The magic & 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 & 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 & climate chaos, they are emptier
- of flora & fauna, but also of people
- than they have ever been. Immersing himself in the beauty of Britain`s woodlands & the art & writing they have inspired, Peter Fiennes explores our long relationship with the woods & the sad & 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).