Bowland's geology in spotlight at Lord of Bowland lecture

The Lord of Bowland annual lecture will go ahead this year - but online.
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The Bowland AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) team has announced that the lecture, postponed from last year when it was cancelled due to the pandemic, will be broadcast on Tuesday, October 5, as part of this year's Festival Bowland.

It will feature Dr Nick Riley speaking on 'Maps,Mines and Minerals: 25,000 Years of Bowland History' .

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Geologist Dr Riley MBE will begin his talk, which will look at the interaction between people, landscape and geology, at 7pm.

The arms of William, 16th Lord of BowlandThe arms of William, 16th Lord of Bowland
The arms of William, 16th Lord of Bowland

It's hoped that the free online event will allow "virtual visitors" from beyond Bowland to discover the heritage of the area.

William Bowland, 16th Lord of Bowland, who initiated the lectures, said: “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.

“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’".

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Dr Riley had a long career with the British Geological Survey and is currently President of the Yorkshire Geological Society.

The event is free but aims to raise funds for two local charities: the Slaidburn Archive, which works to record the history of the Hodder Valley; and Champion Bowland, which supports projects benefiting the environment, local communities and visitors to the Forest of Bowland. Both organisations rely on grants and donations to continue their work and details of how to donate will be announced on the night.

The Lord of Bowland Annual Lecture is usually held at Browsholme Hall.

Places for the lecture can be booked by emailing [email protected]

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