You wouldn’t think it this morning but we live in a rainshadow area. This OS Rainfall Map from 1915 records over 60 inches average rainfall on the crest of the Pennines above Holmfirth and less than half that amount, around 24 inches down in Wakefield just 18 miles away.
So that’s about 5 feet of rain per year on the moors, 2 feet in Wakefield and getting on for 3 feet in between around Emley, where we’re heading this morning.
A rainy day proved a good opportunity to catch up with my Wild Yorkshire nature diary for The Dalesman but a trip to the Thorncliffe Farm Shop at Emley, gave us the excuse to see the outside world.
I drew these sycamores, almost devoid of leaves now, from the cafe.
I put the Chicken Superheroes artwork this morning but there were some familiar looking characters in the farm shop cafe . . .
(It’s a draft excluder, would go well with any chicken-themed interior design scheme)