Ancient – Reviving the Woods That Made Britain by Luke Barley

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by Luke Barley

“A forester’s passion and care shine as he draws us into Britain’s precious ancientwoodland”

‘A wonderful ramble beneath the boughs’ Chris Packham
‘Brilliant and highly readable’ John Wright
‘Spellbinding. A thrilling account’ James Fox
‘Passionate, knowledgeable and immersive’ Tristan Gooley

Step into the woods, and discover the trees that made Britain

Ancient woods are Britain’s richest habitats: rare fragments of our landscape that teemwith life from soil to canopy. They live in our collective imagination as quiet places,best left pristine and untouched. But their story has always been one ofinterdependence with people. Now, as ever, these woods – including remnants of theprimeval ‘wildwood’ – need the thoughtful intervention of humans to survive.

With the benefit of over twenty years’ experience rehabilitating ancient woodland -from the Lakes to the Peak District, by way of suburban London’s hidden gems – LukeBarley brings us deep into this hidden world to reveal majestic oaks, freshly coppicedhazels, endangered limes, and the passionate individuals tending them for futuregenerations. As modern woodlanders judiciously cut and fell, the flood of fresh light
brings new life and hope to these irreplaceable natural jewels.

With clear-sighted passion and lyrical prose, Barley reveals what we stand to gain, asindividuals and as a society, by rekindling our ancient connection with these specialplaces.

320 pages in hardback and printed in the UK

Author Biography
Luke Barley is a senior advisor on trees and woodlands with the National Trust,providing leadership, guidance and support on woodland management across thecharity’s 250,000-hectare landholding. He is a chartered forester, a professionalmember of the Arboricultural Association and a trustee of the Ancient Tree Forum, andpreviously worked as a ranger and helped care for ancient woods in the North Downs,
the Lake District and the Peak District. He lives in Sheffield with his family.

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