Oak and ash and thorn - the ancient woods and new forests of britain

When the government announced plans to sell off up to 150,000 hectares of English forests and woodland in 2010, it ignited an immediate and impassioned fight against the proposal. Even today, the British people continue to have a deep love for their woods, which have inspired countless myths, stories and poems throughout time.

Peter Fiennes celebrates the beauty and mystery of Britain’s woods, while also closely examining present issues of ownership, access, power and property. Fiennes visits Norwegian spruces in the Scottish Highlands, wild boars in Sussex, the small collection of trees in his childhood home’s garden and everything in between in his exhilarating journey to understand our relationship to the forests and our duty to protect them. Oak and Ash and Thorn presents a powerful message for readers everywhere: our woods are important; they are under threat; and they must be saved.