The Great Wood of Caledon - the historic native forest of Highland Scotland - has a reputation as potent and misleading as the wolves that ruled it. The popular image is of an impassable, sun-snuffing shroud, a Highlandswide jungle infested by wolf, lynx, bear, beaver, wild white cattle, wild boar, and wilder painted men. Jim Crumley shines a light into the darker corners of the Great Wood, to re-evaluate some of the questionable elements of its reputation, and to assess the possibilities of its partial resurrection into something like a national forest. The book threads a path among relict strongholds of native woodland, beginning with a soliloquy by the Fortingall Yew, the one tree in Scotland that can say of the hey-day of the Great Wood 5,000 years ago: 'I was there.' The journey is enriched by vivid wildlife encounters, a passionate and poetic account that binds the slow dereliction of the past to an optimistic future.

BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme Best Food Books of 2022 'I'd happily eat this book - with a spoonful of chutney.' - Gill Meller 'If you want to know more about the human stories behind real cheese, buy this book! It highlights the wonderful diversity of people, scales and skills which characterise and bind together the emergent community of UK artisan cheese makers.' - Patrick Holden, Sustainable Food Trust A Portrait of British Cheese celebrates the excellence of artisan and farmhouse cheese in the British Isles, expressing it as a product of the land, its animals, and its people, offering a snapshot of rural life, artisan traditions and delicious dishes. The UK farmhouse cheese industry has faced its biggest challenges in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing many small cheesemakers out of business. Food writers and journalists including Jamie Oliver led the call to save British cheeses, and the public's discovery of and support for speciality artisan cheeses helped many producers to weather the storm. Photographer and writer Angus D. Birditt has been visiting and documenting dairies all over the British Isles, looking at the food, people and landscapes dedicated to artisan and farmhouse cheeses. From Lincolnshire Poacher to Stichelton (the original Stilton), Britain's own Brie in the form of Baron Bigod from Suffolk, to Brefu Bach sheep's milk cheese from Snowdonia and Appleby's Cheshire cheese from the heart of rural Shropshire, this is a unique journey through photos, essays and recipes, revealing the joys and challenges of a life in cheesemaking.

A beautifully illustrated guide to the marvellous and varied world of trees, and a fascinating introduction to the hidden secrets of 52 British species. Botanist and ecologist Ros Bennett has spent a lifetime helping people understand and identify plants and always hoped her daughter Nell would grow up to share her love of the natural world. During Nell's childhood years they spent much time exploring the local woods together. Here, Nell discovered the visual and tactile beauty of trees. In Tree-spotting, Ros and Nell have combined their backgrounds and talents to show you - through Ros's extensive experience and Nell's exquisite illustrations - how to identify 52 British trees simply and confidently. A beautiful and captivating insight into the wonderful world of trees, Tree-spotting burrows down into the history and hidden secrets of each species. It explores how our relationship with trees can be very personal, and will bring you closer to the natural world around you.

*WATERSTONES WELSH BOOK OF THE MONTH* My Family and Other Animals meets The Secret Life of Cows: this rediscovered gem tells the charming tale of how a baby llama transformed a Welsh farming family forever. Things llamas like: Snaffling cherry brandy, Easter eggs, and the Radio Times. Curling up in 'tea-cosy' position by the fire. Orbiting, helicoptering, and oompahing. Locking victims in the lavatory. Things llamas dislike: Being adopted mother to an orphaned lamb. Invitations to star on Blue Peter. Snowdonia's rainfall. The dark. Ruth Ruck's family live on a Welsh mountain farm, no strangers to cow pats on the carpet and nesting hens in the larder. When dark days strike, they embark on a farming experiment to cheer them all up - but raising a baby llama proves more of an adventure than expected . Reissued with a new foreword by John Lewis-Stempel, Along Came a Llama is a delightful 1970s farming classic: a charming, witty potrait of country life that will warm the hearts of animal lovers everywhere. 'Full of soul ... One departs this book a convinced llama-lover ... It is a guide to the future. To a good life.' John Lewis-Stempel

Walking South Yorkshire is a collection of 30 circular walks, between 2 and 8 miles (3 and 13 km) in length, that explore the ancient woodland and rural visitor attractions around Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. Attractions visited include: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wentworth Castle Gardens, Stainborough Park, Cannon Hall Museum, Old Moor RSPB Reserve, Monk Bretton Priory, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Worsbrough Mill, Rockley Blast Furnace, Wentworth Woodhouse, the Waterloo Pottery Kiln, Catcliffe Glass Cone, Graves Park Animal Farm, Roche Abbey and the Chesterfield Canal. Written by local walker, Rob Haslam, each walk features detailed route directions, combined with a thorough insight into the county's rich, yet little-known, heritage of ancient woodland. All walks can be reached by public transport from Sheffield, Meadowhall, Rotherham and Barnsley, feature Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps and information on public transport, car parking, history, refreshments and terrain.

The Countryman Sets Forth Again is a wonderful compilation of articles covering a range of eclectic rural and countryside subjects. There is something for everyone to discover from the ancient language of field sports to the treasures to be found in old barns; the history of the landscape to dryland husky racing and much more. Divided into seasonal sections and featuring more than forty-five chapters, many of the articles have appeared in The Field magazine. Here are all aspects of country life described in vivid detail, from the flora and fauna to the folklore. Descriptions of ancient customs feature alongside accounts of pigeon racing and hound trailing; and stories of exotic plant hunters from past centuries. Readers will encounter mad March hares, owls, ravens, bats, pike, eels, and the rare capercaillie. Other subjects include coppicing, ancient trees, hanging game, stoats, terriers and, that perennial British favourite, the weather. The author also takes us back to his childhood with memories of charcoal burners and of harvesting wild food. Combining his engaging writing, expert insight and immense knowledge, Johnny Scott is a master at celebrating and chronicling the countryside. In this book he continues to convey his wisdom and affection for the magic of nature and rural life.

This book explores the significance and meaning of the countryside within mid-twentieth century youth movements. It examines the ways in which the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Woodcraft Folk and Young Farmers' Club organisations employed the countryside as a space within which 'good citizenship' - in leisure, work, the home and the community - could be developed. Mid-century youth movements identified the 'problem' of modern youth as a predominantly urban and working class issue. They held that the countryside offered an effective antidote to these problems: being a 'good citizen' within this context necessitated a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with the rural sphere. Avenues to good citizenship could be found through an enthusiasm for outdoor recreation, the stewardship of the countryside and work on the land. However, models of good citizenship were intrinsically gendered.

Sequel to the author's new book, The Waters Between Us (Lyons, March, 2021), about growing up loving the woods and fields and streams of his native Massachusetts and wanting since boyhood to live like a mountain man in the woods. Having acquired a forest cabin in the course of the first book, There's a Porcupine in my Outhouse details his further adventures hunting and fishing far from other humans. PRAISE FOR THERE'S A PORCUPINE IN MY OUTHOUSE "This is the way natural history should be taught-by a good storyteller with a sense of humor." -Audubon Magazine "Tougias recounts his experiences with candor and humor. He blends the adventures of Lewis and Clark with the vision of John Muir." -Cape Cod Times "A very funny memoir. Tougias learned from his cabin experience and today he is one of New England's leading nature writers." -Book Views "This is an honest book that asks us to admit our ignorance of much of the natural process and our fears of all those unknown things that 'go bump in the night' when we visit friends in the country. Tougias tempers each small disaster with good humor and a growing love for a world that he at first finds completely foreign, but which he ultimately realizes he cannot part with." -Bill Eddy, author of The Other Side of the World Here are Michael Tougias' adventures at a tiny A-frame cabin in Northern Vermont where he learns that nature has a way of becoming our instructor. This funny, honest, and personal account is the perfect book for anyone who loves the outdoors and loves to laugh.

Let a little wildness in. Adventure is closer than you think. A lavishly illustrated celebration of the wonders that await in the outside world; the perfect gift for fans of Norwegian Wood, The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Almanac. Fly through the air on your homemade tree swing, feel the rush of water as you speed down your slip 'n' slide, taste the delicious smokiness of your campfire-cooked meal and learn more about the natural world. Unleash your inner child as you run, jump, craft, cook and wander your way through THE WILD BOOK. Whether you want to add a dash of adventure to your daily life, take a break from screen time, sleep under the stars or simply make something by hand, this book will inspire you to rediscover the outdoors and feel truly alive. It's full of fun and easy practical activities that will reawaken your sense of wonder and open up the world around you.

BEST NATURE BOOKS OF 2021 - COUNTRYFILE 'Highly readable ... Apart from his ready knowledge of nature, [John Wright] has a sharp eye, a ready wit and a keen nose for a good story. Superb.' Countryfile Magazine From the bestselling author of THE FORAGER'S CALENDAR - a beautifully illustrated, practical and entertaining guide that illuminates and explains those mysterious details of the countryside you've always wondered about. Discover the mysteries of the countryside in all their pleasure, intrigue and beauty... Ever wondered about the masses of twigs in bare-branched trees that look like abandoned nests? Seen fuzzy red balls on roses? A stranded pond on a hilltop? Or even considered the shaded ways we walk along? One of Britain's best-known naturalists, John Wright here introduces us to the natural (and unnatural) mysteries of the countryside, giving us the tools to identify Witch's Broom, Robin's Pincushion, Dew ponds and Hollow Ways, and also their histories, how they come to be, and where to find them. From the enormous to the truly tiny he illuminates the oddities that pepper our countryside and the pleasure of spotting and understanding them. Beautifully illustrated, practical and entertaining, this is for anyone who has wondered what is that? or simply longs to get outside.

'Like many a Highland glen, the Fathan Ghlinne should be wooded but isn't. But I have sat long and often and listened to the ancient river speech, to the windsong of three birches and a rowan, the rowan above a meeting of waterfalls which should be a portentous place. And the word on the wind and in the speech of the river is that the trees and wolves and the people will be back.' Thus Jim Crumley concludes this remarkable book of nature writing. The setting is largely Highland Perthshire (there are startling asides to Mull and Alaska), the author's home for several years, and where, having 'chased a rainbow' that faded early he stayed on and put down a root that nourished his nature writer's instincts. Something Out There is Jim Crumley's account of his quest to rediscover something of the ancient bond between man and nature. It is told in prose that is three-quarters of the way to poetry, and in the process gives the art of nature writing a bold new standard bearer for the 21st century.

This walking guide contains 20 circular routes, covering the very best of Lancashire's wide-ranging landscape - from high in the Lancashire hills down to glorious forest and wildlife-rich moorland; through historical towns and villages and along meandering waterways. Walks range in length from 21/2 to 8 miles, with recommendations for autumn, winter, spring and summer. Highlights include: Spring: Far-reaching views from Harrock Hill and a carpet of bluebells in the woodlands of the Read Hall estate. Summer: Moorland tracks near the lost settlement of Gambleside and boat watching along the Lancaster Canal. Autumn: Exploring Pendle witch country near Barrowford and woodland colours around Hurst Green. Winter - Christmas decorations adorning the shoreline of Entwistle Reservoir and the winter wildlife around Marton Mere.

An exploration of the hidden history of camping in American life that connects a familiar recreational pastime to camps for functional needs and political purposes. Camping appears to be a simple proposition, a time-honored way of getting away from it all. Pack up the car and hit the road in search of a shady spot in the great outdoors. For a modest fee, reserve the basic infrastructure-a picnic table, a parking spot, and a place to build a fire. Pitch the tent and unroll the sleeping bags. Sit under the stars with friends or family and roast some marshmallows. This book reveals that, for all its appeal, the simplicity of camping is deceptive, its history and meanings far from obvious. Why do some Americans find pleasure in sleeping outside, particularly when so many others, past and present, have had to do so for reasons other than recreation? Never only a vacation choice, camping has been something people do out of dire necessity and as a tactic of political protest. Yet the dominant interpretation of camping as a modern recreational ideal has obscured the connections to these other roles. A closer look at the history of camping since the Civil War reveals a deeper significance of this American tradition and its links to core beliefs about nature and national belonging. Camping Grounds rediscovers unexpected and interwoven histories of sleeping outside. It uses extensive research to trace surprising links between veterans, tramps, John Muir, African American freedpeople, Indian communities, and early leisure campers in the nineteenth century; tin-can tourists, federal campground designers, Depression-era transients, family campers, backpacking enthusiasts, and political activists in the twentieth century; and the crisis of the unsheltered and the tent-based Occupy Movement in the twenty-first. These entwined stories show how Americans camp to claim a place in the American republic and why the outdoors is critical to how we relate to nature, the nation, and each other.

Dorothy Hartley (1893 - 1985) is an author revered by enthusiasts for old English food and cookery and English country life. Her many books on these subjects, often illustrated with her own drawings, are collectors' items. Her greatest book, Food in England, has remained in print since its first appearance in 1954. During 1933 - 1936, she was commissioned by the Daily Sketch newspaper to write articles describing the English countryside, old English crafts and customs, country foods and country ways (with the odd excursion to Wales, Scotland and Ireand). She did her research in the British Museum (she had by then written several books of social history) and on the ground, travelling around the country on her sturdy bicycle, staying with her subjects or under hedges. These articles were to form her knowledge-bank which she used in several books that came out during the 1930s and beyond (particularly Here's England, 1935), but they have never been seen as they were first written. We offer a selection, with a foreword by Lucy Worsley (who is presenting the BBC TV documentary on Hartley to be transmitted this autumn) and introduced by the writer Adrian Bailey (who befriended Dorothy Hartley in her later life). The 60 articles are illustrated with some of Hartley's own snapshots which she kept as notes for future reference. The subjects range widely on matters as various as thatching, clog-making, eels, the country chemist, marram grass, sand shoes, crabs, sheep shearing, spring-cleaning, country kitchens, ploughing, weather lore, and elevenses. It will be classic.

Countryside recreation has become an increasingly popular leisure activity, with rural recreation offering an escape from the stresses of life in the modern city. Consequently, the pressures on managers of countryside recreation sites are greater than ever before. This important new vocational text offers comprehensive guidance on the management of countryside sites of all types, from national parks and heritage coasts to cycle paths and tourism enterprises.
The book takes a innovative marketing-driven approach to the subject, focusing on the development of each site as a 'product' to meet the needs of the leisure 'consumer'. It offers step-by-step guidance to every management issue, from developing infrastructure to on-site health and safety, and is richly supported with diagrams, photographs, case studies and web-links. Countryside Recreation Site Management is an essential resource for ND, HND and degree students studying courses in Countryside Management, Countryside Recreation and Leisure and Tourism and useful for professionals with responsibility for the management of countryside recreation sites.

'Not a cosy series of reminiscences but a slice of bygone reality. This delightful collection of country curiosities shows rural life in the raw a hundred or more years ago. Hugely enjoyable, a real eye-opener and surprisingly useful!' Alan Titchmarsh A perfectly formed and beautifully presented collection of titbits from the ever-surprising pages of Country Life. Flitting from observations on cheese rolling in Gloucestershire to smuggling silk in Sussex, from Shakespeare's Avon to the vanishing sign language of country tramps ... and all by way of a charming rumination on the origins of the simnel cake. Within these lovely pages there will indeed be something for everyone. Classic writing on the idyllic British countryside, Wodehousian ruminations on fishing and golf, and moving accounts of beloved (and unusual) pets. With a highly entertaining blend of expert views and humorous asides, Curious Observationsis a perfect Christmas gift.

For readers of The Stranger in the Woods and H Is For Hawk, a beautifully written and emotionally rewarding memoir about a father, his three sons, and a scrappy 100-acre piece of land in Upper Michigan.

Bruce Kuipers had never been much of a father or husband. Distant, angry, and a serial cheater, he shoved away his three sons--journalist Dean, forester Brett, and troubled Joe--and alienated his wife. But Bruce did succeed in imparting to his sons his love of the outdoors and the fishing and hunting skills involved in that passion.

In 1989, Bruce purchased a 100-acre property as a way to lure his sons back after a divorce that had done further damage to an already damaged family. The land was the perfect bait, but the moment the sons arrived, conflicts arose over whether the land--which had been degraded and reduced to a few stands of pine and blowing sand--should be left alone or be actively restored. After an impasse of years, Bruce acquiesced, and his sons proceeded with their restoration plan. What happened next was a miracle of nature.

Dean Kuipers weaves a beautiful and surprising story about the restorative power of land and of his own family, which so desperately needed healing. Heartwarming and profound, The Deer Camp is the perfect story of fathers, sons, and the beauty of the natural world.

Freckled fugitive Smiler is never far from trouble. After hitching a ride south, Smiler finds his way to North Devon and the estate of the 'The Duchess' - a former fairground fortune-teller who now runs a farm. Here, he stays and tends to circus animals housed for the winter. When a peregrine falcon, Fria, escapes, Smiler must search for ways of helping and recapturing the bird. In doing so, can he solve the problem that has kept him in hiding for so long? Or does more trouble await?

About two-thirds of Britain's small, traditional orchards have been lost since 1960. This is a loss in ecological diversity, in community knowledge and the intricacy of local distinctiveness. In 2007 the pomologist Liz Copas and cidermaker Nick Poole began a quest to find and identify old varieties of cider apple trees around Dorset. The search lasted more than a decade, taking them across the county, searching in forgotten orchards, hedgerows and the corners of gardens. The Lost Orchards follows the journey they took to find, propagate and make cider with Dorset's forgotten apple varieties: Golden Ball, Kings Favourite, Yaffle, Dewbit, Golly Knapp, Tom Legg, Best Bearer and Symes Seedlings. The book is also an illustrated guide to the apple varieties they discovered and an important history of West Country Orchards. This hopeful story will resonate far beyond Dorset and will encourage readers to look closely at their surroundings and conserve their local orchards.

Historic Glacier National Park captures the most interesting moments in the park's history, the slices of life in northwestern Montana that provide an idea of what life was like for those who chose to explore this gloriously beautiful snowy corner of the United States. There's the presence of Native Americans in nearly every aspect of the park's history, the significant influence of the Great Northern Railway as a leader as the park gained its footing, and people who made history in this astonishing Rocky Mountain landscape. Once Congress decided to make Glacier a national park, developers created hotels, chalets, campgrounds, residences, and the most spectacularly scenic road in the United States. Historic Glacier National Park provides just enough of this rich history to make the experience of visiting the park better than expected.

'Quietly triumphant.' Donal Ryan 'Ambitious and gentle.' Belinda McKeon 'A terrific book.' Michael Harding In May 2020, John Connell finds himself, like so many others, confined to his local area, the opportunity to freely travel and socialise cut short. His attention turns to the Camlin river - an ever-present source of life for his town's inhabitants and, for John, a site of boyhood adventure, first love, family history and local legend. He decides to canoe its course with his friend, Sunday Times journalist Peter Geoghegan, a two-day trip requiring physical exertion and mental resilience. As the world grows still around them, the river continues to teem with life - a symphony of buzzing mayfly and jumping trout. During their meander downstream, John reflects on his life: his travels, his past relationships and his battle with depression, as well as on Irish folklore, geopolitics and philosophy. The Stream of Everything is both a reverie and a celebration of close observation; a winding, bucolic account of the summer we discovered home.