Nabby Nook is a one-acre woodland in the Calder Valley, off the Pennine Way, between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. Historically, this hilly valley has been prone to flooding, so many tree-planting schemes were initiated over the years to slow the flow. The trees surrounding Nabby Nook were planted 25 years ago by a local activist group. Kay and Paul are the custodians of the land, and their vision for the site is to host different events and activity days that share the ethos of sustainable living and environmental education.
Despite challenging terrain on a steep hill, Kay organised an allotment area with raised beds and a polytunnel. An outdoor kitchen includes everything you need to make and serve a meal. Recent additions to the site are two cabins in the woods that provide accommodations with a forest view. People can come and stay for an off-grid experience in a private woodland, enjoy sitting by the fire pit and make their own wood-fired pizzas in an earth oven. When the weather turns, they keep dry and can have a beer in The Woodshed Pub. There is a stage built out of old stage sets and, of course, a composting toilet.
Given her background in the Arts industry and in collaboration with freelance arts and environmental practitioners, Kay is developing various activities to host on-site. They follow ‘reuse and repurpose’ principles to create beautiful things and demonstrate the need to reduce waste. The next project is building a studio by repurposing an old conservatory a neighbour was discarding. A range of environmental activities will occur all year round, irrespective of Yorkshire weather.
One example of the activities groups can enjoy is making tin lanterns or Sun Prints, also known as cyanotypes, an early technique for making photos without a camera. Cyanotypes have been used for centuries to identify and record various plant types. The method uses a material covered with a solution of potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate, which is exposed to a UV light source like the sun. This creates a deep blue and white picture, with details of prints visible to the human eye.
In addition to arts, the site hosts a regular foraging group run by Live Wild, where participants identify and collect edibles found in nature, allowing them to monitor the common species in the area. All the activities and the surrounding environment prompt people to think about how they use things and where they come from.