Heather burning on grouse moor in Swaledale

This year burning of the heather on the moors in Swaledale has started early

  • Posted On: 19 January 2019
Heather burning on grouse moor in Swaledale

 
For the last 200 years gamekeepers have burnt long narrow strips of mature heather on a rotation. By creating a patchwork of different aged heathers a gamekeeper knows he will always have some young heather for grouse to feed on that is nutritionally richer and more digestible. There has been considerable research on the effects of such activities and the impact that poorly controlled fires can have on the peat substrate. However, my interest in the photograph is because I am looking for a suitable cover for my current ‘work in progress’. So, yes, a thread running through the book may involve a fire and I am playing with words like embers, ashes and flames to come up with a suitable title
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