Category Archives: Nature

And then there were none

Posted on September 21, 2020 by petecoles

Some 40 or more years ago, when I first read Venture to the Interior by Laurens van der Post, I was struck by his vivid description of a dense forest of unique cedar trees, high on the Mulanje Plateau in … Continue reading →

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Canonbury’s heritage mulberry

Posted on March 15, 2018 by petecoles

By Peter Coles Canonbury, that sedate corner of urban tranquillity just two miles due north of St Paul’s cathedral, is home to more curiosities than many parts of London. Some are well known, like the delightful, exposed stretch of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Goldsmiths, heritage, History, London, Mulberry, Nature, photography, silk, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

London College of Fashion mulberry

Posted on February 26, 2018 by petecoles

Morus nigra at London College of Fashion, now over 100 years old. Last week I finally got to see the black mulberry I’d heard about from several people, located behind the London College of Fashion in Lime Grove, Shepherd’s Bush. … Continue reading →

Posted in heritage, History, London, Mulberry, Nature, rain, silk, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urban Photo Fest underway

Posted on November 1, 2016 by petecoles

The 2016 Urban Photo Fest is kicking off this week.  The Urban Memories exhibition will feature four of my photographs.

Posted in Nature, Parks, photography, trees, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

London is home to rare Black Poplars

Posted on August 14, 2016 by petecoles

There are only about 7000 native Black Poplars (Poplus nigra betulifolia) left in Britain, most of them south of The Wash (the bay where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire on the east coast of England). And only 600 of these are female. … Continue reading →

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A brief history of London’s mulberries

Posted on June 29, 2016 by petecoles

The Spitalfields Life blog has just published my Brief history of London’s mulberries.  I’ll be writing something on Chelsea’s mulberries for the Morus Londinium blog soon.

Posted in History, London, Mulberry, Nature, Parks, photography, silk, trees, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

London mulberry project

Posted on June 27, 2016 by petecoles

In May this year the Conservation Foundation launched a new project called Morus Londinium that I helped to put together. From now until the end of next year I will be writing regular blogs for their website.  The idea is to … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Human Nature, London, Mulberry, Nature, Parks, photography, trees, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

London’s mulberry heritage

Posted on June 23, 2016 by petecoles

The Morus Londinium project on London’s mulberry tree heritage and its heritage mulberries is now up and running.  We are carrying out the most comprehensive survey of London’s mulberry trees, with an interactive online map for anyone to add trees they know … Continue reading →

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Stalking the Hardy Ash

Posted on April 24, 2015 by petecoles

I will be leading a photography walk as part of London Tree Week on 29 May, to see the extraordinary Hardy Ash in St Pancras Old Church yard. 150 years ago, the novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was working as an architect’s technician, supervising … Continue reading →

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Four swifts screeching and scything through the blue sky over the back gardens of West Hampstead. They’ve come back exactly to the day (see post last year (https://petecoles.me/2013/06/04/theyre-back/). And it was on a 15 May that Ted Hughes published his … Continue reading →

Posted on May 14, 2014 by petecoles | Leave a comment