Historic Landscapes of Bowland and The Lune Valley
01. Late Glacial Period c.11000 BC
At this time there were permanent snowfields on the Bowland Fells, while in the low lying areas there were shallow freshwater ponds formed from the melting glaciers that are now reduced to isolated bergs of thawing ice. The soils are mainly bare, with pioneering vegetation including Mugwort, Sorrels, Juniper, Dandelion and Jacobs Ladder, occurring on south-face slopes. In the foreground there are stone polygons caused by frost action.
02. Late Mesolithic Period c.6000 BC
It is during this period that human activity can begin to be identified, which at this time depended upon hunting and gathering. The landscape is densely wooded with birch and hazel on the upland fells and oak and lime predominating in the lowland, along with elm and pine. There are a small number of clearances within the forest that have been made to enable the hunting of red deer and wild boar. These can be seen on the top of the fells and wisps of smoke indicate where new clearances are being undertaken. Evidence of gathering can be seen in the foreground where a family group are collecting mushrooms and hazelnuts.
03. Early Bronze Age c.2500 BC
The clearance of trees from the fell tops combined with the deterioration in the climate
at this time saw the beginning of peat bog growth in Bowland. So by now the tree cover is
greatly reduced with an increase in heather moor. In the lowland there is still extensive
tree cover but the proportion of elms has been greatly reduced.
By the Bronze Age, people no longer moved around the landscape, as they had done in the
Mesolithic. They now lived in round houses, rearing cattle and cultivating cereals in
small fields. The prehistoric cattle shown in the foreground are short and stocky, much
smaller than modern breeds.
04. The Roman Period c.100 AD
By the Roman period there had been large scale tree clearance, and the fells are now bare. It is possible to see the beginnings of the modern landscape with small settlements scatteed throughout the area. There are small but regular fields with laid hedges and dry stone walls used for growing cereals and holding livestock. Sheep have been domesticated and in the foreground the seated figure is watching over the flock, however, he would prefer to go hunting with his friend.
05. The Medieval Period c.1300 AD
This is a medieval vaccary or cattle ranching landscape, with two vaccary centres depicted an in the foreground cattle are shown grazing in upland pasture. The cow to the right is recovering from mastitis and is being difficult about allowing her calf to suckle, which is why the two peasants are holding on to both animals. There are small fields containing ridge and furrow cultivation, which is typical of medieval arable production and in the middle ground two people are hay making. On the fells it is clear where the land has been improved for cultivation and where heather moor predominates, and a dry stone wall divides these two areas. Also, within the moor wall are three vaccary funnels, which were used to droved.
06. Post Medieval Period c.1800 AD
By the early 19th Century there had been even further encroachment up the fell side but it is still possible to identify the boundaries that were part of the medieval moor wall. The medieval strip fields were now amalgamated into regular, large hedged enclosures but this is marginal land and cultivation on the lowland would have required extensive drainage. In the foreground the gentleman farmer who is dressed for rough shooting with a gun and dog, is talking to the farm bailiff who is supervising the group hay making.
