Bogged Down on the Peak District Moors

There’s something about walking the Peak District moors after rain that keeps you on your toes! Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a couple of close calls with the bogs: moments where the ground almost gave way beneath me, leaving me laughing (and slightly muddy) but completely present to the wild moorland landscape around me.

One walk followed an old map in search of lost stones. After a long dry spell, the moor had shifted; hidden hollows had filled with water, and each step through the soft, trembling peat reminded me how alive this wetland landscape is. Another day, I carefully navigated a stretch of bog, feeling the thrilling tension underfoot while soaking in the quiet, restless hum of the Peak District moors.

These encounters with the moorland inspired my latest nature-inspired paintings, each capturing a different facet of the wetlands:

• Murmur – deep, earthy textures of a moorland bog, solid and shifting all at once.

• Peatland – an abstract echo of the moor’s quiet, restless energy.

• Mirelight – the memory of soft, shimmering light reflecting on wet earth as the rain returns.

Painting them felt like stepping back into those very Peak District walks: the wet earth, the risk, the calm, and the humour of nearly losing a boot or two.

Bogs are more than perilous puddles - they are thresholds into wildness, places that make you notice everything: the colour of the water, the smell of peat, the rhythm of your own breathing. Walking them carefully, painting them intuitively, I’m reminded that the moors are a living, breathing companion.

Even better, you don’t have to risk a muddy fall to enjoy a little moorland magic. You can bring it into your home through these new paintings: Browse New Paintings

And if you know someone who could use a touch of wild air, feel free to share this post.