Oak and Ash and Thorn: The Ancient Woods and New Forests of Britain MMP

Dazzling, passionate nature writing - a celebration of Britain's woods and forests and a rousing call to fight for them
A Guardian Best Nature Book of the Year 2017The magic and mystery of the woods are embedded in British culture, from ancient folklore to modern literature. They offer us refuge: a place to play, a place to think. They are the generous providers of fuel, timber, energy and life. They let us dream of other ways of living. Yet we now face a future where taking a walk in the woods is consigned to the tales we tell our children. Threatened by development, neglect and climate chaos, they are emptier – of flora and fauna, but also of people – than they have ever been. Immersing himself in the beauty of Britain’s woodlands and the art and writing they have inspired, Peter Fiennes explores our long relationship with the woods and the sad and violent story of how so many have been lost. Just as we need them, our woods need us too. But who, if anyone, is looking out for them?Fiennes journeys to Croft Castle & Parkland (Herefordshire), Clapham Common, Northfield Wood, The Weald, Knockwood & Secret Wood (Tenterden), Windsor Great Park, Runnymede (Surrey), Sherwood Forest, Cranborne Chase (Dorset), Kingley Vale (W. Sussex), Kipling’s house (South Downs), Wistman’s Wood (Dartmoor), Wayland Wood (Norfolk), Queen’s Wood (Highgate), Hardcastle Crags (W. Yorkshire), Glover’s Wood (Sussex), Smithy Wood (Sheffield).
Dazzling, passionate nature writing – a celebration of Britain’s woods and forests and a rousing call to fight for them