''An adventurous, intelligent, bold, empathetic, provocative, curious and argumentative exploration of the English countryside and its various human landscapes'' Richard Smyth ''This then is Britain. A perverse treat'' Jonathan Meades We know that Britain''s land ownership is unbalanced, but what about land access? Who can visit our green and pleasant spaces, who is making use of them and who is taking care of them? Much is made of open access in Scotland, but what is the reality of the policy in practice, and should England and Wales embrace it? In January 2023 the largest land access demonstration since the 1930s took place on a bright wintery morning on Dartmoor. Those who spearheaded the protest want open access to every acre of rural Britain. They claim that access helps nature by allowing the public to hold landowners and farmers to account and they claim it will have no effect on wildlife. But where does the truth actually lie? Is access to the countryside quite as restricted as we are led to believe and are all of those farmers, conservationists and landowners who worry about public access simply misguided? Is it time that somebody put them right? In Uncommon Ground , Patrick Galbraith takes us on an extraordinary tour of rural Britain, from the Western Isles to Dorset, and from the Norman Conquest to the present day, to uncover the truth. Along the way he meets salmon poachers, landowners, foxhunters, and activists calling for a total abolition of the right to own land. And he spends time with politicians, historians and conservationists, many of whom have mixed feelings about the contemporary access campaign. He also, in order to understand our deep-rooted spiritual connections with the land, heads out with naturists, Travellers and magic mushroom pickers. What Patrick finds is that the 128,000 miles of formal public footpaths and the 3.6 million acres of access land, give the public the right to visit vast swathes of England and Wales. If laid out in a straight line, our footpath system would be the equivalent of walking round the globe six times. He also discovers the reality of the Scottish situation, where a right to roam has been introduced and where almost-extinct birds like the capercaillie are suffering because of public access. There are also, he learns, immense problems in Scotland with wild camping. His journey reveals that everyone involved in the countryside is clear that access to the land and nature is critical. But access is restricted by issues of diversity, a lack of knowledge and even our transport system, rather than people being locked out. This is a book that argues that what matters is how we engage with the land and demands more opportunities to do so, but it also calls for us to do so in balance with nature, rather than misguidedly throwing open every acre to the detriment of the natural world. ...

Autorentext

Patrick Galbraith grew up in Scotland. His writing has appeared in The Observer, The Spectator, The Times, and The Telegraph. He was editor of Shooting Times for seven years. He is now a columnist for Country Lifeand The Critic. Currently, he works as a commissioning editor at the independent publisher, Unbound, where he also runs Unbound's literary magazine, Boundless. His first book, In Search of One Last Song, was called the most important book on the countryside in years.

Klappentext

*'A curious-minded and subtle intervention in the politics of the countryside'*Sunday Times

'Galbraith spent three years investigating the truth about rural Britain and how we treat it.Uncommon Ground is thebrilliant *result'*Daily Telegraph

*'Very funny. Acutely observed. An attempt to look beyond the usual clichés of country life'*Observer

*"Brilliant. This book is a sort of necessary clever trespass itself, on everyone's notions about 'our land'."*Country Life

*"Filled with voices from people who don't always make the headlines in the UK land access debate."*Scotsman

The countryside is under increasing pressure and people, the science shows, need nature. Access to the countryside is essential for our health, our happiness and our future. But does nature need us?

In January 2023, the largest land access demonstration since the 1930s took place on a bright wintery morning on Dartmoor. The access movement demands that the countryside be thrown open. This, they argue, would help nature by giving the public the opportunity to hold farmers and wealthy landowners to account.

But would it really work for Britain's growing population to spill out across the countryside, and is access quite as restricted as we are led to believe?

In Uncommon Ground, Patrick Galbraith takes us on an extraordinary tour of rural Britain, from the Hebrides to Devon, and from Anglo-Saxon England to the present day. To uncover the truth and fully understand our deep connection with the land, he meets farmers, Irish Travellers, politicians, salmon poachers, and the nation's most-hated landowners, as well as activists calling for a total abolition of the right to own land.

In his much-celebrated style, Galbraith works hard to listen to those who often don't get listened to. This raking survey of our fast-changing country, reveals the essence of rural Britain's soul. Uncommon Ground argues that what matters is not greater access but how we engage with the land and demands that landowners give us more opportunities to do so, while also giving endangered wildlife the right to tranquility.