Semerwater* is one of only two natural lakes in the Yorkshire Dales. It's a gorgeous spot in little Raydale.
It has a great legend. Here it is: One day an old beggar passed through the city that now lies under the waves. He asked at every house for food and drink, from the humblest hovel to the highest palace, but was turned away. Walking out of the city he came to a shepherd’s cottage high on the hillside where he was welcomed in, given cheese, ale and backstone cakes (a kind of Dales oatcake) and a bed for the night. In the morning the beggar stood at the cottage door and looked down at the city in the valley bottom. He muttered these words: "Semerwater rise, and Semerwater sink, And swallow the town all save this house, Where they gave me food and drink.” At once waters began pouring into the valley from the surrounding hills until the city was drowned and every dwelling beneath the water, save for the shepherd’s cottage. And this is why, if you take a boat out onto Semerwater and listen in the quiet of the evening, you can hear faintly, from the beneath the water, the church bells rolling and tolling in the slow currents below the surface of the lake. *Semerwater is the subject for Watching Paint Dry in November 2022.
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Grow Your Own Physic Garden: Use the Power of Medicinal Plants Grounded in Science
by Elaine Perry, Valerie Laws and Nicolette Perry Grow Your Own Physic Garden is designed to inspire readers to take an alternative approach to their health, one which is rooted in the scientific study of medicinal plants. By nurturing our own gardens the writers, who include a professor of neuroscience and a pharmacognosist (a person who studies medicines derived from plants) encourage us to grow the elements of our own remedies and put them to use. The book covers a huge amount of ground. It takes plants individually and details their special features, the folklore surrounding them, the scientific evidence for their inclusion and their medicinal uses. In addition the text discusses the history of physic gardens, how to choose plants for your climate, plus tips on design, layout and labelling. In terms of plant care there are also extensive notes on pests, pruning, sourcing seeds, foraging, harvesting and staying safe while doing all of the above. And, of course, there are detailed descriptions of how to utilise the power of the plants in your garden. This book is incredibly comprehensive, covering everything you need to know to create and, more importantly, make medicinal use of, your own physic garden. Published by DPG Publishing ISBN number 978 1 9163504 0 3 www.dilstonphysicgarden.com |
AuthorJosie Beszant and/or Ian Scott Massie, both artists from Masham North Yorkshire, Uk. Archives
July 2024
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