One Evening: 25,000 Years
The online return of the Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture 2021 will see Dr Nick Riley MBE guiding his audience through the geological history of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Originally planned for autumn last year but delayed due to the pandemic, the Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture 2021 ‘Maps, Mines and Minerals: 25,000 Years of Bowland History’ is to be delivered online by award-winning geologist Dr Nick Riley MBE.
From the melting of the last ice sheet to the present day, the presentation will explore the interaction between people, landscape and geology – explaining how this has shaped life in Bowland across millennia.
William, 16th Lord of Bowland, who is an active and longstanding champion of the Forest of Bowland, as well as being responsible for the commissioning of new music (The Music of the Forest: A Bowland Song Cycle), has hosted the Annual Lord of Bowland Lectures, with many inspiring speakers, since 2011.
He explains: “Bouncing back after months of lockdown, this year’s lecture – our 10th – will take a long view of the Forest we call home. No-one could be better equipped to guide us through 25,000 years of history in one evening than Nick Riley.”
Dr Nick Riley MBE is the UK’s leading authority on the geology of Bowland. He holds a PhD in Geology from Bristol University and spent a long career with the British Geological Survey. He is currently president of the Yorkshire Geological Society.
Born in Blackburn, Dr Riley is the UK’s leading authority on the geology of Bowland. In 2003, he was awarded an MBE for services to UK geoscience.
More recently, he was awarded the John Phillips Medal by the Yorkshire Geological Society for his lifelong contributions to understanding the geology of Northern England.
Traditionally held at Browsholme Hall, the Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture has built a large following over recent years. Given the continuing situation, however, the decision has been made to hold this year’s event online, so that as many people as possible can be accommodated. Open to all and free-of-charge, the format will allow virtual visitors from beyond Bowland to discover the heritage of this beautiful area.
William, 16th Lord of Bowland, will introduce the evening, which aims to raise funds for two local charities: Slaidburn Archive, which works to record the history of the Hodder Valley. It holds an extensive collection of historical resources, of particular interest is the area of Dalehead and the hamlet of Stocks-in-Bowland, much of which is now beneath Stocks Reservoir or the plantations of Gisburn Forest.
The second charity is Champion Bowland, that provides small grants for local projects, which benefit the environment, local communities and visitors within the Forest of Bowland.
Maps, Mines and Minerals: 25,000 Years of Bowland History, will be delivered online by Dr Nick Riley MBE on Tuesday 5th October 2021 at 7pm
Open to all virtual visitors, and free-of-charge, places for the lecture can be booked by emailing: sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk
