A village waits at the bottom of a reservoir. A monkey puzzle tree bristles in a suburban garden. The vast inland sea that so awed John Clare has become fields. A skein of wild geese fly over a rusty rail viaduct.

Chapter by fascinating chapter, vivid with literary, local and her own family history, Fiona Stafford reveals the forces, both natural and human, which change places. Swooping along coastlines, through forests and across fens, following in the footsteps of Keats and Dickens, Whiskey Galore and Wilkie Collins, join her, time-travelling deep into our island story.

From red squirrels to brick vistas, from botanical gardens to hot springs, the landscapes of Britain are full of delights and surprises. Chance discoveries of rare species, unlikely ruins, curious trees, mysterious shapes, startling buildings, weird caves, disused airfields, or even just a baffling name all offer ways into unexpected stories and hidden lives. The clues to the past are all round us - Time and Tide will help you find them.