Soils
Why Peat Builds Up in Waterlogged Ground
Why peat builds up in waterlogged ground: learn how slow decay lets plant remains accumulate, and how peat differs…
The reading shelf
All articles
Browse articles on northern landforms, rocks, soils, waters and woodlands. Each piece follows a distinct question, from how a familiar material forms to what a landscape feature can tell us.
Rocks
Granite or Sandstone: Reading Two Kinds of Stone
Granite or sandstone can look similar at a glance. Learn to read grain shape, mineral clues and cement to identify…
Landforms
From Packhorse Track to Mountain Pass: How Upland Routes Follow the Land
Learn how upland routes follow workable gradients, saddles and stream crossings, and use those clues to read why a…
Waters
Why a River Is More Than a Line on a Map
River channel changes can reshape bends, banks and paths. Learn how to read the signs, compare maps with the ground…
Woodlands
A Winter Woodland Walk for Reading Tree Silhouettes
A winter woodland walk for reading tree silhouettes helps you notice branching patterns and tree shapes at an…
Our starting point
A place is written in its resources
We follow the clues in stone, soil, water and trees to understand how northern landscapes take shape. Knowing a material's origins helps us see its place more clearly.