Those of you who read my blogs each week will have an insight into what the reserve was like 50 years ago, and even 100 years ago, but have you ever considered what Leighton Moss looked like 6000 years ago? Well wonder no further, as this week's 50th anniversary blog is to announce the launch of an exciting new book....
'Leighton Moss: Ice Age to Present Day' has arrived! Written by Andy Denwood, a freelance writer and broadcaster living just up the road, the book charts the changes in the site going back to mesolithic times. So what can you expect? Andy said "the book assembles letters, photos, academic research and the accounts of local people, to chronicle the many ways men and women have used this beautiful slice of England down the centuries, and to celebrate its survival as a haven for wildlife."
With a foreword by our pal Chris Packham and illustrated by dozens of images, the book tells the fascinating story of this much-loved site, from the arrival of the first hunter gatherers, to its acquisition by the RSPB back in 1964. Leighton Moss was once pumped dry by steam engines in the Victorian era and peat moss, pasture and wetlands were turned into 400 acres of corn-field. We are now the largest reedbed in North West England and provide a home for otters, deer, rare bitterns and marsh harriers to name just a handful of the wonderful wildlife that calls this place home.
As 2014 marks a milestone year at Leighton Moss, we have been celebrating our past in many ways, so this book is perfectly timed, and I for one am very much looking forward to discovering more about our interesting history. Whether you have visited Leighton Moss for many years, or are new to the reserve, you can uncover just how much the site has changed over time.
The book is available in our shop for the bargain price of £7.99, and if you would like to hear about some of the intriguing events of our past, uncovered by Andy, then why not come along to an evening meal and talk with him in October - details here.