#576: The path more travelled

 I'm currently reading Nicholas Crane's new book on the history of Britain's footpaths: how they came about originally following the drowning of Doggerland, and were then refined by successive waves of change: horses, the Roman invasion etc. It's a dense and scholarly work, with plenty of points of interest and relevance to geographers exploring the connections between people and the landscape.

He's taking his book on the road in a series of talks, with three confirmed so far. Here's the description for his talk at Stanford's book shop at the end of the month. He's also speaking in Exeter and Stamford.

Walking is a cornerstone of British identity and the most popular form of exercise in the UK. But how much do we know about the paths that we walk? What is their history? Why do they follow the routes that they do? Are they permanent? Can we designate more of them?​

The Path More Travelled is a coast-to-coast history of footpaths from the stone age paths walked by migrants 12,000 years to the industrial revolution and the birth of map and walking apps – from beloved writer and broadcaster Nicholas Crane.​

In The Path More Travelled, acclaimed geographer and writer Nicholas Crane explores this coast-to-coast web that is both ancient and futuristic. Starting with the stone age paths walked by European migrants 12,000 years ago, he traces their development - from early pilgrim paths and coffin tracks, through to the industrial revolution and the birth of the bicycle and car, sat-nav and walking apps. We discover how land-grabbing Norman barons set a precedent for the enclosure of our countryside, and how out of the ashes of World War Two came our beloved national parks. 

Along the way, Crane takes the reader on some of his most memorable walks, including the Hadrian's Wall Path, the outer reaches of the Cairngorms, and the banks of the Severn where he discovers footprints from over 7,000 years ago.​
​
From one of our most beloved travel writers, The Path More Travelled is a passionate ode to footpaths and a call to rediscover this most fundamental part of our landscape.

Book a ticket here.

#388: Riversong

Riversong is here, and free for anyone to use.

Hello: this is 'Riversong', a "broadside ballad" which protests the slow death of rivers in the UK & around the world––& sings for their revival.

'Riversong' is free to print, share, set & sing, speak aloud on a riverbank, post on walls or windows, adapt, translate, perform,… pic.twitter.com/767BzPoUll

— Robert Macfarlane (@RobGMacfarlane) October 27, 2024

 

#372: Natural History Reading List #20: 'Orbital'

Updated November 2024

A cross-posting from my GeoLibrary blog which has hundreds of books recommended and with some information about where they might be used, and why they deserve a shelf on the GeoLibrary.

This book is on the Booker longlist. It's a fiction book, but is packed with geography.

It's about four astronauts and two cosmonauts in the International Space Station.

The author said of the book that she wanted to write a 'space pastoral'

The book follows one day, and the orbits they trace over the world. In between their routine jobs and exercise, we hear about them and their families and their thoughts as they stare down on the earth below - tracking the path of a super-typhoon with their privileged view of the world below.

There are some truly wonderful passages, and it's definitely a geography book.

The descriptions of each landscape and country as they appear are really beautiful.

The section here is part of a chapter - they are all very short and this helps you subdivide the book if you want to prolong the reading of it and savour each page - which looks at the point where the astronauts and cosmonauts realise that they can see the hand of people everywhere on the planet which is described as "a landscape of want" - something I've talked about before.

It also links with another story I've told many times before: Bill Anders, 'Earthrise' and the impact of the experience of being in space on those who have to literally come back down to Earth.

I've just finished it and it comes very highly recommended.

Read an extract here.

My copy was published by Vintage and purchased from Topping Books in Ely - support your local independent bookshops!

Paperback, 144pp

ISBN: 978-1529922936

UPDATE
Congratulations to Samantha Harvey. This book was announced on the 12th of November as the winner of the Booker Prize 2024. There has been a lot of press coverage as a result and hopefully plenty of sales.

#186: Hedge consultation

The local Byline Times has a piece on a consultation that recently took place regarding hedgerows.

It seems amazing that anyone would consider that hedgerows should be removed.

Hedgerows are a vital part of the English landscape, dating back to times of enclosure, or marking the boundaries of areas of land. They are also a vital habitat for a great many animals - hedgehogs included one imagines.

The government was seeking opinions about the future of hedgerows – their maintenance, the current rules of management, the penalties and what the long term strategy should be. 
Defra states that “Amending the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 to include management measures would impact on all farmers and land managers in England who have hedgerows on their agricultural land, aside from those covered by various exemptions.”

This provides some protections for hedgerows currently.

 

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

#182: AONBs are now called National Landscapes

Those preparing new resources take note... a significant change which many people are not aware of...

From today, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are now called 'National Landscapes'. This is another change which will impact on many printed resources / textbooks / websites and resources that are under construction which focus on landscape management.

This site has a nice interactive map of the 46 areas but currently has the old name.

Check the website for more details.

Welcome to National Landscapes – a new chapter in the story of designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in England and Wales. Find out more at https://t.co/LZpHYAkvmq 1/5 pic.twitter.com/j4XIkjV0v5

— National Landscapes Association (@NatLandAssoc) November 22, 2023

Some nice graphics on the Twitter feed - check the thread today to kick start the new association and name. 

From the site:

The new name reflects their national importance: the vital contribution they make to protect the nation from the threats of climate change, nature depletion and the wellbeing crisis, whilst also creating greater understanding and awareness for the work that they do.

This is a significant milestone for the UK and the next step in fully realising the National Landscapes’ vision to be the leading exemplars of how thriving, diverse communities can work with and for nature in the UK: restoring ecosystems, providing food, storing carbon to mitigate the effects of climate change, safeguarding against drought and flooding, whilst also nurturing people’s health and wellbeing.

National Landscapes teams have been at the forefront of delivering natural solutions to the main challenges facing the nation for many years. The new brand underscores their commitment to redoubling their efforts and engaging with a wider audience. In 2019, teams set themselves the most ambitious targets for nature in the sector and continue to work to meet them.

By 2030, National Landscapes aim that, within their boundaries: at least 200,000 hectares of the most valuable natural areas (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or SSSIs), which equates to 1 ¼ times the size of London, will be in favourable condition; 100,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside of SSSIs will be created or restored, which is roughly nine times the size of Manchester; and 36,000 hectares of woodland, which is a little smaller than the Isle of Wight, will have been planted or allowed to regenerate. National Landscapes Partnerships will also focus on habitat restoration to ensure the protection of some of our most endangered species and increase their work to help more people to enjoy time spent in beautiful places.

There is a list of all the new National Landscapes on the website. This can be viewed as a list or a map.

As I thought, when looking at the graphics, each National Landscape has been given a new visual identity / logo.

I will be spending part of my Christmas holidays in the Norfolk Coast National Landscape.

I can see an activity where a list of the areas is shown and students have to identify the appropriate logo - it takes quite a bit of knowledge of the landscape and local wildlife to identify some of them...