The Lie of the Land is a fascinating book by one of England’s best writers, who focuses mostly on why most of our land is in the hands of just a few people. Just 1% of the population owns half of England, and often present themselves as the rightful custodians of the countryside. And even have been paid billions of pounds of public money to be good stewards. But what happens when they just don’t care?
Not all landowners are destroying the environment. In the same way that not all men are sexist, and not all white people are racist. The problem is that some are, and they are propped up by a system of entrenched power. We have to make the self-appointed guardians of the countryside answerable to the rest of us.
This book gives a history of grey squirrels being introduced as an ‘invasive species’ that is harming habitats of red squirrels. But we can help both red and grey squirrels (related to themes of this book, red squirrels are mostly endangered due to native pine trees being felled for money, which is why they thrive in Northumberland and Scotland, where forests remain).
In this book, we learn how a small number of landowners have laid waste to some of our most treasured landscapes, to leave forests bare, rivers polluted, moorlands burned (often to burn peat in order to earn money from grouse shoots – this in turn causes flooding) and fenlands drained. The author journeys across Britain to expose the damage done to our land, and then meets communities that are fighting back: river guardians and small farmers, along with trespassing activists, who are helping to restore our lost wildlife. This is a bold vision for our nation’s wild places.
A smart, peaceful and practical plan for how we can turn this land, into our land. Patrick Barkham
about the author
Guy Shrubsole is an environmental campaigner and writer, whose previous book won the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation. He has campaigned for 10 years on the climate and nature crises, and worked for Friends of the Earth and the Right to Roam campaigns. He lives in Devon.
