Tells the many-layered story of the British landscape - a story revealed in every field, tree, hedge, pasture, moor, meadow, grassland, marsh and pond. The author shows, with passion and humour, how to "read" our surroundings; the past, even the medieval past, still lives around us, if only we can be taught to see it. Adapted from "The History of the Countryside", which was first published in 1986, this edition exposes the splendour and secrets of our countryside to a wider audience. Illustrations and photographs show how a variety of human and natural factors, from the formation of field boundaries and coppicing to wind and rain, have shaped the countryside through many centuries. At the heart of the book is a series of photographic essays, describing eight of the author's walks within areas of natural beauty. Using public rights of way, these same walks can be enjoyed by the reader at any time of the year; the annotated aerial photographs will help orientation and route-planning.