I’m a writer and photographer based in Hebden Bridge in the West Yorkshire Pennines.
My interests include the natural world, the British countryside, science in general, and Charles Darwin in particular. I combined these interests in my first book, On the Moor: Science, History and Nature on a Country Walk.
I’m currently working on a book about looking at the world Through Darwin’s Eyes.
-
St Patrick’s Day
On St Patrick’s connection with North Wales, and the debunking of a famous biogeographical myth.
-
Literary conventions
Photographers are not unsuccessful painters, and factual writers are not wannabe novelists.
-
The real Wuthering Heights
In which I rant about the West Yorkshire Pennines’ identity crisis.
-
Feel-good February
This disconcertingly mild winter, I’m going to enjoy February or die in the attempt.
-
2025: a year in photos
My fifteenth annual video slideshow.
-
Charles Darwin reviews Jane Austen
A short piece to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
Sign up for my free newsletters
Richard Carter’s newsletters
RICH TEXT: My personal newsletter about science, history and nature writing.
DARWIN NEWSLETTER: Celebrating the grandeur in Charles Darwin’s view of life.
Latest newsletters
-
Rich Text newsletter No. 37: ‘These people knew mammoths!’
Ice age art • Robert Macfarlane • Kathleen Jamie • medieval poems • lichen • Barbarian Conspiracy • the Shipping Forecast • escaping the entropy • and more…
- Darwin the botanist • UNESCO recognition • Darwin’s address book • Charles Lyell • Leonard Jenyns • punctuated equilibria • what the heck are chins for? • and lots more…
Buy my book
On the Moor: science, history and nature on a country walk
Carter cleverly weaves in science at every opportunity, whether it’s inspired by direct observations of birds and animals and plants […] or spinning off from a trig point onto the geometric methods of surveying through history all the way up to GPS. […] All in all, this is probably best described as a great ramble on the moor with an expert guide. […] It’s a wuthering wonder.
—Brian Clegg, science author and communicator, Popular Science Books
