Simon Zonenblick
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Simon Zonenblick is a poet and nature writer from Sowerby Bridge, in West Yorkshireโs Calder Valley, He has several poetry collections and a film to his name, and contributes nature features to newspapers including the Yorkshire Post.
A Year in the Calder Valley
Rising on Lancashireโs Heald Moor, the River Calder flows through the glorious countryside of West Yorkshire until it joins the River Aire, near Castleford. Its often steep-sided valley was formed by glacial erosion of a bedrock of millstone grit and carboniferous rock, over the course of millions of years. Rich in biodiversity, the valley is home to a wonderful variety of birds, animals, trees and wildflowers. Together they form a beautiful backdrop for residents and visitors to enjoy this green sanctuary, where itโs easy to forget the world beyond.
With more than its fair share of rainfall, the valleyโs rushing river was central to the industrial heyday of the Pennines, when the waterway was modified with โcutsโ to form a navigable canal. The legacy of the textile industry is seen in the remaining mill and factory buildings. Today, renovated mills are popular as dwellings, and the canal is a place of leisure, where boaters, walkers and cyclists can enjoy natureโs sights and sounds.
