Synopsis:

Step into the woods, and discover the trees that made Britain

Ancient woods are Britain’s richest habitats: rare fragments of our landscape that teem with life from soil to canopy. They live in our collective imagination as quiet places, best left pristine and untouched. But their story has always been one of interdependence with people. Now, as ever, these woods – including remnants of the primeval ‘wildwood’ – need the thoughtful intervention of humans to survive.

With the benefit of over twenty years’ experience rehabilitating ancient woodland – from the Lakes to the Peak District, by way of suburban London’s hidden gems – Luke Barley brings us deep into this hidden world to reveal majestic oaks, freshly coppiced hazels, endangered limes, and the passionate individuals tending them for future generations. As modern woodlanders judiciously cut and fell, the flood of fresh light brings new life and hope to these irreplaceable natural jewels.

With clear-sighted passion and lyrical prose, Barley reveals what we stand to gain, as individuals and as a society, by rekindling our ancient connection with these special places.

Review:

If you know me at all, then you know how much I love woodlands. Ancient woodlands are one of the scarcest habitats here in Britain, and they are one of our most abundant too. You may think that ancient woodlands are best left to their own devices, but that is not the case. We have always lived in and alongside these woods – our ancestors would look after them in return for the woods’ provision of materials and food.

Luke Barley is a ranger who works to rehabilitate these magical places, and in Ancient, he takes us to some of the woodlands he has gotten to know over the years. Right from the start, you can tell just how much love he has for the woods. He speaks about the trees like they are friends, and I am absolutely sure that they are. This deep knowledge and respect for the trees and other species of the woods is part of what makes this book special, and definitely something any environmentalist should aspire to.

Barley covers a lot in these pages, touching on everything from conservation, arboriculture and wildcrafting, to history and topography. As a botany student who hopes to one day work with and for ancient woods, I drank in the information greedily, fascinated with just how many layers there are to uncover in a single woodland. I also really enjoyed reading about the connections other people have to these woods, and understanding just how deeply human history is tied up with these incredible habitats.

If you have any interest at all in woodlands, definitely pick this one up when it’s out in March. I know I will be rereading it many times in the years to come.
I also want to shout out the cover artist, Mike Biddulph, because the illustration is so beautiful!

This book was sent to me as an advance copy by @profile.books