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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > The countryside, country life

Farmer's Glory (Paperback, Main): A.G. Street Farmer's Glory (Paperback, Main)
A.G. Street
R556 Discovery Miles 5 560 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Farmer's Glory was first published in 1932. It was A. G. Street's first book and remains his most famous. In his own modest words 'This book is simply an attempt to give a pen picture of farming life in Southern England and Western Canada.' It succeeds memorably. Compton Mackenzie, reviewing it in the Daily Mail, wrote, 'Let me recommend it to the general public as a model of unpretentious English, an enthralling picture of rural life on both sides of the Atlantic, a manual of deadly common sense, and a thing of beauty. It will go on the shelf of my library with Cobbett's Rural Rides and White's Natural History of Selborne'. The comment about 'unpretentious English' is interesting. So exemplary was it considered to be in that respect, Cambridge University selected it as one of its set books for what was then School Certificate. His daughter, Pamela Street, marvelled at that, remembering he left school at the age of fifteen. 'A classic within that special genre of country-writing ... a wealth of fine detail and anecdote ... the author's voice and personality come through with an undimmed vividness - shrewd, dogged, humorous and charged with the warmth of humanity.' Desmond Hawkins, Country Life

Cairngorms National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map, folded):... Cairngorms National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map, folded)
National Parks UK, Collins Maps
R89 Discovery Miles 890 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Handy little full colour map of Cairngorms National Park. Detailed mapping and visitor information to the National Park along with a selection of photographs. Map at a scale of 1:182,000 (2.9 miles to 1 inch or 1.82 km to 1cm). The perfect way to explore this beautiful area in Scotland. This small map gives a great overview of the Cairngorms National Park. Clear, detailed mapping Key park, tourist and travel information Ideal for planning visits to the National Park Index to help locate and plan your trip

Silver Ley (Paperback, Main): Adrian Bell Silver Ley (Paperback, Main)
Adrian Bell
R452 Discovery Miles 4 520 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Adrian Bell (1901-1980) was born in Lancashire and grew up in London but wished for a life in the open air. In 1920 he apprenticed himself to a West Suffolk farmer, an experience that would inspire him to farm on his own. His celebrated trilogy Corduroy (1930), Silver Ley (1931) and The Cherry Tree (1932) grew out of that same raw material. Silver Ley takes up at the conclusion of Bell's apprenticeship, whereupon he persuaded his parents to acquire a nearby farm of 50 acres where he could into practice what he had learned of farming. However Bell was living through straitened post-war times that presented a challenge to even the most seasoned agricultural hands, and he had to endure seven lean years, though his commitment to the task he set himself never dimmed.

The Cherry Tree (Paperback, Main): Adrian Bell The Cherry Tree (Paperback, Main)
Adrian Bell
R442 Discovery Miles 4 420 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Adrian Bell (1901-1980) was born in Lancashire and grew up in London but wished for a life in the open air. In 1920 he apprenticed himself to a West Suffolk farmer, an experience that would inspire him to farm on his own. His celebrated trilogy Corduroy (1930), Silver Ley (1931) and The Cherry Tree (1932) grew out of that same raw material. The Cherry Tree (1932) finds Bell back at the helm of the Silver Ley farm whose running he took over in the second panel of the trilogy. The farming business remains in a parlous state beset by high costs, and Bell is forced to scale back his ambitions for crop-growing while continuing to breed cattle and horses. But perhaps the greatest upheaval the book describes is the tale of how he 'wearied of solitude and married a wife.'

Go Wild - Find Freedom and Adventure in the Great Outdoors (Hardcover): Chris Naylor Go Wild - Find Freedom and Adventure in the Great Outdoors (Hardcover)
Chris Naylor 1
R628 R488 Discovery Miles 4 880 Save R140 (22%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The world is yours to explore The great outdoors is the beating heart of our world, but modern life is pulling us ever further away from it. Spending our time shut away indoors and hunched over screens, we've lost touch with nature, and it's harming our health and our happiness. But it's never too late to find our way back. This book will help you find a way of reconnecting with the great outdoors. Whether you like to walk, run or swim, admire the wildlife or forage for wild foods, within these pages there will be something to inspire you to get out into the fresh air and reignite your sense of wonder at the world around you. Nature is a balm for the body and soul, so escape the pace of the everyday and set yourself free: get out there, find adventure, and go wild!

The Shepherd's Life - A Tale of the Lake District (Paperback, Ed): James Rebanks The Shepherd's Life - A Tale of the Lake District (Paperback, Ed)
James Rebanks 2
R342 R278 Discovery Miles 2 780 Save R64 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 'Affectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book' Nigel Slater 'Triumphant, a pastoral for the 21st century' Helen Davies, Sunday Times, Books of the Year 'The nature publishing sensation of the year, unsentimental yet luminous' Melissa Harrison, The Times, Books of the Year Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand, and has been for hundreds of years. A Viking would understand the work they do: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells.

The Natural History of Selborne (Hardcover): Gilbert White The Natural History of Selborne (Hardcover)
Gilbert White; Edited by Anne Secord
R477 R392 Discovery Miles 3 920 Save R85 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

'I was much entertained last summer with a tame bat, which would take flies out of a person's hand.' Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne (1789) reveals a world of wonders in nature. Over a period of twenty years White describes in minute detail the behaviour of animals through the changing seasons in the rural Hampshire parish of Selborne. He notes everything from the habits of an eccentric tortoise to the mysteries of bird migration and animal reproduction, with the purpose of inspiring others to observe their own surroundings with the same pleasure and attention. Written as a series of letters, White's book has all the immediacy of an exchange with friends, yet it is crafted with compelling literary skill. His gossipy correspondence has delighted readers from Charles Darwin to Virginia Woolf, and it has been read as a nostalgic evocation of a pastoral vision, a model for local studies of plants and animals, and a precursor to modern ecology. This new edition includes contemporary illustrations, a contextualizing introduction, and an appendix of literary responses to the book. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Dartmoor National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map, folded):... Dartmoor National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map, folded)
National Parks UK, Collins Maps
R90 Discovery Miles 900 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Handy little full colour map of Dartmoor National Park. Detailed mapping and visitor information to the National Park along with a selection of photographs. Map at a scale of 1:105,000 (1.68 miles to 1 inch or 1.05 km to 1cm). The perfect way to explore this beautiful area in the South of England. This small map gives a great overview of the Dartmoor National Park. Clear, detailed mapping Key park, tourist and travel information Ideal for planning visits to the National Park Index to help locate and plan your trip

Tree-spotting - A Simple Guide to Britain's Trees (Hardcover): Ros Bennett, Nell Bennett Tree-spotting - A Simple Guide to Britain's Trees (Hardcover)
Ros Bennett, Nell Bennett
R313 Discovery Miles 3 130 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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.

True to the Line - A Hunting Life (Paperback): Adrian Dangar True to the Line - A Hunting Life (Paperback)
Adrian Dangar; Illustrated by Daniel Crane
R523 R473 Discovery Miles 4 730 Save R50 (10%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

True to the Line is Adrian Dangar's recollections of his life at the sharp end of hunting, during which he was Master and huntsman of three very different hunts in three unique regions of England - Dartmoor, Leicestershire and North Yorkshire. During this time the author came into close contact with many fascinating characters that live and work in these beautiful landscapes. True to the Line portrays these rural lives alongside hunting, hounds and foxes, together with the challenges, frustrations and rewards of organising modern hunting in an illuminating and anecdotal style. This book not only covers his account as the first amateur huntsman of the Quorn in 80 years, but also his time as a hunting correspondent, hound judge, conservationist and all round countryman.

Barn Club - A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit (Hardcover): Robert Somerville Barn Club - A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit (Hardcover)
Robert Somerville
R473 Discovery Miles 4 730 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

'Somerville knows more about wooden barn construction than almost anyone alive.'-The Telegraph 'A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.'-Kate Humble, broadcaster and author of A Year of Living Simply 'For all our advances, it's hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they've found their cure.'-Barn the Spoon, master craftsman and author of Spon Nature meets traditional craft in this celebration of the elm tree, beautiful buildings and community spirit. Barn Club calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately and to explore the joys of making beautiful things by hand, together. When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London's commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. Barn Club follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined Barn Club, inspired to learn this ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods. The tale of the elm tree in its landscape is central to Barn Club. Its natural history, historic importance and remarkable survival make for a fascinating story. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape and an ancient craft. This book includes sixteen pages of colour photographs, and black and white line drawings of techniques and traditional timber frame barns feature throughout.

Encyclopedia of Country Living, - The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself (Paperback): Carla Emery Encyclopedia of Country Living, - The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself (Paperback)
Carla Emery
R950 R675 Discovery Miles 6 750 Save R275 (29%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

#1 - The Best Country and Rural Living Books* #1 - 15 Best Homesteading Books for Beginners in 2021** For more than 50 years, this homesteading classic is the essential book of basic skills and country wisdom for living off the land, being prepared, and doing it yourself. Keep your family healthy, safe, and independent--no matter what's going on in the world. From homesteaders to urban farmers, and everyone in between, there is a desire for a simpler way of life: a healthier, greener, more self-sustaining, and holistic approach that allows you to survive and thrive-even in uncertain times. With its origins in the back-to-the-land movement of the late 1960s, Carla Emery's landmark book has grown into a comprehensive guide to living a self-sustaining lifestyle. Learn how to live independently in this comprehensive guide, including how to: * Can, dry, and preserve food * Plan your garden * Grow your own food * Make 20-minute cheese * Make your own natural skincare products * Bake bread * Cook on a wood stove * Learn beekeeping * Raise chickens, goats, and pigs * Create natural skincare products * Make organic bug spray * Treat your family with homemade remedies * Make fruit leather * Forage for wild food * Spin wool into yarn * Mill your own flour * Tap a maple tree And more! Basic, thorough, and reliable, this book deserves a place in urban and rural homes alike. This 50th anniversary edition includes updated resources. * Bookscrolling ** OutdoorHappens

Diary Of A Pint-Sized Farmer (Paperback, Main): Sally Urwin Diary Of A Pint-Sized Farmer (Paperback, Main)
Sally Urwin 1
R227 Discovery Miles 2 270 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Sally Urwin and her husband Steve own High House Farm in Northumberland, which they share with Mavis the sheepdog, one very fat pony, and many, many sheep. Set in a beautiful, wild landscape and in use for generations, it's the perfect setting for Sally's - sometimes brutally - honest and charming account of farming life. From stock sales to lambing sheds, and days spent out in the fields through driving snow and hot summer days, A FARMER'S DIARY reveals the highs, lows and hard work involved in making a living from the land, through all four seasons of the year. Filled with grit and humour, newborn lambs and local characters, this is an enlightening read for anyone who has ever wondered what it's like on the other side of the fence.

21st-Century Yokel (Paperback, 2nd edition): Tom Cox 21st-Century Yokel (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Tom Cox 1
R324 R267 Discovery Miles 2 670 Save R57 (18%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

'Glorious - funny and wry and wise, and utterly its own lawmaker' Robert Macfarlane 'A rich, strange, oddly glorious brew' Guardian Longlisted for the Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize 2018 21st-Century Yokel is not quite nature writing, not quite a family memoir, not quite a book about walking, not quite a collection of humorous essays, but a bit of all five. Thick with owls and badgers, oak trees and wood piles, scarecrows and ghosts, and Tom Cox's loud and excitable dad, this book is full of the folklore of several counties - the ancient kind and the everyday variety - as well as wild places, mystical spots and curious objects. Emerging from this focus on the detail are themes that are broader and bigger and more important than ever. Tom's writing treads a new path, one that has a lot in common with a rambling country walk; it's bewitched by fresh air and big skies, intrepid in minor ways, haunted by weather and old stories and the spooky edges of the outdoors, restless and prone to a few detours, but it always reaches its destination in the end.

From Field & Forest - An artist's year in paint and pen (Hardcover): Anna Koska From Field & Forest - An artist's year in paint and pen (Hardcover)
Anna Koska 1
R440 R352 Discovery Miles 3 520 Save R88 (20%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

'The beginnings of a bitter-sweet commission: a mistle thrust's egg, heralding a brief but very welcome return to spring... This year has been in such a hurry, at times almost tripping over itself in its keenness to reach autumn, and now she's here.' Highly respected illustrator Anna Koska is best known for her drawings of fish and fruit and is widely celebrated by food journalists and restaurateurs. In this mindful, artistic journal, Anna celebrates the natural world; the changing of the seasons, the blossoming of flowers and the ripening of fruit. Working in watercolour, pen and ink, oils and luscious egg tempera, Anna's illustrations are reproduced in beautiful detail and they are accompanied by her musings and observations of objects, engaging us in the everyday realities of her artistic practice. Anna sources inspiration from the flora and fauna in the fields and forests surrounding her home in East Sussex. Her illustrations root us in nature, allowing us to pause to admire and appreciate the beauty and significance of everyday occurrences - whether she is drawing wasps feasting on apples fallen in the orchard, or trying to capture the cerulean blue of a winter sky. In this book, image and narrative text are wedded to create a beautiful journey through the seasons, taking time to appreciate our surroundings. 'It started with my favourite fish, a red mullet, all bronze, copper, gills and scales. Then mackerel, coloured like a Scandi sky. Soon enough, I was seduced by a sketch of figs and Anna's alluring tones.' Allan Jenkins, Observer Food Magazine.

Wild Southwest - The Landscapes and Wildlife of Southwest England (Paperback): Nigel Hicks Wild Southwest - The Landscapes and Wildlife of Southwest England (Paperback)
Nigel Hicks
R503 R420 Discovery Miles 4 200 Save R83 (17%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days
Loch Lomond National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map,... Loch Lomond National Park Pocket Map - The Perfect Guide to Explore This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sheet map, folded)
National Parks UK, Collins Maps
R89 Discovery Miles 890 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Explore the National Parks with this handy pocket map. Handy little full colour map and guide of Loch Lomond National Park. Detailed mapping and visitor information to the National Park along with a selection of photographs. This small map with additional text and photographs gives a great overview of the Loch Lomond National Park, and is the perfect companion for exploring this beautiful area of Scotland. Clear, detailed mapping Key park, tourist and travel information Ideal for planning visits to the National Park Index to help locate and plan your trip

The Book of the Barn Owl (Hardcover): Sally Coulthard The Book of the Barn Owl (Hardcover)
Sally Coulthard
R459 R372 Discovery Miles 3 720 Save R87 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Few of us know what goes on after dark, underneath the moon. Sally Coulthard shines a light on the barn owl, one of the most mesmerising and elusive icons of the countryside. 'Fascinating insights... An endearing book for lovers of the barn owl' Daily Mail 'Enjoyable and lyrical... enhanced by Vanessa Lubach's arresting lino prints' Country Life 'Packs in everything the amateur nature enthusiast would want to know' Yorkshire Life 'This is a gorgeous little book' Permaculture Magazine With its heart-shaped face and silent, graceful flight, the barn owl regularly tops the nation's list of favourite birds. But how much do we really know about this sublime tenant of the night? Here, bestselling author Sally Coulthard shines a light on the barn owl. Full of fascinating insights, conservation advice and the latest research, this affectionate and timely guide also tells the story of a barn owl's early life - from first pip of the shell to leaving the nest - a fascinating time in this captivating creature's journey.

There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse - The Vermont Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe (Paperback): Michael J. Tougias There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse - The Vermont Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe (Paperback)
Michael J. Tougias
R373 Discovery Miles 3 730 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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.

Smell of Summer Grass - Pursuing Happiness at Perch Hill (Paperback): Adam Nicolson Smell of Summer Grass - Pursuing Happiness at Perch Hill (Paperback)
Adam Nicolson 1
R342 R279 Discovery Miles 2 790 Save R63 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Smell of Summer Grass is the story of the years spent in finding and building a personal idyll, sometimes a dream, sometimes a nightmare, by writer Adam Nicolson and his wife, cook and gardener, Sarah Raven. Without knowing one end of a hay baler from the other, Adam Nicolson and Sarah Raven, fed up with London and with life, escaped with his family to a run-down farm in the Sussex Weald. Looking for Arcadia, they found a mixture of intense beauty and profound chaos. Over three years they struggled with dock leaves, spring flowers, bloody-minded sheep and neighbours before eventually arriving at some kind of equilibrium. Funny, poetic, ironic and wise, 'The Smell of Summer Grass' is based partly on the long out of print 'Perch Hill'. It traces the growing intimacy between man and his chosen place, his love affair with it and his frustrations with its intractable realities. As an attempt to live out the pastoral vision, it makes one heartfelt plea: we should never abandon our dreams.

Walking South Yorkshire - 30 circular walks exploring the ancient woodland around Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley (Paperback,... Walking South Yorkshire - 30 circular walks exploring the ancient woodland around Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley (Paperback, Reprinted with minor amendments in February 2016.)
Rob Haslam
R371 R292 Discovery Miles 2 920 Save R79 (21%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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.

Countryside Recreation Site Management - A Marketing Approach (Hardcover, illustrated edition): Ian Keirle Countryside Recreation Site Management - A Marketing Approach (Hardcover, illustrated edition)
Ian Keirle
R5,342 Discovery Miles 53 420 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


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.

The Countryman - Through the Seasons (Paperback): Johnny Scott The Countryman - Through the Seasons (Paperback)
Johnny Scott
R530 R480 Discovery Miles 4 800 Save R50 (9%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

There is something for everyone in The Countryman. Whether you are a country dweller, an urban nature lover, an amateur historian, or a budding naturalist, the variety of subjects covered is a real treasure trove. From the toad to the bumblebee, the cuckoo to the pheasant, the life cycle of the dragonfly, the attractions of the nightjar and the dove, the development of sheep breeds and the value of the cottager's pig - these are just some of the characters of the natural world as described by Johnny Scott. What are the origins of Oak Apple Day and when and where is it still celebrated? What do you know about Morecambe Bay shrimps or gulls' eggs - how do they make the journey from harvest to plate? What is a hag stone and what is its connection to a horse brass? Do you know what marl is and where would you find it? Answers to these questions and so many others are to be found within these pages. The author's acute powers of observation and fluent style enable him to convey his lifelong experiences and knowledge of the natural world in an informative but accessible way. His understanding of the origins of country customs and celebratory festivals is extensive, and his affection for them and all that the countryside has to offer shines through. Be prepared to be enlightened, amazed or amused - or probably all three!

The Great Wood - The Ancient Forest of Caledon (Paperback, New): Jim Crumley The Great Wood - The Ancient Forest of Caledon (Paperback, New)
Jim Crumley
R307 R277 Discovery Miles 2 770 Save R30 (10%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

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.

Shepherds of Coyote Rocks - Public Lands, Private Herds and the Natural World (Hardcover): Cat Urbigkit Shepherds of Coyote Rocks - Public Lands, Private Herds and the Natural World (Hardcover)
Cat Urbigkit
R1,291 R1,092 Discovery Miles 10 920 Save R199 (15%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Cat Urbigkit journeys alone to spend a season on Wyoming's open range tending to a herd of domestic sheep as they give birth amid the challenges of nature - from severe weather to a wealth of predators. Her only companions are the livestock guardian animals (BIG dogs and a pair of burros named Bill and Hillary!) that repeatedly prove their worth in devotion to protecting the herd. Urbigkit offers interesting reflections on the role of pastoralists around the globe and on the controversial issue in the Western US of private livestock herds being run on public lands. The intimate ways in which abstract public policy plays out on the open range is eye-opening. More than a tale of herding sheep, Shepherds of Coyote Rocks is an action-packed true story that reveals the broad spectrum of the human relationship with nature, from harmony to rugged adventure.

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