The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside?

by Guy Shrubsole

The Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lost Rainforests of Britain reveals how landowners wreck the countryside, and how the public can restore it

For centuries we’ve been sold a that you need to own the land to care for it.

Just 1% of the population own half of England, and this tiny landowning elite like to present themselves as the rightful custodians of the countryside. They’re even paid billions of pounds of public money to be good stewards. But what happens when they just don’t care?

A small number of landowners have laid waste to some of our most treasured landscapes, leaving our forests bare, our rivers polluted, our moorlands burned, and our fenlands drained. Here Guy Shrubsole journeys all over Britain to expose the damage done to our land, and meet the communities fighting the river guardians, small farmers and trespassing activists restoring our lost wildlife. Full of rage and hope, this is a bold vision for our nation’s wild places, and how we can treat them with the awe and attention they deserve.

It’s time to demand better for nature. We can start by replacing the lie of the land with a profound that any of us can care for the countryside, regardless of whether you own it.

Guy Shrubsole's book 'The Lost Rainforests of Britain' was a No.2 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-05-01.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Nature, Environment, History, Ecology, Agriculture

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2024

About the author

Guy Shrubsole works as a campaigner for Friends of the Earth and has written for numerous publications including the Guardian and New Statesman. Who Owns England? (2019) was his first book.

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

short review for busy readers:
A comprehensive look at the problems of the English countryside regarding ecology, conservation, public access and property laws. Gets a bit detail loving in parts, but on the whole very readable and highly informative. Data as recent as 2023. "Nowadays, we need landowners to be accountable not to gods or kings, but to the wider public."

Content:
Grouse Moors (scarring of land for sport)
Pheasant Shoots (mass destruction of animals for sport)
Denial of Public Access and Right to Roam (No trespassing!)
The Draining of the East Anglian Fens (England's own Dust Bowl)
National Parks (owned by Lord Timmy, not the Forestry Service)
Community Buy Outs (democracy at work)
No National Land Use Legislation (build what you want, where you want)

and more, along with workable suggestions to changes in law and what groups and individuals can do to assist flora, fauna and water in their own areas. Excellent for activists and community project groups who really want to know their facts and history. Interesting and eye-opening for the lay reader.

in detail:
England's countryside and the needs of rural communities clash violently with ancient ideas of property rights. Those who own vast tracts of land often fashion themselves "stewards of the land" or "honest farmers," claiming they are taking care of nature for the good of all.

In this book, we're shown in a fact-based, journalistic fashion (with many footnotes) that a vast majority of them are doing no such thing.

Exceptions to the rule are rare.

Wilful destruction of designated areas of scientific interest, ancient woodland, rivers and streams and the extensive draining of bog and marsh land -- all on private property -- have massively ramped up England's CO2 levels, extinguished entire species and are heavily contributing to the cycle of climate change disasters in the UK.

Much of the problem is due to successive governments of all political colours (!) not wanting to curb or tell property owners what they can do on their land, nor designate/ zone what uses rural land can be put to, as is done in cities.

That means: companies and private landowners can build shopping centres on Grade A farmland, small share farmers can be sold farmland with extremely bad dirt and virtually no yield potential and local communities have no ability to stop or control any of it.

But there are bright spots. A number of towns and community groups are finding ways -- some of them technically illegal, such as mass trespasses -- to democratise the rural landscape and protect it seriously. Long established national groups are often hampered by lack of funds for buyouts and the treacle pace of government action.

Although the book focuses largely on England, mention of Scotland, New Zealand and the US is made at times in comparison format.

Here are some quotes from the book to give an idea of the writing style as well as the content.

"Winston Churchill in his now-forgotten book on land reform, ‘It is not the individual I attack, it is the system'. The seeds of ecological destruction are contained within the framework of property rights which grant legal title over land. Private land ownership comprises a ‘bundle of rights’, one of which is the jus abutendi: the right to waste and destroy. Yet there is no corresponding legal duty on landowners to be the good stewards they often claim to be."

"Since the Second World War the belief that the fate of rural land should be determined by market forces and the whims of those who own it has been reinforced by governments which have left agriculture and forestry outside the framework of democratic planning controls.’
Extending democratic say over land use, they argued, could act as a ‘palliative to the evident inequity consequent on less than 1 per cent of the population owning land in Britain’. But as Pye-Smith and Rose readily acknowledged, ‘opposition to planning controls over farming and forestry’ was being driven precisely by ‘the power of landowners and vested interests’.

[India (IndiaReadsALot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a nature writing book in my life and I have only read a small amount of current affairs books. I am frankly very new to reading non-fiction but this book was incredibly accessible, engaging, and emotive. I learned so much from these pages and it makes me want to go out and pick litter and go out and take in the countryside. I loved as well the action plan at the end of the book which left you feeling more hopeful than you probably felt when first reading the book as you realise how depleted and destroyed our countryside truly is.

[Becca Stuttard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that introduced me to the archaic system of land ownership in the UK. Until now I hadn't properly considered how wrong it is that the public is kept out from up to 92% of our land, with right to roam on only 8% in England, and how badly private land is mismanaged on the public's behalf. Especially with consideration to the resultant millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions given off from this land area. Taught me about the possibility of converting poor Grade 4 and 5 listed land areas to carbon sinks and rewilding projects, with government stewardship funds to support, which are currently funnelled into the pockets of already-rich land owners who don't put the money to good use. That would help solve the problem I had puzzled over of what to do with infertile land overused in high-polluting livestock farming.

The final chapter's plan of action provided useful guidance on how to help forward the movement to bring land into public hands.

[Angus]

auntie at the farm lent me this after a conversation complaining about our pitiful right to roam in england

[Thomas Vaughan]

Key things I learned:

Community buy out schemes: important for communities to have first refusal on new sales at market value to avoid behind-closed-door auctions to private land holders.

The need for a national land useage framework; that there is no impetus to conserve the ecology of conservation areas beyond preserving ‘natural beauty’.

That rural areas are excluded from planning authorities, meaning the jus abutendi, right to destroy or waste, remains in tact regardless of the public good. determine the most productive areas of land

Just how little land is publicly owned, even by National Park authorities, with Bannau Brycheiniog holding the most with only 10% of the entire beacons.

That the least productive 23% of agricultural land can be put into nature recovery and removed from productivity and result only in a loss of 3% of our foodstuffs, and that these areas largely coincide with carbon sink habitats like moorland and peatland. Therefore, we need a land use framework.

The Fen Tigers were sick.

[Penny Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and informative. At times depressing and occasionally inspiring. An important read but also a difficult read. Has made me want to get more involved somehow, being angry and sad about our ever diminishing natural and beautiful country isn't enough.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book from Guy Shrubsole. He effortlessly delivers facts without sounding overly pushy or angry about the subject, even though he must be fuming! keep it up.

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The greatest lie of the land is you have to own it to care for it’ Chock full of examples of communities and activists campaigning for nature restoration and land rights where some landowners do their very best to destroy nature but represent themselves as ‘stewards’ of nature and paid by the taxpayer for the privilege!

The examples of moorland burning and mismanagement particularly pertinent to me coming from a community in the Upper Calder Valley who have experienced devastating flooding resulting from grouse moor mismanagement. Why should the elite few harbour the land and destroy whilst the rest of us are wiped out by ecological destruction?

What I liked about the book is it sets out examples of solutions, so rather than just being completely depressing it shows there are solutions, mostly that can be achieved by government, which is also depressing given the current shitshow we have.

However as the last page of the book says, ‘don’t get angry, get involved’ and is a plea to campaign to protect nature. As someone who runs a community garden and aims to restore and protect nature locally, I can attest to being one of many who cares for land without ever owning it- this land is our land and it is for everyone!

[Normanreadmoreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can help us reimagine our relationship with the land!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it’s very well written and was a great listen, despite the subject being infuriating at times. UK land ownership is highly undemocratic, with just 1% of the population owning half of it. For decades, much of their stewardship has eroded precious landscapes and damaged ecosystem services.
The author discusses a range of interesting case studies set against an important historical backdrop. It doesn’t have to be this way, and I appreciated them highlighting individuals and organisations bravely taking on this grand challenge.

Some really interesting measures are proposed at the end, of which I especially like the idea of an ‘ecological doomsday book’. I also enjoyed the nod to Danny the Champion of the World!

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Landowners are not held to account despite receiving billions of pounds over recent decades to be what they claim to be, custodians of the countryside.
This is The Lie, they are not custodians, they are responsible for the massive loss of habitats and species and yet successive governments have continued to subsidise them.

It’s a grim story of greed and arrogance and Guy Shrubsole tells it well. This book should be discussed in schools, homes, colleges, youth groups, communities everywhere, we all need to wake up to the truth and act on it and Guy makes some excellent suggestions about what can be done.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly superb lay of the land. From the history, to the issues at hand, to the ways in which we can achieve a landscape that serves all people, the wild forna and flora, and the wider climate, this is a book that needs to be read by not only the public, but the politicians. You don't need a masters in conservation or ecology to understand it and that makes it all the more powerful. It provides enough evidence and examples to light a fire in the belly of any nature and wildlife lover.

[Emily]

I was hyped for this but I couldn't get past the first chapter as it was too depressing. Will try and return to it some other time when the world feels less doom and gloom (if it ever does again)

[Eithne]

An excellent writer. Definitely helps my enjoyment of the book that I don't follow British environment news so I was learning a lot as I was reading.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read about what the hell is going on with rural English land ownership - infuriating & revolutionising! Unfortunate that the author is so hopeful that the (at the time) incoming Labour govt would tackle these issues… also a quite dense read.

[Howard Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on land reform and a call to arms for democratic efforts to tackle the ecological crisis in the UK.

[Vicky Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well researched, written and argued. As someone who grew up in the British countryside I’m amazed how much this book has changed my perspectives on land stewardship and who is really ruining the countryside. And if you liked this book I really recommend Guy’s Lost Rainforests of Britain- another eye opening and extraordinary read.

[Mr Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engaging, detailed exposé by Guy Shrubsole of the narrative of who owns the land in England, how this ‘myth’ has become enshrined, and how we can create a new framing to appoint new stewards to change this ‘lie of the land’.

Shrubsole makes the repeated point in this book that ‘Stewardship, though a noble ideal, is too often greenwash.’ He convincingly argues that accountability and responsibility lie at the heart of ownership. ‘We have to make the self-appointed custodians of the countryside answerable to the rest of us.’ This is a repeated mantra throughout, that for too long, estate managers and landowners have escaped scrutiny for actions on their land, which has negative impacts ‘downstream’- sadly, and all too often, this can be a literal downstream, where river pollution and land degradation can be found.

Shrubsole opens his text by framing his extended argument, ‘Owning land, particularly large swathes of it, ought to come with serious responsibilities to society and to the rest of the natural world.’ He argues that, on one hand, it is patronising to assume that the public are not capable of performing such a protective role. He continues that additionally, this ideology perpetuates and reinforces the protective interests of the landed elite- and their political interests. Why are the public at large not regarded as being capable stewards of the land?

On a minor level, homeowners, especially those with gardens, are viewed as being more than capable to be stewards of their gardens- but how and why this cannot be upscaled is puzzling. ‘We ignore the fact that private homes and gardens take up just 5 per cent of the country. The reality is that we all have a legitimate interest in how the other 95% of our land is used because we all depend upon it.’
Shrubsole identifies that the framing of ‘stewardship’ is a new concept, designed to exclude and designed to defend against accusations of land harm. ‘The language of stewardship was deliberately revived in the late twentieth century by landowners and farming unions to defend themselves against accusations of environmental destruction.’ This concept that only the rich can be effective stewards of the land is revealed to a perniciously invented narrative that has become entrenched in a class struggle.

The central argument of the book is introduced early on- ‘But the greatest lie of the land is the idea that you have to own land to care for it.’ Shrubsole identifies many action groups and individuals who push for protection of the land, through campaigning, to expose the truth behind the greenwashing promises and pledges and who build legal arguments to grant nature legal personhood.

It is the ego-centric argument that land is property to be used, but that it has legal rights itself- a legal movement that, thankfully, is beginning to spread.

A clear example of this is the current formation of the criteria to apply to designate an area of land as an ‘Asset of Community Value’. ‘The official criteria under which land can be listed as an Asset of Community Value must be broadened to include environmental and economic benefits alongside social ones.’ In an application, it is advised to show that the land is ‘used’ by members of the community in a quantifiable manner- that physical actions are conducted there. Simply enjoying the land as existing in its own right and for its own sake is far too abstract an idea at present for councils. ‘Community ownership offers a strikingly different way to own and manage land more democratically than merely trusting in the benevolence of the larger private landowners.’

Land as a trophy

Shrubsole then turns his attention onto those who regard land as an indication of wealth and status, who are more interested in this element than effective land management. From grouse moors to peat bogs, he outlines actions and examples where legal loopholes have allowed destructive actions to take place in these areas and suggests that perhaps this is not accidental. ‘The extremely cosy relationship between wealthy grouse moor owners and our political class has meant the industry has avoided any serious regulation for decades.’

An idea whose time has come

Shrubsole emphasises that proactive protection for nature isn’t just desirable,but essential. ‘Today we face an even more existential threat than invasion: the climate crisis and the unravelling of the very web of life that we all depend upon.’ A declaration of a ‘Nature Emergency’ to begin to halt the horrific decline of nature in the UK needs to be a priority for this new government. Government intervention is key argues Shrubsole, and he makes the valid point that land is not bought compulsorily for nature, but is regularly done for large infrastructure projects which often harm nature. ‘But we accept the principle of the public sector being able to buy land compulsorily when it builds infrastructure; why not for nature? If the government can buy land for roads, railways and energy, why not for vital carbon sinks and the ecosystems we all depend on?’

Replacing the ‘lie of the land’

Shrubsole argues powerfully that land should be a ‘common treasury for all’ and not just the purview of and for the powerful elite. He identifies that some landowners have failed to be good stewards of the land, but have escaped accountability and censure for this. Not all have a love for the land. ‘The reality is that private property ownership doesn't inevitably breed respect for nature.’ He states that it is past time to ‘democratise the governance of land’ in order to save nature in Britain and that this could be done through new Government policies. From the evidence gathered so far and with the rising climate and nature crises, Shrubsole insists that, ‘The fate of our land is too important to be left only to those who own it.’

He finally urges that we need to take back the narrative that has served the interests of landowners and not the interests of the land.

‘Let's replace the lie of the land with a profound truth that anyone can develop a deep love of nature, place, and land, regardless of whether you own it.’

[Eggletina · Rating 4 out of 5]

accessible and enraging - I learned so much

[Rosalind Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest expose of elite land ownership.

I liked everything about this book. It informs truthfully about the inequality of England when it comes to the right to roam compared to Scotland. It throws light on the lack of stewardship for their land that some landowners hide away from view. It highlights the shocking truth that no one can really own land, we are all only transitory stewards. Many of today's landowners are thoughtlessly destroying nature to exploit 'their' land for kudos, big profits, in land management which is detrimental to nature and releasing carbon to our fragile atmosphere. But Shrubsole's book is a wake up call to everyone. If we own land we must properly care for it and all life living in it. If we do not own land we must be allowed the Right to Roam over it - four our health, mental well being and sheer love of Creation. Land unused can be ReWilded for Nature. Full of common sense, this book brings home the historic inequalities of rich versus poor still extant today. But it also powerfully puts forward Just solutions. Read it and feel angry. You will be enlightened and in possession of the truth about the British Isles.

[Andreweley86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thought provoking, incisive and meticulously researched. Especially in the current political climate.

I'm a keen rambler and I hadn't considered, and why would I when most of the UK's media and legislators are part of the cabal of vested interests maintaining the status quo, that our countryside, national parks and places of immense natural beauty are being raped and pillaged by many, likely the majority save a few good farmers and landowners, of the very same people who claim stewardship over the land.

No wonder these people throw up so many fences and keep out signs, and routinely fail to maintain public footpaths. They don't want people seeing what they are doing.

This expose of the systemic failure to steward our green spaces, failure to strategically manage the land, and failure to adhere to what scant regulation does exist highlights crime that reaches into the top echelons of the country. It is a must read and much of what is in here and how to fix it should be on the national curriculum, especially as so many of us wring our hands, think there is nothing to be done and pass the responsibility of fixing our broken country and planet on to the next generation.

[Julie Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lie of the Land has left me as enraged as when I read Nick Hayes's The Book of Trespass and the themes are familiar.

With only 8% of the land in England accessible to the public we are led to believe that the owners of the other 92% are responsible stewards and that the great English public are best kept away lest they damage or spoil the land while the owners can be trusted to act in the best interests of nature.

However, as Guy Shrubsole illustrates time and time again, this is often not the case. From the damage caused by moorland burning to encourage better environments for grouse shooting (not exactly a sport enjoyed by the masses) to the decision to drain the fens taken by a handful of wealthy peers back in the 17th century, landowners too often abuse their over-representation in positions of power to push for decisions that work for them rather than nature and the general public.

Guy Shrubsole is a great writer and the amount of research he has done for The Lie of the Land is impressive. He finishes the book with some good advice to those in power but also what little old us can do to make a difference. I've joined Right to Roam so far.

[Steve Lawless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, argued and evidenced book by Guy Shrubsole. I've given it five stars for that reason and it's readability. I would argue however that all land should be publicly owned and therefore nationalised. If private landowners were not allowed to sell or give their deeds of ownership of land to others then that land could pass to the state on their death. For land owned by institutions it should be compulsory purchased by the state. Privately owned land, in the meantime, would still have to be compliant with planning regulation for nature. In other words I don't think the book is radical enough. He has clearly given up on the idea that land can be nationalised. I don't see why private owners of thousands of acres of land who have acquired this through inheritance and which was originally stolen from the commons should be compensated for the nationalisation of their land.

[Suzanne Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone in the UK who professes to love nature and our countryside. We are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. 97% farm wild flowers have been lost since the 30s, 50% of our wildlife since 70s. Earth worm populations have fallen by a third in 20 years…..

As the author says ‘Earth is not dying we are killing it and the killing is being done by people with names and addresses’.

This books looks at land ownership, stewardship, land practices (farming and pheasant shooting) government response and potential ways forward. If we are to save our land we need radical change. This book inspires action.

It is also well written, an easy read and a good listen on audio.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don’t already care, you will by end. And if you already care, you’ll care more

Again a book by Guy Shrubsole that is absolutely essential reading. This isn’t just an expose, it can serve as a manifesto. The daft thing for those in power is that their thinking has already been done for them by campaigners like Shrubsole, along with other thoughtfully compiled, excellently researched books such as these.

It’s a pleasure to read a book that informs, enlightens and is also so brilliant. Unputdownable non-fiction; one that could be used as a guide for this generation, and for those to come.

It’s not hyperbolic to call this essential reading. It’s fascinating, frustrating, scary, hopeful and brilliant.

[Dylan Vieites Glennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - I have enjoyed reading all Shrubsole's works both their subject matter and his writing style. This work is a scathing critique of Britain's land ownership and stewardship, revealing the stark contrast between the myth of landowners as guardians of the countryside and the harsh reality of ecological destruction. He persuasively argues the widespread belief only landowners can care for the land is a pernicious myth, designed to maintain their power. In doing so, he challenges readers to rethink the relationship between land ownership and environmental stewardship, urging a shift towards collective responsibility and action to protect Britain's natural heritage. This book is both a call to action and a testament to the power of community-driven conservation efforts.

[NN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book in a row of a series that takes nature writing out of the cosey seat and into campaigning and direct action. Where a lot of narrative non-fiction (tricky name for a very welcome genre) takes the single author uncovering the story, here the author gives the stages to the people in his network that make his story possible. Also a very powerful tool in transforming the power of writing. And as always luckily his routemap leads us outdoors. Hugely inspiring for other countries with their own specific challenges to move forward.

[Tal Taran · Rating 5 out of 5]

"To those who would dismiss this as some sort of pinko communism, it's worth recalling again the words of Winston Churchill, who in 1909 wrote: 'Land, I say, differs from all other forms of property.' Land, he argued, is 'a necessity of human existence' and 'the original source of wealth'.

This is an incredibly compelling call to rethink land use within the UK—within the bounds of a capitalist system. The lie that those who own land 'know how to care for it best' is stripped of its clothing here and seen to be a ghoul pretending to be of legitimate form.

[Philip Horspool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read a non fiction book that hits the nail on the head for you and you find yourself nodding in agreement throughout. Two examples that spring to mind for me are The Spirit Level and more recently Less is More. I definitely add this book to the list. If you want to find out how land is (mis)used in England then this is the book for you, if you want to discover yet another example of inequality and discrimination then again this is for you. But most importantly if you want some concrete, workable and sensible suggestions on what we should do with the land, then read this.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really is amazing. Not just for the writing (clear and compelling), the research (everything based on well established facts) and the hope (there really are pathways to a better outcome for the countryside). The amazing part is that the book is the tip of something much bigger as the author's passions connect people and places. He is never content to describe - always there is campaigning and new ideas and activism.

[Sorrento · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched book, full of shocking information about how England's landowners whilst portraying themselves as the stewards of the countryside have been doing the v opposite of what a good steward should do by preventing access, damaging the land and exterminating the wildlife. A timely call to arms that will hopefully raise awareness and lead to change for a better landscape we all can enjoy (including our precious wildlife).