21
May
The Waxing Moon
The hedges are loud with hawthorn now, and the swallows are back in the rafters, picking up nests they left
13 min read
The Letters
The weekly Cottage Almanac letter — folklore, natural history, and the documented strangeness of the British countryside. Published every Thursday from Baldock, Hertfordshire.
14
May
The Hawthorn Veil
It is the strangest week of the year for the hedges. The blackthorn went over a fortnight ago and the
12 min read
07
May
The Returning Swift
The swifts came back this week. They were not here on Sunday and on Monday evening they were, six of
12 min read
30
Apr
The May Eve
There is a quality to the dusk this week, the light holding longer as May approaches. The verge grass is
13 min read
23
Apr
The Cuckoo's Arrival
The warmth has settled. The April rains have worked themselves into the soil and the path gives slightly underfoot where
14 min read
16
Apr
The First Swallow
The first swallow has been reported, which means someone has been watching. The dandelion leaves are sharp and pale and
13 min read
09
Apr
The Easter Cold
Easter has gone. The cold has not. The sky carries no warmth, the lambs are unsteady in the fields, and
13 min read
02
Apr
The Blackthorn Winter
The cold has settled back over the country, the way it does every year when the blackthorn is in flower.
13 min read