'Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!' wrote Percy Bysshe Shelley in his poem 'To a Skylark', celebrating that bird whose beautiful song is a quintessential feature of the British countryside. Famous for its ability to fly vertically upwards and hover effortlessly in the sky, singing all the while, it's no wonder the bird has inspired such flights of fancy among poets and artists. It's not just Shelley who has sung the bird's praises - William Wordsworth, Christina Rossetti, Vaughan Williams and so many others have been inspired by the skylark and its song.
This design shows a skylark beginning its ascent, wings spread as it climbs into the sky. They are still found across the British Isles, but tragically their numbers are falling steeply, mainly due to changes in farming practice. Now a Red List species in the UK, skylark populations are only 10% of what they were 30 years ago. Thankfully, conservationists are working hard to create more skylark-friendly habitats in farmland up and down the countryside. And with this tea towel, you can pay your own small tribute to this miraculous little bird!
