World Curlew Day 2026Walks, Talks & Live Music / Saturday 18th April / Slaithwaite
Up here in Calderdale, the moorland that peaks our valleys isn’t just a view – it’s a habitat
Every spring, those wide, wind-bent tops become nesting ground for Curlews. We walk those moors a lot. Early mornings. Long strides. Big skies. And every year, without fail, a Curlew sighting will ground us to a halt.
Photo by Tim Melling, www.curlewaction.org
They don’t explode out of the ground like grouse. They rise steady. Their long, impossible bill leading the way. And the call – wild, bubbling, almost otherworldly – carries for miles.
A sighting feels like a privilege.
The sound? Enchanting. Moving.
That’s why we’ve backed the Curlew for years, through supporting Curlew Action, the people doing the practical work to give Curlews a secure future.
For a good while we sold Curlew Socks and sent all the profits their way. A small product with a serious purpose. Because the Curlew isn’t just another bird. It’s part of our local landscape – and it’s in trouble.
On Saturday 18 April, a whole host of events and activities will be marking World Curlew Day 2026
Walks, talks, hands-on conservation and community gatherings – all driving the message forward. We’ll be pushing up the volume in the evening, alongside our friend Duncan from Red Deer Club – presenting a live music gathering rooted in landscape, storytelling and culture.
🥾 Morning – Guided Walk from Marsden
Out on the land where Curlews belong. A guided walk from Marsden. Fresh air. Open ground. Perspective.
📍From Marsden Train Station
⏰ 8am-11am
🎟️ Book Walk Tickets
🌿 Afternoon – Free Family Nature Fun Day at The Civic
Crafts, nature stalls, hands-on activities and plenty of Curlew inspiration. Free to attend. Bring the kids. Bring your mum. Ask questions. Learn something. Meet the people doing the work.
📍Slaithwaite Civic Hall
⏰ 11pm-3pm
🎶 Evening – Live Music & Conversation (18+)
📍Slaithwaite Civic Hall
⏰ 6pm-11pm
🎟️ Book Evening Tickets
David Gray is a multi-platinum, Ivor Novello-winning British singer-songwriter whose breakthrough album White Ladder became one of the best-selling records in the UK. Known for his distinctive voice and deeply reflective songwriting, David has spent over three decades creating music that explores love, loss, hope and our relationship with the natural world. David is a patron and ambassador for Curlew Action and he brings both artistry and passion to World Curlew Day, “I’m just one singer trying to help another.”
Frankie Archer presents a blistering nu-ancient trad bangers, telling tales and unfolding beliefs. Inspired in part by the medieval danse macabre and touching on mortality, grief and love, the album’s sound journeys through dreamy electronic to gnarly gristle and everything in between. “Extraordinary”- Jools Holland
Johnny's recent album 'True North', is described as a ''Psychogeography Field Trip'' (MOJO) in which Johnny field recorded traditional songs of Northern England on each of the county high points. None other than Richard Thompson put it in his top 5 albums of the 2024 in MOJO. Last year he became the first person to tour the Pennine Way for the 60th anniversary of the route's inception. Collaborating with the National Trails Network, Johnny toured/walked Britain's first long-distance path, carrying a guitar, performing 17 shows in 19 days over 268 miles.
In the Southside’s Glad Cafe, Henry Parker holds us rapt with superlative guitar-picking and song stories,” wrote Shindig! Magazine journalist Lenny Helsing, describing an intimate live set of 70’s influenced original songwriting and reimagined traditional folk tunes by this quietly renowned Yorkshire folk guitarist. Two acclaimed solo records Silent Spring and Lammas Fair have led him to share stages with the dearly missed folk legends Wizz Jones and Michael Chapman, progressive rock royalty Soft Machine, and cult icons Current 93; placing him firmly in a world where finger-style folk guitar meets psychedelic aspirations.
Wychbury perform mesmerising traditional and self-penned folk songs, steeped in epic, tragic and passionate storytelling. With intricate finger-picking guitar by Che Bradley and captivating vocals and flute by Rhiannon Kenny-McGrath.
a female Morris group dancing in the Cotswold style.
Why This Matters
The Eurasian Curlew, with that down curved bill and unmistakable voice, is one of the UK’s fastest-declining breeding birds. Habitat loss. Land-use change. Poor breeding success. The usual modern mess.
Without serious effort, we risk losing them from huge parts of Britain within our lifetime.
Mary Colwell, founder of Curlew Action, puts it better than anyone:
“World Curlew Day is about hope and action, ensuring that the curlew’s haunting call continues to echo across our landscapes for generations to come.”
Links
Curlew Action: www.curlewaction.org
Red Deer Club: www.reddeer.club