Beyond Spring: Wanderings through Nature

Beyond Spring describes a sequence of wanderings through the natural world of England, from spring’s genesis through to summer’s fulfilment.

Some of the chapters explore renowned wildlife localities, such as the Scilly Isles and the Norfolk Broads, or classic landscapes like Borrowdale and Dovedale. Others were drafted on train journeys, in Hyde Park, at a motorway service station, and along the mesmeric A272 which meanders through West Sussex. It is meant for snatch-reading, especially in winter, when we can hardly remember the brighter months to come.

It includes memorable quotes from the Romantic poets, the great Victorian and Edwardian nature writers (Richard Jefferies, WH Hudson and, in particular, Edward Thomas) and several of today’s leading nature poets. It is part prose-poem, part musing, part deep-end natural history – and all is blended with modern ecological and conservation perspectives.