19th century buildings have what are known as Baltic timber marks. These are from large timbers shipped across from the Baltic where the forests still had large trees that could be used for substantial buildings. They would have come into ports such as Hull and been hauled inland on oxen carts. But these are new timbers, not reused ones. The marks are a code for where and who supplied and shipped the timbers, but I’m not sure how they are decoded.”

John agreed to look at the marks on the timbers I featured in my article, but I will save his comments for a future article.

Jim Coulson is a wood scientist and member of the International Wood Committe of the International Council On Monuments and Sites. He has a spent more than 30 years working with timber and backed up John’s comments:

“The reuse of old timbers is a common thing to have done, but almost never from ships – that is just an Old Wives’ Tale. Most ships’ timbers were the wrong dimension and shape for building houses, and it was far more common to reuse timbers from barns or other disused buildings.”

He added: “Reused beams are found in many older properties, but it is usually impossible to say where they came from…Identification of such beams is possible as to wood species, but their origins would be almost impossible to pin down without some sort of documentary evidence.”

As for the marks I noticed on the beams in ‘my’ house, he states: “The marks…are usually carpenters’ marks, often used to identify the particular craftsman, but sometimes, in very old mediaeval buildings, they were used to ward off evil, and known as ‘witches’ marks’.”

I’ve written about witches’ marks myself, and my dad was an expert, his theory being that some were connected to Catholic martyr Father Nicholas Postgate.

Were they, as Dad believed, a decoy to fool Catholic persecutors into thinking that a safe house was occupied by pagans rather than treasonous Catholics?

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 24th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 22nd July 2026

A cheep of faith

A black crow stole a chunky piece of wood from a neighbour. Would he use that to build a nest? Picture by Mick Gisbourne

I was at an appointment recently standing at the window waiting for a client.

Suddenly, a big glossy crow swooped into view flying at my eye-level across the front of the house before disappearing around the corner. A few seconds later it flew back the way it came with something chunky in its mouth. It looked like a piece of wood, or even a piece of masonry. There was building work going on, so perhaps it had been skip diving? It seemed to know exactly where it was going and what it wanted. But what it would be doing with such a hefty piece of rubbish? It was surely too big for nest building, and definitely not edible, so what would a crow need it for? I welcome suggestions from you bird experts out there.

On the walk there, I’d seen a pigeon fly up off a drive to perch on a roof. It had been standing by something on the ground, and as I drew closer, I realised that sadly it was a deceased baby bird. I wondered how it had ended up there, because it was too young to fly and too far away from any nest to have fallen out. Had it been dropped by an airborne predator perhaps? The pigeon stayed close by, and I have a feeling it may have been its parent, which sparked a pang of sadness. But at this time of year we see a fair amount of avian casualties, such as sickly chicks flung out of nests by parents or siblings. Sometimes fledglings test their wings too soon and end up marooned on the floor.

I’ve mentioned this before, but if you find a young bird on the ground, the RSPB advise to not interfere unless absolutely necessary. Its parents will likely be watching unseen, or off gathering food. To remove a fledgling from its environment has to be a very last resort, and then only if it is injured, in immediate danger, or you have established that it has been abandoned or orphaned.

Another day, I heard a commotion in a nearby fig tree. It was a posse of five or six little black and white birds, all chattering excitedly away. They started off on a low branch, then one hopped to the next branch up, followed by the others, and then seconds later they all hopped up again and so they kept on going up the tree, cheeping away, until they were almost at the top. They stayed there for a few more seconds, before one leapt off, followed by another, and then the rest all at once.

Well, almost the rest. There was one wee chick still left on the tree. It was as if he was plucking up the courage to leap into the unknown, a little afraid of what was to come. Then he did it, jumped off the branch, dropped alarmingly before recovering and following in the direction of his buddies. My guess is that they were fledgling pied wagtails out on the town for the first time.

It reminded me of days in the school playground where there was always a ringleader surrounded by hangers on trying to be cool by association. Then there were those on the periphery trying to fit in but not really managing it, lacking in confidence and battling their demons to try to keep up with the cool kids. If only they realised then that being different and individual is a good thing. Just ask Bill Gates!

The bird’s wobbly flight path also reminded me of the time as a young reporter I had to leap off a cliff for a story. I was strapped to the pilot of a hang glider and needed to gather all my courage to do it. When we took off, I expected to drop like that little chick, but instead, we were lifted upwards on a thermal, which was quite spectacular to experience.

Unfortunately, the thermal soon disappeared, the wind dropped and instead of landing back on the top of the hill as we were meant to, we floated lower and lower down, eventually crash landing at the bottom! Thankfully, we were unhurt. The glider, however, was stuck nose down in the ground.

Let’s hope the brave little chick didn’t end up the same way!

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 12th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 10th June 2026

That ol’ chestnut

My son Jasper in an old photo that reappeared on Facebook recently. I have since discovered that disposing of house spiders outisde might not be the most humane thing to do after all!

I’ve had a couple of interesting spider-related experiences this week. The first was in a lofty old house which had vaulted ceilings, beautiful mature oak beams and hanging chandeliers.

The owner was apologising because she had noticed the amount of cobwebs dotted around the high beams and light fittings. She explained that the webs had quickly reappeared thanks to fact she had removed the bowls of chestnuts she usually kept around the house to deter spiders from setting up home.

“Are you sure it works?” I asked. She nodded emphatically and said the cobwebs had been absent while the chestnuts were in situ yet materialised very quickly after they’d gone. She believed the nuts emitted a pungent smell that was repugnant to our arachnid housemates.

I became very excited at the prospect of reducing my household dusting burden by the mere introduction of a few nuts, and checked whether she meant plain chestnuts or horse chestnuts. She used the plain chestnut and I vowed to find out more.

What I discovered was that whole, fresh chestnuts are surprisingly difficult to get from your local supermarket after Christmas. Thankfully, they are available online and I’m sure you could pick some up at a wholefood shop too.

The recommendation to use chestnuts to deter spiders has been around for a long time. The following was published in Nature magazine in May 1874: “Can any of your readers establish the truth of the following assertion? Spiders’ webs are never found upon beams from the Spanish or sweet chestnut tree, even when the timber is several centuries old. The keeper of the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey, in Hampshire, asserts that this is a fact, and the buildings of the Abbey, where beams of Spanish chestnut are used, are free from the invasion of spiders. His attention was drawn to this four years ago, and since then his observations have not thrown any doubt upon its accuracy.”

I could not find the answer to the writer’s question, but I have found several sources that say the claim has never been scientifically proven and is just an old wive’s tale. Some Cornish schoolchildren did their own experiment a few years ago with spiders and conkers which, along with walnuts, are also said to posses spider-repelling properties. However, the critters trotted merrily over the conkers, none the worse for being in contact with the noxious nuts. I will put some chestnuts around my house and see what happens. I’d love to know if you have tried it – or anything else – to keep your home spider and cobweb free.

The second spider-related incident came when I opened up Facebook and at the top of my feed was a picture of my son holding up his mobile phone upon which sat a huge eight-legged monster. It was a photo I had posted 18 months ago after having an unsettling encounter with the beastie. For some reason, a friend had recently commented on it which set off a whole new chain of reactions and comments from friends, some of whom hadn’t realised it was an old post, and that they had already commented when it originally appeared in 2024!

Despite the fact it was old news, it was fun to revisit it and read all the comments of horror, with some people suggesting that an arachnid of such proportions must have hitched a ride from a distant land. Our native house spider can grow surprisingly large and yet is harmless, while being really good at keeping down the population of other annoying pests like flies and mosquitoes.

During my research, I read something that made me quite distraught. We do not kill spiders at home, but capture them and deposit them outside on the assumption that it is the most humane way to deal with them. 

Apparently not. According to what I have read, house spiders cannot live outside for very long, so unless they are able to find somewhere warm and sheltered where they can spin a web to catch food, they will die.

If there is a spider scuttling about my bedroom, I will never be able to sleep, and yet, if I chuck it outside like I have been doing, I might be sentencing it to a lingering death.

So what the heck am I supposed to do now?

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Get in touch with me using the ‘Contact’ button on the top right.

This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 23rd and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 21st Jan 2026