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Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wildness
A search for nearby nature and wildness After years of expeditions all over the world, adventurer Alastair Humphreys spends a year exploring the detailed local map around his home. Can this unassuming landscape, marked by the glow of city lights and the hum of busy roads, hold any surprises for the world traveller or satisfy his wanderlust? Could a single map provide a lifetime of exploration? Discovering more about the natural world than in all his years in remote environments, he learns the value of truly getting to know his neighbourhood. An ode to slowing down, Local is a celebration of curiosity and time spent outdoors, as well as a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstep.
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 30, 2024
The travel adverts that fill our media after the excesses of Christmas are there to seduce us into travelling to these beautiful places, with the promise of making your life rich with experiences. There are those who would rather strike out on their own, venturing to places around the world that do not have a mass tourist industry, with the hope of finding something for the inner spirit.
Humphreys is one of those latter people. One of his first big adventures was to cycle all around the world (both books on his journey are great by the way) and he has walked around Spain in the footsteps of Laurie Lee whilst badly playing a violin. He is also a great advocate for micro adventures, short travels and adventures that take a day or a few hours and are there to enrich your life, without draining your wallet. This book is a follow-on from that.
The basic principle is that he wanted to stay local and discover all there is to find within a short distance from his home. He bought a map centred on his home from the OS that covered 20 km by 20 km and looked at the squares it was divided up into and decided to visit each one square kilometre on a day when he was free.
Like anyone who has lived in the same area for a reasonable period of time, you tend to think that you know your locale well. Well, as Humphreys found out, I bet that you don’t. This journey of very little distance would take him back in time, to relics from the war, he discovers something called a denehole and decides to see what is inside. He passes through housing estates, and graveyards and admires the ancient yews that add a certain gravitas to the place.
He comes across tiny cottages tucked away in woods he didn’t know existed, tries a spot of mudlarking and delights in the return of the swifts. Not every discovery is pleasant, there are burnt-out cars, fly-tipping and He is continually appalled by the litter scattered all over the place and ends up collecting bagfuls to dispose of properly. There is the odd surreal discovery too, a stuffed toy in the fork of a tree, is it there for a parent to rediscover, or as a symbol of some form? He also discovers in his 20Km by 20Km area that he can’t go everywhere, he finds lots of keep-out signs some of which he chooses to ignore..
Not only did I find this a really enjoyable read, but I think it highlights something that we probably all need to do more of, by acting locally and thinking globally and not consuming vast amounts of resources just because we can. As Humphreys shows in all of the chapters in this book there are countless things that can be discovered pretty much on your doorstep. And I would hazard a guess that like he found, there are things that you had no idea existed near you.
Humphreys writes with a self-depreciating humour and a sense of wonder in almost everything that he sees or looks at. But coupled with this is the fury that he has with the way that the planet in general and his local area, in particular, is being treated. It might not be something that some readers want to hear, but it does need to be said. If you want a very different sort of travel book and one that you can use as a springboard to find out what is in your local area then this is a really good place to start. 4.5 stars
Humphreys is one of those latter people. One of his first big adventures was to cycle all around the world (both books on his journey are great by the way) and he has walked around Spain in the footsteps of Laurie Lee whilst badly playing a violin. He is also a great advocate for micro adventures, short travels and adventures that take a day or a few hours and are there to enrich your life, without draining your wallet. This book is a follow-on from that.
The basic principle is that he wanted to stay local and discover all there is to find within a short distance from his home. He bought a map centred on his home from the OS that covered 20 km by 20 km and looked at the squares it was divided up into and decided to visit each one square kilometre on a day when he was free.
Like anyone who has lived in the same area for a reasonable period of time, you tend to think that you know your locale well. Well, as Humphreys found out, I bet that you don’t. This journey of very little distance would take him back in time, to relics from the war, he discovers something called a denehole and decides to see what is inside. He passes through housing estates, and graveyards and admires the ancient yews that add a certain gravitas to the place.
He comes across tiny cottages tucked away in woods he didn’t know existed, tries a spot of mudlarking and delights in the return of the swifts. Not every discovery is pleasant, there are burnt-out cars, fly-tipping and He is continually appalled by the litter scattered all over the place and ends up collecting bagfuls to dispose of properly. There is the odd surreal discovery too, a stuffed toy in the fork of a tree, is it there for a parent to rediscover, or as a symbol of some form? He also discovers in his 20Km by 20Km area that he can’t go everywhere, he finds lots of keep-out signs some of which he chooses to ignore..
Not only did I find this a really enjoyable read, but I think it highlights something that we probably all need to do more of, by acting locally and thinking globally and not consuming vast amounts of resources just because we can. As Humphreys shows in all of the chapters in this book there are countless things that can be discovered pretty much on your doorstep. And I would hazard a guess that like he found, there are things that you had no idea existed near you.
Humphreys writes with a self-depreciating humour and a sense of wonder in almost everything that he sees or looks at. But coupled with this is the fury that he has with the way that the planet in general and his local area, in particular, is being treated. It might not be something that some readers want to hear, but it does need to be said. If you want a very different sort of travel book and one that you can use as a springboard to find out what is in your local area then this is a really good place to start. 4.5 stars
February 1, 2024
Lev Parikian alerted me to this amiable record of weekly discoveries of the nature on one’s home turf. Humphreys has been an international adventure traveller and written many books about his exploits. Here, by contrast, he zooms the lens in about as far as it will go, ordering a custom-made 20-km-square OS map that has his house at the centre and choosing one surrounding grid square per week (so 52 out of a total of 400) to cycle to and explore. He’s chosen to leave his town unnamed so this can function as an Everyman’s journey through edgelands. And his descriptions and black-and-white photographs really do present an accurate microcosm of modern England: fields, woods, waterways, suburban streets.
From one November to the next, he watches the seasons advance and finds many magical spaces with everyday wonders to appreciate. “This project was already beginning to challenge my assumptions of what was beautiful or natural in the landscape,” he writes in his second week. True, he also finds distressing amounts of litter, no-access signs and evidence of environmental degradation. But curiosity is his watchword: “The more I pay attention, the more I notice. The more I notice, the more I learn.”
Each week’s observations send him down a research rabbit hole, with topics including caves, land management, mudlarking, plant species, and much more. The nature of the short chapters means that there can only ever be a cursory look at huge issues like rewilding and veganism, but Humphreys is nimble in weaving in the brief, matter-of-fact discussions. His eagerness is irrepressible. “How you look, what you see, and the way all this makes you feel: a single map and the best of all possible worlds.”
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
From one November to the next, he watches the seasons advance and finds many magical spaces with everyday wonders to appreciate. “This project was already beginning to challenge my assumptions of what was beautiful or natural in the landscape,” he writes in his second week. True, he also finds distressing amounts of litter, no-access signs and evidence of environmental degradation. But curiosity is his watchword: “The more I pay attention, the more I notice. The more I notice, the more I learn.”
Each week’s observations send him down a research rabbit hole, with topics including caves, land management, mudlarking, plant species, and much more. The nature of the short chapters means that there can only ever be a cursory look at huge issues like rewilding and veganism, but Humphreys is nimble in weaving in the brief, matter-of-fact discussions. His eagerness is irrepressible. “How you look, what you see, and the way all this makes you feel: a single map and the best of all possible worlds.”
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
December 30, 2023
Awesome! I have gotten a customised map and I’m now planning on doing my own weekly adventure with the hope I fall in love with my local area. Lots of fence hopping will be the way forward judging by how my map looks!
The book really does make you consider the impact our lives has on our areas. Im planning on litter picking in each square on my map and noting how much litter there is ( have finally reached peak middle aged life). Luckily I live in a rural area ( no hills or mountains sadly, just farms), so I’m hoping there won’t be too much.
Such a good book I’m telling all my friends to get it ( and will leave it in our local phone box library!…..)
The book really does make you consider the impact our lives has on our areas. Im planning on litter picking in each square on my map and noting how much litter there is ( have finally reached peak middle aged life). Luckily I live in a rural area ( no hills or mountains sadly, just farms), so I’m hoping there won’t be too much.
Such a good book I’m telling all my friends to get it ( and will leave it in our local phone box library!…..)
December 15, 2024
A pretty enjoyable read about rediscovering the local and "micro-adventuring" on your own doorstep, something which my husband and I do all the time incidentally.
Humphreys writes well and his enthusiasm shines through in this, although the dad jokes can get a bit irksome after a while! There are some beautiful descriptive elements of the outdoors and I like the information snippets about everything from flax to the history of the samosa! At times, Humphreys veers into the preach, which always makes me a little wary. The type of people reading this book in the first place are likely to be interested in and therefore mindful of nature. The type of people who fling their shite from a car window after finishing a McDonalds or lash empty bottles into open countryside likely don't give two shits about nature and are never going to, whether they read this book (unlikely) or not! Also, Humphreys can be a little naive in his writing at times, mentioning that government officials are "intelligent people".... really????? And pheasant shoots actually go towards helping nature in some obscure way, erm no love, I think not!
Overall, a good read but far too long at 360 odd pages; my interest was seriously waning towards the end! The photographs included are really interesting as are the apps he mentions using (night sky apps and bird call identification ones interest me greatly).
A pleasant sojourn into the local but beware the odd hint of preachiness and smug bragging about cycling Saharan deserts and riding into the Rockies.
3 stars.
Humphreys writes well and his enthusiasm shines through in this, although the dad jokes can get a bit irksome after a while! There are some beautiful descriptive elements of the outdoors and I like the information snippets about everything from flax to the history of the samosa! At times, Humphreys veers into the preach, which always makes me a little wary. The type of people reading this book in the first place are likely to be interested in and therefore mindful of nature. The type of people who fling their shite from a car window after finishing a McDonalds or lash empty bottles into open countryside likely don't give two shits about nature and are never going to, whether they read this book (unlikely) or not! Also, Humphreys can be a little naive in his writing at times, mentioning that government officials are "intelligent people".... really????? And pheasant shoots actually go towards helping nature in some obscure way, erm no love, I think not!
Overall, a good read but far too long at 360 odd pages; my interest was seriously waning towards the end! The photographs included are really interesting as are the apps he mentions using (night sky apps and bird call identification ones interest me greatly).
A pleasant sojourn into the local but beware the odd hint of preachiness and smug bragging about cycling Saharan deserts and riding into the Rockies.
3 stars.
December 28, 2023
I really wanted to like this book, and it totally lived up to the expectation!
I loved the idea, having had a similar plan myself (but this one is much better realised). The many chapters go on various interesting tangents and the author is thoughtful and relatable. I sort of wished that I could follow along on the map, but I totally appreciate the author's reasoning for not giving the location.
The actual design of book is wonderful too - amazing cover, lovely layout inside and good use of photos.
Throughout the book I sort of felt a pull between the underlying depression of our world being wrecked and the author needing a greater adventure, and between the author's love of general exploration and his local area. At times it felt a bit bleak but there was that undercurrent of love, and a search for something hopeful.
It inspired me to get my own map and I'll be exploring it as soon as it arrives.
I loved the idea, having had a similar plan myself (but this one is much better realised). The many chapters go on various interesting tangents and the author is thoughtful and relatable. I sort of wished that I could follow along on the map, but I totally appreciate the author's reasoning for not giving the location.
The actual design of book is wonderful too - amazing cover, lovely layout inside and good use of photos.
Throughout the book I sort of felt a pull between the underlying depression of our world being wrecked and the author needing a greater adventure, and between the author's love of general exploration and his local area. At times it felt a bit bleak but there was that undercurrent of love, and a search for something hopeful.
It inspired me to get my own map and I'll be exploring it as soon as it arrives.
January 25, 2025
A tricky one to review. I consistently found myself not wanting to continue reading, which is usually a bad trait, and it caused me to take longer to read than I thought. But the reason I would give up reading is because what I had read made me want to go out and do something, and because I was getting so much information I didn't want to read too quickly.
The premise of the book is an adventurer who has travelled the world decides to spend his year exploring a 20KM squared (can't figure out how to do the wee 2 in the corner) patch of England with his house in the middle, each week choosing a different square kilometre to go explore. Some rural, some suburbs, some built-up areas, and try to find joy and excitement in those places.
I found it very inspiring, and makes me want to take considerably more interest in the areas around me. It isn't preachy, but it certainly has messages around consumption, environmentalism, and nature, nearly all of which chime with how I feel.
As a result of reading this, I have decided to take three actions, which I will put here for the 3 people who might read this for some form of accountability:
- rewild my (currently all lawn) garden
- learn the names of the trees that border the path I walk at least twice a week
- explore somewhere new in the 20 square kilometres around Penrith every month
I would whole-heartedly recommend this for anyone with an interest in nature, or conservation, or just who wants to read a wholesome book about finding joy in "exploring" a 1960s housing estate. Just don't expect to get through it quickly.
4.5/5
The premise of the book is an adventurer who has travelled the world decides to spend his year exploring a 20KM squared (can't figure out how to do the wee 2 in the corner) patch of England with his house in the middle, each week choosing a different square kilometre to go explore. Some rural, some suburbs, some built-up areas, and try to find joy and excitement in those places.
I found it very inspiring, and makes me want to take considerably more interest in the areas around me. It isn't preachy, but it certainly has messages around consumption, environmentalism, and nature, nearly all of which chime with how I feel.
As a result of reading this, I have decided to take three actions, which I will put here for the 3 people who might read this for some form of accountability:
- rewild my (currently all lawn) garden
- learn the names of the trees that border the path I walk at least twice a week
- explore somewhere new in the 20 square kilometres around Penrith every month
I would whole-heartedly recommend this for anyone with an interest in nature, or conservation, or just who wants to read a wholesome book about finding joy in "exploring" a 1960s housing estate. Just don't expect to get through it quickly.
4.5/5
April 1, 2024
I really enjoy the concept of this, the idea of spending more time exploring your local area and appreciating the things that are close by - because actually there is a lot there if you look. Some of the chapters of this were great and really did showcase what you can find on your doorstep, as well as being realistic that the overgrown bushes of a suburb are not going to bring you the same thrill as being in actual wilderness. The photos were a surprisingly enjoyable addition. Towards the end it felt like random thought generator in places (I walked past a pond - here are ten facts about ponds - then a chicken coop - here is information about chickens) and there was a lot of discussion of issues like climate change that felt overly preachy in places. I also could not abide the endless throwaway "it wasn't the Himalaya, but I loved it anyway" or "when I was trekking in Jordan" lines scattered through every chapter. We get it, you've travelled. We don't need to hear about it in a book about exploring your local area - it felt like the author was lowering himself and being rather self congratulatory that he was able to enjoy such mundane regional UK sights that the rest of us have to put up with. Also I'm done with nature books that quote Thoreau. We get it, he lived in a cabin in the woods and pontificated a bit. There are other people in history who have said things.
September 16, 2024
This is such a clever idea for a book and one which is accessible to us all . It’s written from a white male perspective so it would be interesting to see how other sectors of society would read the same map. Hopefully in 50 or 100 years time someone else will follow in his footsteps and future generations can see what was both lost and gained.
February 24, 2024
Open eyes and minds to the wonderful
What does your local map look like. During lockdown I walked every street in my town. Saw buildings and places I had never noticed before. Learned shortcuts found new favourite places. This book has inspired me to do it again. Look around.
What does your local map look like. During lockdown I walked every street in my town. Saw buildings and places I had never noticed before. Learned shortcuts found new favourite places. This book has inspired me to do it again. Look around.
May 8, 2024
Alastair Humphreys hat schon viele Expeditionen unternommen: er ist auf dem Rad um die Welt gefahren, ist mit einem Handwagen durch die Rub al-Chali Wüste, entlang des Kaveri in Indien und hat noch zahlreiche Abenteuer mehr erlebt. Das Abenteuer, in dem er in seinem Buch berichtet, bringt ihn in eine bisher unbekannte Gegend: seinen Heimatort. Er lässt sich eine Karte erstellen, in der seine Straße in der Mitte liegt. Ein Jahr lang erforscht er die Karte, Planquadrat für Planquadrat, entweder zu Fuß oder mit dem Rad. Am Ende des Jahres stellt er fest, dass er nicht nur über seinen Heimatort, sondern auch über sich vieles gelernt hat.
Der Plan klingt zunächst langweilig. Was kann so spannend an einer Gegend sein, die man täglich vor Augen hat? Anfangs scheint es fast so, als ob das Vorhaben zum Scheitern verurteilt ist. Alastair Humphreys tut sich an den ersten Tagen schwer. Seine Stadt ist nicht der Ort, den er sich zum Leben ausgesucht hätte, es ist der Ort, an dem seine Familie leben wollte. Für ihn ist die Stadt nichts und die ersten Quadrate, auf denen er sich bewegt, bestätigen seine schlimmsten Befürchtungen.
Der Anfang der Reise war deshalb zäh, auch für mich als Leserin. Aber nach und nach sind wir in die Sache hineingewachsen. Mit jedem neuen Abschnitt fallen Alastair Humphreys kleine Dinge auf, die auch die hässlichste Ecke interessant werden lassen. Er sieht immer mehr Schönes und Interessantes und auch wenn ihm immer noch vieles auffällt, das ihm nicht so gut gefällt, sieht er es jetzt in einem anderen Zusammenhang.
Mir hat die Art, wie Alastair über seine Reise erzählt. Er lässt sich Zeit, auch um einfach nur dazusitzen und das Hier und Jetzt zu genießen. Er macht sich Gedanken über die Leute, die er trifft und die Viertel, in denen er sich bewegt. Er verhält sich wie ein Tourist, der eine fremde Stadt besucht und sieht so seine Heimatstadt aus einem ganz anderen, neuen Blickwinkel und lernt sie so neu zu schätzen. Ich fand seine Reise spannend und habe mir vorgenommen, in Zukunft mit offeneren Augen unterwegs zu sein.
Der Plan klingt zunächst langweilig. Was kann so spannend an einer Gegend sein, die man täglich vor Augen hat? Anfangs scheint es fast so, als ob das Vorhaben zum Scheitern verurteilt ist. Alastair Humphreys tut sich an den ersten Tagen schwer. Seine Stadt ist nicht der Ort, den er sich zum Leben ausgesucht hätte, es ist der Ort, an dem seine Familie leben wollte. Für ihn ist die Stadt nichts und die ersten Quadrate, auf denen er sich bewegt, bestätigen seine schlimmsten Befürchtungen.
Der Anfang der Reise war deshalb zäh, auch für mich als Leserin. Aber nach und nach sind wir in die Sache hineingewachsen. Mit jedem neuen Abschnitt fallen Alastair Humphreys kleine Dinge auf, die auch die hässlichste Ecke interessant werden lassen. Er sieht immer mehr Schönes und Interessantes und auch wenn ihm immer noch vieles auffällt, das ihm nicht so gut gefällt, sieht er es jetzt in einem anderen Zusammenhang.
Mir hat die Art, wie Alastair über seine Reise erzählt. Er lässt sich Zeit, auch um einfach nur dazusitzen und das Hier und Jetzt zu genießen. Er macht sich Gedanken über die Leute, die er trifft und die Viertel, in denen er sich bewegt. Er verhält sich wie ein Tourist, der eine fremde Stadt besucht und sieht so seine Heimatstadt aus einem ganz anderen, neuen Blickwinkel und lernt sie so neu zu schätzen. Ich fand seine Reise spannend und habe mir vorgenommen, in Zukunft mit offeneren Augen unterwegs zu sein.
February 23, 2025
I loved this book. I hoped I would. I’d put off reading it for a month or so in case it didn’t live up to my expectations. Fortunately it did.
If I’d realized how it was written - week by week - I might have read it more slowly, following its natural rhythm through the year. Instead, I read it as I normally would, though I found that taking in a full chapter at a time worked best.
I really enjoyed the mix of personal reflections, historical context, and factual details. I liked reading about the squares that surprised, that delighted. I nodded along in agreement about the squares where little was accessible - always a disappointment.
A great read and a good reminder to appreciate what is on your doorstep.
Some bits I highlighted:
“Unfolding a map is the ritual that launches all good journeys.”
“As I tried this year to survey my map more thoroughly than just following the official paths, I was surprised by how much the issue of access impacted on the experience. How could I learn to love this landscape if I wasn't allowed within it? How would I be motivated to care for the natural world if I did not feel part of it? I had always assumed roaming across the countryside was an inherently normal thing, like breathing, until I began to get to know this map.”
“The more I pay attention, the more I notice. The more I notice, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I enjoy. The more I enjoy, the more I pay attention.”
“My mind boggles at the executives claiming enormous bonuses while consistently missing their pollution targets, and at the intelligent, educated individuals in Whitehall offices who've decided this is a legacy they are content to live with.“
“Unless we have a word for something, we cannot conceive of it. Unless we explore our neighbourhood, we can't imagine what might be right under our noses, nor be able to celebrate it, mourn its demise, or take action.”
——
There’s a great interview with Alastair for The Outdoors Fix podcast - https://theoutdoorsfix.com/alastair-h...
If I’d realized how it was written - week by week - I might have read it more slowly, following its natural rhythm through the year. Instead, I read it as I normally would, though I found that taking in a full chapter at a time worked best.
I really enjoyed the mix of personal reflections, historical context, and factual details. I liked reading about the squares that surprised, that delighted. I nodded along in agreement about the squares where little was accessible - always a disappointment.
A great read and a good reminder to appreciate what is on your doorstep.
Some bits I highlighted:
“Unfolding a map is the ritual that launches all good journeys.”
“As I tried this year to survey my map more thoroughly than just following the official paths, I was surprised by how much the issue of access impacted on the experience. How could I learn to love this landscape if I wasn't allowed within it? How would I be motivated to care for the natural world if I did not feel part of it? I had always assumed roaming across the countryside was an inherently normal thing, like breathing, until I began to get to know this map.”
“The more I pay attention, the more I notice. The more I notice, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I enjoy. The more I enjoy, the more I pay attention.”
“My mind boggles at the executives claiming enormous bonuses while consistently missing their pollution targets, and at the intelligent, educated individuals in Whitehall offices who've decided this is a legacy they are content to live with.“
“Unless we have a word for something, we cannot conceive of it. Unless we explore our neighbourhood, we can't imagine what might be right under our noses, nor be able to celebrate it, mourn its demise, or take action.”
——
There’s a great interview with Alastair for The Outdoors Fix podcast - https://theoutdoorsfix.com/alastair-h...
April 10, 2025
I feel like I've been on quite a journey with this book! I gave up reading it at least once because it felt too unstructured for me. Although I loved Humphrey's project—visiting every map grid within a 20-mile radius from his home in search for wild places—I found his meanderings and findings too random and unstructured to enjoy. However, everything changed when I switched to the audiobook; it was a game-changer! I really appreciated being able to listen to this book while out and about in the English countryside, as it made his stories, findings, and reflections much more relatable. I valued his care and concern for the natural environment and conservation, and the fact that much of the information—about local charities, movements, and conservation issues—was British and local. In the end, it was a very enjoyable read/listen, and it pointed me toward a few books on the topic that I want to read next. I think if I had the chance to grab a drink with Alastair, we'd have a very interesting chat.
January 6, 2025
Full disclosure - I didn't think I would finish this book and it took me several months to do so. But even though that was the case I did enjoy it and I'm glad I persisted.
The central premise is an important one, and whilst being lectured about seeing beauty locally is a bit rich from a worldwide adventurer Alistair walks that tightrope very well. He also has an easy going style that is very readable, as I'd guess you would expect from an experienced travel writer.
Personally I would have ended the book after the completion of the year of visits to random map squares. To tag on a four day cycle ride to all the tetrads in the map square didn't really add anything and the fact it isn't even accomplished in full adds to the pointlessness.
But in summary enjoyable environmental writing encouraging a mindset of appreciating the world around us most of us could do with a primer on.
The central premise is an important one, and whilst being lectured about seeing beauty locally is a bit rich from a worldwide adventurer Alistair walks that tightrope very well. He also has an easy going style that is very readable, as I'd guess you would expect from an experienced travel writer.
Personally I would have ended the book after the completion of the year of visits to random map squares. To tag on a four day cycle ride to all the tetrads in the map square didn't really add anything and the fact it isn't even accomplished in full adds to the pointlessness.
But in summary enjoyable environmental writing encouraging a mindset of appreciating the world around us most of us could do with a primer on.
December 20, 2024
A smashing read. Took me 6 months to read as I got so much pleasure out of reading it, that I wanted it to last as long as possible.
December 27, 2024
Picked up this book based on enjoying Humphries’ “Moods of Future Joys” as well as a piece read in https://www.noemamag.com/a-single-sma.... The book fits in well with my desire to learn, and appreciate, my own back yard.
November 15, 2025
Superb book. Funny, enlightening, challenging.
November 22, 2024
Great idea
A brilliant idea to explore ones local area. Enjoyable as it was to compile for the author the narrative was occasionally a bit padded to fill the pages.
A brilliant idea to explore ones local area. Enjoyable as it was to compile for the author the narrative was occasionally a bit padded to fill the pages.
October 6, 2025
This is the first book of his that I've read after seeing him on social media for a few years. It contains some of my favourite things; cycling, walking, photography, microadventure, maps, history, practical political action, and most of all, hope. Each month I am going to reread the corresponding chapter of that particular month in the book, speaking for myself it is clear how removed from the local environment I/we have become. This is a well written, and enthusiastic book of adventure written by an experienced world traveller, the main points I have taken from it are that change in both the landscape and in person are necessary and inevitable, and if the change is managed well the benefits are positive and multiple, conversely, if we mismanage change it can be catastrophic, we effectively end up living in reservations, with just enough land to give the illusion of freedom, as long as we do as we're told, these spaces though carry on evolving, with or without us.
February 17, 2024
One man’s adventures visiting the map squares of his local area. Fascinating, challenging, encouraging but probably a bit longer than it needed to be hence why only 3 stars. I’m already someone who appreciates their local so perhaps I’m one of the already converted. However it was enjoyable and found me trying to suss out where he was in each square. Also full of random facts about everything from the Duke of wellington to birds, language, the outdoors and my fave: did you know there was no word for the colour orange until the 16th C?
This is a book for this time and place: an encouragement to be more climate and locality aware, a protest and challenge in places - both politically and personally, and a reminder to appreciate the treasure around us.
This is a book for this time and place: an encouragement to be more climate and locality aware, a protest and challenge in places - both politically and personally, and a reminder to appreciate the treasure around us.
September 20, 2024
Amazing that he got so much out of one small area, although inevitably it gets a bit same-y at times. But it's also enjoyable and a bit inspiring.
February 8, 2024
Very different to Al's other books which are about far flung places and grand adventures. I found it slower and more introspective and decided to take it almost a chapter a day to fit with the theme of noticing things more.
I love a lot of the ideas in here and have thought similar things myself. I've attempted to square my desire for adventure with a passion for caring for the environment and I'm glad that Alastair has also challenged his own hypocrisy of holding these 2 somewhat opposing views. As a privileged middle class bloke, I've grown up loving the outdoors and all it can offer for me, but to enjoy it I've often flown around the world, driven up and down the country and bought vast amounts of outdoor kit. Over recent years, realising that adventure can be found on my doorstep has been important in transitioning away from this belief that adventure has to be jetting off somewhere and damaging the environment for something you claim to love.
Local is about how we can find things worth noticing if we only bother to take the time and examine them. Things we thought are boring and mundane hold so much value if considered in this way. In a world full of constantly thinking of the next thing, of endless to-do lists, and not having enough time for things, this book offers a valuable alternative and teaches us to slow down and find appreciation for what is closest to us.
The issues that it touches on are numerous and very important. Land use, dwindling biodiversity, access issues and climate change are tackled by Alastair with a questioning approach, where he confronts his own biases and looks at the facts. If I'm honest, he doesn't go far enough in this book but does suggest alternatives to read and expand our own knowledge of these problems. I understand not wanting to come across as preachy, so he takes a more balanced stance that should still probe people to examine their own behaviours - this is certainly not ""vegan propaganda"" as some others have suggested (although the book on that topic by Ed Winters is another that I highly recommend). It seems plainly obvious to me that eating animal products, flying and driving personal vehicles (even electric ones) are luxuries that do not belong in the modern climate-change conscious world. I'm glad that Alastair is tackling these ideas and encouraging us to be the change that we want to see.
Overall, Local is an entertaining and introspective read, set at a different pace to his other books. It is funny and isn't afraid to confront big issues. I've enjoyed how Alastair's style of adventure has evolved and hope that his next endeavour continues this theme of adventuring and engaging within our local areas to make them better.
I love a lot of the ideas in here and have thought similar things myself. I've attempted to square my desire for adventure with a passion for caring for the environment and I'm glad that Alastair has also challenged his own hypocrisy of holding these 2 somewhat opposing views. As a privileged middle class bloke, I've grown up loving the outdoors and all it can offer for me, but to enjoy it I've often flown around the world, driven up and down the country and bought vast amounts of outdoor kit. Over recent years, realising that adventure can be found on my doorstep has been important in transitioning away from this belief that adventure has to be jetting off somewhere and damaging the environment for something you claim to love.
Local is about how we can find things worth noticing if we only bother to take the time and examine them. Things we thought are boring and mundane hold so much value if considered in this way. In a world full of constantly thinking of the next thing, of endless to-do lists, and not having enough time for things, this book offers a valuable alternative and teaches us to slow down and find appreciation for what is closest to us.
The issues that it touches on are numerous and very important. Land use, dwindling biodiversity, access issues and climate change are tackled by Alastair with a questioning approach, where he confronts his own biases and looks at the facts. If I'm honest, he doesn't go far enough in this book but does suggest alternatives to read and expand our own knowledge of these problems. I understand not wanting to come across as preachy, so he takes a more balanced stance that should still probe people to examine their own behaviours - this is certainly not ""vegan propaganda"" as some others have suggested (although the book on that topic by Ed Winters is another that I highly recommend). It seems plainly obvious to me that eating animal products, flying and driving personal vehicles (even electric ones) are luxuries that do not belong in the modern climate-change conscious world. I'm glad that Alastair is tackling these ideas and encouraging us to be the change that we want to see.
Overall, Local is an entertaining and introspective read, set at a different pace to his other books. It is funny and isn't afraid to confront big issues. I've enjoyed how Alastair's style of adventure has evolved and hope that his next endeavour continues this theme of adventuring and engaging within our local areas to make them better.
September 10, 2025
Many years ago I used to like the books produced for children which were basically just lists of random facts like the height of Átila the Hun or how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall. This book has an element of that in the sheer randomness of his facts, based on observing everything and then looking stuff up afterwards.
I rather like this as it avoids the repetitiveness that Simon Barnes’ book of staying local ‘The Year of Sitting Dangerously’ suffered from and acts as a spur to noticing and then choosing to learn more. Unlike Barnes, there’s little of his family life in it beyond loading the dishwasher and mentioning school runs but a bit more about his own mental health and his feeling of dislocation from his local environment. He normally has adventures in far-flung places and seems aware that this has sometimes been a mechanism to escape the norm. This time he goes in search of a sort of “deep England” (my words) where he can find awe in the overlooked.
“What if where I live, this bog-standard corner of England, which had held no surprises for me, was actually full of them, if only I bothered to go out and find them? Not known, because not looked for.”
Even though, as usual, it’s a bit of a blokes eye view of the world with his wild swimming, alone time in out of the way places, pit stops in pubs, wild camping alone, even cycling on quiet roads etc. Women, in the main, would think twice about going to wild places completely alone simply because they would have to be hyper vigilant in a way a man probably wouldn’t. He does however acknowledge this in the books more than once, unlike some of his contemporary male writers. There are also many places he does visit that would be perfectly safe to be alone as he also goes to small towns and areas of suburban housing, although the wild edge lands is probably where the more striking encounters are likely to be.
He also finds himself becoming passionate about protecting the wild places of his neighbourhood, finding common cause with those who live in the countryside and urging us to be better stewards of the land. The littering, fly tipping and general pollution of much of the wilder space he visits is a sorry indictment of just how little so many people care about their immediate environment or understand why it needs to be loved.
Nevertheless, I like this idea of being observant of what is close and being curious about the world around you. Like the Barnes book, it encourages you to be patient and attentive.
As the dark half of the year approaches, this “everything is interesting” mindset could help to stave off the very human fear of darkness, grey days and cold by venturing somewhere close and finding magic.
I rather like this as it avoids the repetitiveness that Simon Barnes’ book of staying local ‘The Year of Sitting Dangerously’ suffered from and acts as a spur to noticing and then choosing to learn more. Unlike Barnes, there’s little of his family life in it beyond loading the dishwasher and mentioning school runs but a bit more about his own mental health and his feeling of dislocation from his local environment. He normally has adventures in far-flung places and seems aware that this has sometimes been a mechanism to escape the norm. This time he goes in search of a sort of “deep England” (my words) where he can find awe in the overlooked.
“What if where I live, this bog-standard corner of England, which had held no surprises for me, was actually full of them, if only I bothered to go out and find them? Not known, because not looked for.”
Even though, as usual, it’s a bit of a blokes eye view of the world with his wild swimming, alone time in out of the way places, pit stops in pubs, wild camping alone, even cycling on quiet roads etc. Women, in the main, would think twice about going to wild places completely alone simply because they would have to be hyper vigilant in a way a man probably wouldn’t. He does however acknowledge this in the books more than once, unlike some of his contemporary male writers. There are also many places he does visit that would be perfectly safe to be alone as he also goes to small towns and areas of suburban housing, although the wild edge lands is probably where the more striking encounters are likely to be.
He also finds himself becoming passionate about protecting the wild places of his neighbourhood, finding common cause with those who live in the countryside and urging us to be better stewards of the land. The littering, fly tipping and general pollution of much of the wilder space he visits is a sorry indictment of just how little so many people care about their immediate environment or understand why it needs to be loved.
Nevertheless, I like this idea of being observant of what is close and being curious about the world around you. Like the Barnes book, it encourages you to be patient and attentive.
As the dark half of the year approaches, this “everything is interesting” mindset could help to stave off the very human fear of darkness, grey days and cold by venturing somewhere close and finding magic.
January 24, 2026
"The man who is often thinking that it is better to be somewhere else than where he is excommunicates himself... Here I have been these forty years learning the language of the fields so that I may better express myself." – Henry David Thoreau
Humphreys dutifully acknowledges that this book is a tribute to Henry David Thoreau's Walden, and quotes that passage, which I had to share as it has serious aura. So he spends a year exploring the 20 square kilometres around his house.
This is my first review where I am in multiple minds. Humphreys has a five star idea: that we should be interested in what's around us and not automatically yearn for exotic adventures. Someone should absolutely be championing this. Butttt, the book feels rushed, and I think there are some great themes in the book that would have made for a better structure than the chronological journaling. Themes like land use and intervening for nature, land access, wildlife. Though I get that Humphreys wanted to chart the passage of the seasons, which he did a good job of.
I finished this book because of his dispersed insights. Shifting baselines, his take that kids can name more pokemon species than real ones, that ancient Japan observed 24 solar terms based on the seasonal shifts of nature, or how he visited a tree planted in a village by a local enthusiast that was a prehistoric breed discovered in fossils and reintroduced in the 1940s. But equally there are a lot of bland takes that you would already know if you were ever half-listening in secondary school geography.
Much of the book goes along the lines of "... (observation...)... (wiki-researched expansion on observation)... (this random thing actually reminds me of the open lands of Patagonia which I still deeply yearn for since taking up the humdrum of suburban family life)... (dad joke)...(new paragraph on completely new observation)" Maybe I'm just not a big fan of unabridged journal writing.
In the early summer months, he's out cycling, the kids are at school, and a handful of times he gets a late afternoon beer at the local pub garden. You can tell the lad is loving it. Twice he inserts the photo of the beer for the reader, similar to what your mate might send to you on WhatsApp. Class. Humphreys includes the odd photo, rendered in black and white, which I think is a really nice choice for the book. The man is enthused by England in summer (agree brother🤝), even says he "bloody loves" it, which is funny because like most sane people, he is summer biased, and you can tell he had to put more effort in to finding the joy in the colder seasons. Taken as a whole, this book succeeded in the author's task of motivating me to understand local nature more.
February 27, 2024
The book, and perhaps the project on which it is based, took a while to settle down. There is an awful lot of kvetching about not being off exploring more exotic places than... wherever this is... and that's another problem with the book as I don't think the decision to avoid being at all specific about location beyond 'South East' was the right one. It is frustrating to have a map based book so divorced from the option to look at a map.
This isn't a pandemic book but it reminded me of personal explorations encouraged by lockdown. I also enjoy reading about explorations framed by the timing of the school run (although I felt it was a pity that his family - the whole reason he was living where he didn't want to live and not doing his more gung-ho adventuring - didn't play much part in the outings themselves) Mostly, appropriate to the scale, he was on foot or cycling. The endeavour to visit lots of km map squares round his house (the wonderful 'personalised map' opportunity offered by the Ordnance Survey) clearly got him thinking about all sorts of things, access being one of them. I didn't feel as though he was a natural transgressive (as some others writing about it clearly are) - it wasn't 'the principle' but the way in which access limitations stymie perfectly reasonable explorations.
The whole thing was put together beautifully - the chapters (very loosely titled), the photos, the quotations (I agree with Mark Avery though, it's too heavy on the Thoreau although it is extremely easy for me to think someone's gone too heavy on the Thoreau)
It's not a 'big' book even though it is providing an overview of important things, but its value lies in its 'smallness' without labouring the point explicitly.
This isn't a pandemic book but it reminded me of personal explorations encouraged by lockdown. I also enjoy reading about explorations framed by the timing of the school run (although I felt it was a pity that his family - the whole reason he was living where he didn't want to live and not doing his more gung-ho adventuring - didn't play much part in the outings themselves) Mostly, appropriate to the scale, he was on foot or cycling. The endeavour to visit lots of km map squares round his house (the wonderful 'personalised map' opportunity offered by the Ordnance Survey) clearly got him thinking about all sorts of things, access being one of them. I didn't feel as though he was a natural transgressive (as some others writing about it clearly are) - it wasn't 'the principle' but the way in which access limitations stymie perfectly reasonable explorations.
The whole thing was put together beautifully - the chapters (very loosely titled), the photos, the quotations (I agree with Mark Avery though, it's too heavy on the Thoreau although it is extremely easy for me to think someone's gone too heavy on the Thoreau)
It's not a 'big' book even though it is providing an overview of important things, but its value lies in its 'smallness' without labouring the point explicitly.
September 25, 2024
I picked up this book on a whim... liked the cover, intrigued by the title, impressed by the quote from Robert MacFarlane on the front. And then I set off on a journey with Alistair as he spends a year exploring the world around him. He has restricted himself to one OS map, centred on his house, with weekly visits to individual one km squares of that map. I loved the premise, especially loved that it was a fairly 'ordinary' part of the country, and the squares might be fields, or housing estates, woodland or motorway. Alistair is careful not to reveal exactly where he is exploring but I have a fair idea, and it has inspired me to do more of the same around where I live.
I could try and describe all that he does but I'd rather you read the book and found out for yourself, but I think the thing I liked most about the book is how his journey round his neighbourhood has brought him to realise stuff about himself. He is a man who has travelled the world doing all sorts of challenges but now he is seeing the importance of the small things that surround him. He does see the mistakes and the mess we have made, the litter we have left and the places we have locked away from the public; but he also sees the amazing variety of plants and birds that live around us and with us, the extraordinary 'ordinary' people and places, and perhaps most importantly the uniquely amazing network of footpaths and bridleways that we all can use.
A lovely inspiring book from a lovely inspiring bloke. Thanks Alistair.
I could try and describe all that he does but I'd rather you read the book and found out for yourself, but I think the thing I liked most about the book is how his journey round his neighbourhood has brought him to realise stuff about himself. He is a man who has travelled the world doing all sorts of challenges but now he is seeing the importance of the small things that surround him. He does see the mistakes and the mess we have made, the litter we have left and the places we have locked away from the public; but he also sees the amazing variety of plants and birds that live around us and with us, the extraordinary 'ordinary' people and places, and perhaps most importantly the uniquely amazing network of footpaths and bridleways that we all can use.
A lovely inspiring book from a lovely inspiring bloke. Thanks Alistair.
October 20, 2025
"Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wildness" came to my attention when listening to a podcast so I ordered the book. It took me a long time to finish as I savored every chapter. Admittedly, it took me a bit to get into it and settle into the pace, but then I loved everything about author Alastair Humphreys' storytelling.
Humphreys spent a year exploring close to home. He ordered an ordnance map and set out to explore 1km of land every week. Living in an area measuring 20km across, this seemed small. The map arrived and was divided into 400 individual grids so he had many to choose from. He walked or cycled every footpath and street in each of the grids he chose. While the premise seems rather boring, the way he details what he finds is anything but.
In each chapter, he turns ordinary finds into something interesting - with tidbits of information on items he discovers. For example, in one chapter/grid he sees bees and he tells fascinating facts about bees in only about two paragraphs - long enough to be interesting, but short enough never to be boring.
"An ode to slowing down, Local is a celebration of curiosity and time spent outdoors, as well as a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstop."
I loved this book and will be reading it again!
Humphreys spent a year exploring close to home. He ordered an ordnance map and set out to explore 1km of land every week. Living in an area measuring 20km across, this seemed small. The map arrived and was divided into 400 individual grids so he had many to choose from. He walked or cycled every footpath and street in each of the grids he chose. While the premise seems rather boring, the way he details what he finds is anything but.
In each chapter, he turns ordinary finds into something interesting - with tidbits of information on items he discovers. For example, in one chapter/grid he sees bees and he tells fascinating facts about bees in only about two paragraphs - long enough to be interesting, but short enough never to be boring.
"An ode to slowing down, Local is a celebration of curiosity and time spent outdoors, as well as a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstop."
I loved this book and will be reading it again!
May 8, 2024
Alastair Humphreys has the perfect name for a global adventurer/explorer, and this book directs all the energies he has historically spent on rowing across oceans, trekking through deserts, cycling up mountains, and all sorts of inhuman-like pursuits to something very human and attainable to all of us: investigating the area where he lives. His year-long hyper-local excursions are varied, thoughtful, and full of info-packed nuggets (a cloud appreciation society? and useful apps for identifying birds, plants, and insects?). While Humphreys lives in England, his story applies to anyone, anywhere. I think what I liked most about this book is that Humphreys freely admits at the start that he originally thought his town, a residential family suburb, was dull and void of anything that would capture anyone's attention. As he slowly investigates hidden (and not-so-hidden) places throughout the year, his opinions change, and he becomes a bit amazed by the interesting people and fascinating places nearby. Showing us all that a good adventure is less about a destination and more about your state of mind. Cheers!
February 11, 2024
I think I was more inspired and motivated by this book than I was entertained. Al Humphreys has a way of framing a challenge I find quite appealing whether it is to map out and execute “micro” or “grand” adventures, but the text of this particular monograph was a bit too repetitive for my liking. Despite (or because!) of that, I found myself increasingly daydreaming and planning my own local micro-adventures while I turned the pages. Luckily, I live in an area I find more interesting, beautiful, and historically compelling than he, and yet still I find myself drawn away in search of the exotic. Humphreys reminds us that it is not location so much as our attitude that accounts for our ability to learn, enjoy, and grow. I will be forever grateful for the spark this book lit in my imagination. May the same be true for you.
April 19, 2024
The expectations we look with are the greatest restriction to seeing anything interesting.’ This sentence towards the end of Local told me that perhaps I’d approached this book with the wrong expectations. I expected an exciting adventure from Alastair Humphreys but this was slow paced, reflective and literally didn’t take me far. I also wondered if I was just not Alastair’s target reader as I’m already converted to the need to pay attention to my local environment and have been exploring my local map for several years. Having said all of this, I didn’t want the book to end. Perhaps that’s because it became more personal and less burdened with google searches, but perhaps because I’d finally tuned in to the slow pace of travel with the author.
I applaud the underlying messages that we don’t have to travel the world to appreciate the natural world or find new and exciting places and people and that we should spend more time exploring where we live. I hope Alastair keeps spreading that message and those who respond find that, by being in nature, they start to appreciate what they will miss if we don’t work to conserve our natural environment. For myself, I’m going to keep Local on one side to dip into and will approach it with different expectations as I progressively re-read it. For now, it’s a 3.5.
I applaud the underlying messages that we don’t have to travel the world to appreciate the natural world or find new and exciting places and people and that we should spend more time exploring where we live. I hope Alastair keeps spreading that message and those who respond find that, by being in nature, they start to appreciate what they will miss if we don’t work to conserve our natural environment. For myself, I’m going to keep Local on one side to dip into and will approach it with different expectations as I progressively re-read it. For now, it’s a 3.5.
July 1, 2024
So, so disappointing. I'd not read anything by him before, but we learn enough about him that I know I don't want to because he'd prefer talking about himself and his adventure experiences.
I'll give him a point for trying to search for nature, I guess. It would have been better if he was actually interested in it and could have done it without his smartphone and goal to write another book. When he's dreading sitting an hour in nature so much that he feels compelled to set a timer on his phone to mark when the hour is up. Most of the pictures are of human constructs. Seriously. Glad this was a library book.
There are so many better books about exploring nature by people who actually see nature as something other than a playground or tool for his own use. I'd give this one a big skip. I honestly wish I had.
I'll give him a point for trying to search for nature, I guess. It would have been better if he was actually interested in it and could have done it without his smartphone and goal to write another book. When he's dreading sitting an hour in nature so much that he feels compelled to set a timer on his phone to mark when the hour is up. Most of the pictures are of human constructs. Seriously. Glad this was a library book.
There are so many better books about exploring nature by people who actually see nature as something other than a playground or tool for his own use. I'd give this one a big skip. I honestly wish I had.
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