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Ethel: The Biography of Countryside Pioneer Ethel Haythornthwaite
Pioneer, activist, environmentalist, poet. Ethel Haythornthwaite is virtually unknown, even in her hometown of Sheffield—the UK's outdoor city—yet her tireless campaigning led to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the creation of the Peak District National Park, protecting a wild and varied landscape so many have fallen in love with. Founder of a local society to protect rural scenery in 1924, she went on to join the Council for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) and become its wartime director. Saviour of the beautiful Longshaw estate, her achievements also include establishing the first green belt in the UK.
In Ethel, award-winning author Helen Mort explores the life of this countryside revolutionary. Having been given unrestricted access to Haythornthwaite's archive, including hundreds of meticulously written letters, Mort has written letters to Haythornthwaite's memory and a paean to her legacy. Born into wealth yet frugal, ever restless but infinitely patient, widowed at twenty-two, independent and thoroughly ahead of her time, Haythornthwaite helped save the British countryside at a time when simply being a woman was challenge enough.
In Ethel, award-winning author Helen Mort explores the life of this countryside revolutionary. Having been given unrestricted access to Haythornthwaite's archive, including hundreds of meticulously written letters, Mort has written letters to Haythornthwaite's memory and a paean to her legacy. Born into wealth yet frugal, ever restless but infinitely patient, widowed at twenty-two, independent and thoroughly ahead of her time, Haythornthwaite helped save the British countryside at a time when simply being a woman was challenge enough.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2024
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About the author
Helen Mort
40 books65 followersHelen Mort is a poet and author from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Her collection Division Street was shortlisted for the Costa Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize and won the Fenton Aldeburgh Prize in 2014. She was described by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as "among the brightest stars in the sparkling new constellation of young British poets". She is a Cultural Fellow at the University of Leeds, and one of the judges for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize.
Adapted from: http://www.poetaflamenco.com/
Adapted from: http://www.poetaflamenco.com/
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 28, 2026
You may ask why I am reading the biography of a woman most people have never heard of, Ethel Haythornthwaite. Well, a few reasons. It was written by Helen Mort, the writer of one of my favourite novels of all time. Ethel was also from Sheffield, a place I have great fondness for. I went to university there and lived there for several years. Ethel was an activist, environmentalist and campaigner for the countryside. She was an early member of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). She also campaigned for the setting up of green belts and was instrumental in the setting up of the Peak District National Park.
She lived from 1894 to 1986. She was also a poet and the biography also includes a fifty-page extended poem about the Peak District. She was born into a wealthy family and used her wealth and influence to purchase tracts of land for preservation. Her first husband was killed in the First World War and she was encouraged as part of the grieving process she was encouraged to get out into the countryside. She did and learned to love and appreciate it. She also realised that it was being destroyed by inappropriate development. I suspect much of her later campaigning life was spent on committees and writing letters (she did a lot of that). She was successful with others in changing government policy in relation to National Parks and green belts. She was also a strong believer in free access to the countryside. The land she acquired, she gifted to the National Trust.
Ethel has found the right biographer in Helen Mort. Mort is also passionate about the Peak District where she rambles and climbs. This is an excellent biography of someone who is pretty much unknown but who played a crucial role in the early environmental movement.
She lived from 1894 to 1986. She was also a poet and the biography also includes a fifty-page extended poem about the Peak District. She was born into a wealthy family and used her wealth and influence to purchase tracts of land for preservation. Her first husband was killed in the First World War and she was encouraged as part of the grieving process she was encouraged to get out into the countryside. She did and learned to love and appreciate it. She also realised that it was being destroyed by inappropriate development. I suspect much of her later campaigning life was spent on committees and writing letters (she did a lot of that). She was successful with others in changing government policy in relation to National Parks and green belts. She was also a strong believer in free access to the countryside. The land she acquired, she gifted to the National Trust.
Ethel has found the right biographer in Helen Mort. Mort is also passionate about the Peak District where she rambles and climbs. This is an excellent biography of someone who is pretty much unknown but who played a crucial role in the early environmental movement.
April 3, 2026
Ethel Haythornthwaite was a pioneer of conservation and worked tirelessly for years, (even when grieving her husband of a few months who was killed in the First World War) to secure both a green belt around Sheffield and to help create the Peak National Park. I really enjoyed finding out about Ethel, her life, work, determination and forceful personality, but the book contained too much of the writer’s own life, observations, trips to the Peak District and general musings about Ethel, including letters to Ethel from the writer’s perspective in the present day, which felt rather contrived. The research was excellent, but I felt the blend of personal reflections, poetic descriptions and biography just didn’t work.
Half the book is taken up by Ethel Haythornthwaite’s epic poem ‘The Pride of the Peak’ which is, in my opinion, pretty terrible poetry, but despite this Helen Mort has done well to present this long forgotten work to a modern audience as readers might enjoy seeing their favourite places represented by someone who clearly loved the landscape and was writing in the 1930s and middle of the 20th century.
Half the book is taken up by Ethel Haythornthwaite’s epic poem ‘The Pride of the Peak’ which is, in my opinion, pretty terrible poetry, but despite this Helen Mort has done well to present this long forgotten work to a modern audience as readers might enjoy seeing their favourite places represented by someone who clearly loved the landscape and was writing in the 1930s and middle of the 20th century.
September 18, 2024
I’m so glad the CPRE chose Helen Mort to write this book. Not only was Ethel Haythornthwaite an activist she was also a poet whose passion for the countryside shone through her poetry, and so a poet to write the memoir is a perfect choice. The book is beautifully written, as per all of Helen’s work, recreating in words the landscape Ethel was so determined to protect and reminding us of its beauty. Helen clearly wanted to find the connection with her subject rather than write about her from a distance, and the letters at the start of each chapter show that urge to find her.
Ethel was born into a wealthy Sheffield family, but suffered a devastating blow when her husband was killed in the First World War. It was getting out into the Derbyshire countryside that healed her, and that was the motivation for her to campaign to preserve the beauty of the Peak District. Although her name has mostly been lost in history, it is through her hard work, using her connections, writing letters, giving talks, putting her money where her mouth was and persuading others to do the same, that the green belt around Sheffield, and the Peak District national park exist.
The book ends with Ethel’s poem The Pride of the Peak which sweeps through the national park following the movement of the seasons. Places everyone will recognise, brought to life in vivid, urgent poetry, mirroring the vitality and awe of nature, reminding us of all we will lose if we sit back and allow the climate crisis to happen around us. Helen Mort does a huge justice to Ethel’s pioneering spirit; she fought so hard because she realised the essential need to protect this natural landscape, now more than ever we need to do the same.
Ethel was born into a wealthy Sheffield family, but suffered a devastating blow when her husband was killed in the First World War. It was getting out into the Derbyshire countryside that healed her, and that was the motivation for her to campaign to preserve the beauty of the Peak District. Although her name has mostly been lost in history, it is through her hard work, using her connections, writing letters, giving talks, putting her money where her mouth was and persuading others to do the same, that the green belt around Sheffield, and the Peak District national park exist.
The book ends with Ethel’s poem The Pride of the Peak which sweeps through the national park following the movement of the seasons. Places everyone will recognise, brought to life in vivid, urgent poetry, mirroring the vitality and awe of nature, reminding us of all we will lose if we sit back and allow the climate crisis to happen around us. Helen Mort does a huge justice to Ethel’s pioneering spirit; she fought so hard because she realised the essential need to protect this natural landscape, now more than ever we need to do the same.
March 15, 2025
Disappointing. Embarrassingly flowery writing with little substance, felt I didn't actually learn much about Ethel the woman. I learned more about the writer and the geography of the Peak District - nice but not what I paid for.
May 29, 2024
Although I’ve hiked and climbed in the Peak District National Park for many decades and, more recently, explored Sheffield and enjoyed its many green spaces, I had never heard of Ethel Haythornwaite and so had no idea that, had it not been for her tireless and determined campaigning, frequently in the face of considerable opposition, the landscapes which I’ve been able to enjoy would almost certainly have either looked very different or been inaccessible to the general public, so I’m delighted that Helen Mort decided to tell the story of this truly remarkable woman.
Biographers are generally discouraged from ‘inserting’ themselves into the story of their subject but I loved how Helen combined her considerable research into Ethel’s personal life and her campaigning with personal ‘asides’. I enjoyed her ‘interrogatory’ letters to Ethel, which preceded each chapter of the book and in which she asked all the questions she would have liked to ask had they been corresponding in real life. I also enjoyed her reflections on her own experiences when walking in Ethel’s footsteps, enjoying and appreciating the terrain which this wonderful pioneer had fought so hard to protect. I appreciated discovering that not only did Ethel actively protect the beauty and, at times, wild grandeur of the physical environment, but that she so beautifully and evocatively captured its essence through the poetry she wrote throughout her long life. Interspersed through the biography Helen included various snippets of this poetry and, to my delight, devoted the final sixty pages of the book to the reproduction of Ethel’s ‘The Pride of the Peak’, her epic paean to the countryside she so loved.
I think that Helen’s idiosyncratic approach to writing this biography, combined with her own very poetic writing-style, made this feel like a very intimate interaction between two people who, had they ever met, would probably have enjoyed each other’s company. This definitely made for a hugely enjoyable, and informative, reading experience for me and I know that I’ll return to this book to re-read Ethel’s poetry, and to delight anew in the local words which feature throughout it, some of which I knew but I must express my thanks to Helen for including the glossary which ‘translated’ the many which were new to me!
With thanks to Vertebrate Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Biographers are generally discouraged from ‘inserting’ themselves into the story of their subject but I loved how Helen combined her considerable research into Ethel’s personal life and her campaigning with personal ‘asides’. I enjoyed her ‘interrogatory’ letters to Ethel, which preceded each chapter of the book and in which she asked all the questions she would have liked to ask had they been corresponding in real life. I also enjoyed her reflections on her own experiences when walking in Ethel’s footsteps, enjoying and appreciating the terrain which this wonderful pioneer had fought so hard to protect. I appreciated discovering that not only did Ethel actively protect the beauty and, at times, wild grandeur of the physical environment, but that she so beautifully and evocatively captured its essence through the poetry she wrote throughout her long life. Interspersed through the biography Helen included various snippets of this poetry and, to my delight, devoted the final sixty pages of the book to the reproduction of Ethel’s ‘The Pride of the Peak’, her epic paean to the countryside she so loved.
I think that Helen’s idiosyncratic approach to writing this biography, combined with her own very poetic writing-style, made this feel like a very intimate interaction between two people who, had they ever met, would probably have enjoyed each other’s company. This definitely made for a hugely enjoyable, and informative, reading experience for me and I know that I’ll return to this book to re-read Ethel’s poetry, and to delight anew in the local words which feature throughout it, some of which I knew but I must express my thanks to Helen for including the glossary which ‘translated’ the many which were new to me!
With thanks to Vertebrate Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2024
I don't know how Helen Mort came to get the Ethel Haythornthwaite biographer gig from the CPRE but it was an inspired choice. Ethel Haythornthwaite was an upper middle class daughter of Sheffield, born into manufacturing money. Her first marriage was cut horribly short by the death of her husband in WWI and she took her grief out into the surrounding countryside... and then worked ever after to protect and make that countryside available to her fellow citizens, her tools letter-writing and persuasion. It was startling to realise how many places and organisations in which she was instrumental.
Mort highlights the evolution of aims - what Ethel was seeking to achieve (preservation of landscape) is both different from the biodiversity and other aims of modern day campaigners but speaks very much to the most recent emphasis on value of access to open and wilder spaces for human mental health. She tells a straightforward biographical story (back and forth) interspersed with letters from her to Ethel. Many brief details leapt out at me - the problem of litter in the countryside is on this evidence not a new one, the distance which opened up when her sister disapproved of her marriage to the much younger Gerald Haythornthwaite, the dementia.
The latter part of the book, to my surprise, is a re-printing of Ethel's long form poem The Pride of the Peak. This is very much not a type of poetry I care for generally, but it works beautifully here. It is dedicated to the people of Sheffield and its equivalent now would be a spectacular drone filmed documentary, swooping all round the Peak District. It very much vindicates the use of her name for the Ethel Ready app project which encourages the visiting of many prominences in and around the National Park - the obvious and the less noted, all defined as 'Ethels'. It is followed by a glossary of local words which is sadly incomplete in clarifying all the terms she uses in the poem.
Mort highlights the evolution of aims - what Ethel was seeking to achieve (preservation of landscape) is both different from the biodiversity and other aims of modern day campaigners but speaks very much to the most recent emphasis on value of access to open and wilder spaces for human mental health. She tells a straightforward biographical story (back and forth) interspersed with letters from her to Ethel. Many brief details leapt out at me - the problem of litter in the countryside is on this evidence not a new one, the distance which opened up when her sister disapproved of her marriage to the much younger Gerald Haythornthwaite, the dementia.
The latter part of the book, to my surprise, is a re-printing of Ethel's long form poem The Pride of the Peak. This is very much not a type of poetry I care for generally, but it works beautifully here. It is dedicated to the people of Sheffield and its equivalent now would be a spectacular drone filmed documentary, swooping all round the Peak District. It very much vindicates the use of her name for the Ethel Ready app project which encourages the visiting of many prominences in and around the National Park - the obvious and the less noted, all defined as 'Ethels'. It is followed by a glossary of local words which is sadly incomplete in clarifying all the terms she uses in the poem.
May 23, 2024
I had previously known nothing of the life or achievements of this remarkable woman before seeing this biography. The book covers several chapters on Ethel Haythornthwaite's life, in chronological order. Much was gleaned from The Threat to the Peak, a collection of publications with which Ethel was involved, compiled at the time. Given that the author was born only the year before Ethel's death in 1986, no direct personal correspondence was possible. Each of the main chapters opens with starts with a letter she would (now) liked to have been able to send, basically asking 'What would Ethel have done about this?', but of course we cannot know.
I started the book expecting a straight biography, but while the frequent switches to the present day and discussions of the author's walks and runs (presumably to give context to the nature of this part of the countryside) were interesting, I found they diverted the focus from Ethel to herself and were distracting. Amusing interludes included the existence of Lizzie the elephant, conscripted locally at the start of WW1 from the circus to help move the vast quantities of scrap metal required to feed Sheffield's steel industry.
The last third of the book comprises the reproduction of Ethel's epic poem The Pride of the Peak covering 60 pages. A strong interest in poetry would be useful to get the most out of this book, especially as other excerpts from her poems make frequent appearances in the main part of the book.
What this book has done, however, is to re-introduce Ethel's importance to the development of the Peak District National Park in this region which appears to have largely forgotten about her.
I started the book expecting a straight biography, but while the frequent switches to the present day and discussions of the author's walks and runs (presumably to give context to the nature of this part of the countryside) were interesting, I found they diverted the focus from Ethel to herself and were distracting. Amusing interludes included the existence of Lizzie the elephant, conscripted locally at the start of WW1 from the circus to help move the vast quantities of scrap metal required to feed Sheffield's steel industry.
The last third of the book comprises the reproduction of Ethel's epic poem The Pride of the Peak covering 60 pages. A strong interest in poetry would be useful to get the most out of this book, especially as other excerpts from her poems make frequent appearances in the main part of the book.
What this book has done, however, is to re-introduce Ethel's importance to the development of the Peak District National Park in this region which appears to have largely forgotten about her.
May 30, 2024
Who was Ethel Haythornthwaite and why have I never heard of this inspiring woman, who helped shaped the modern countryside?
To be honest, I’d never heard of her and feel that we really should know this remarkable woman, who pioneered the early National Parks, that allow us today to visit and walk in her footsteps today. Thankfully, Helen Mort has been able to delve into Ethel’s life and imaginatively retold her story through a thought-provoking biography, interspersed with her own thoughts, questions and pieces of poetry that Ethel had written.
This biography is long overdue and hopefully, others will come to appreciate reading this, will agree that Ethel deserves higher recognition. It tells of her constant and dogmatic approach to ensure the countryside is available to all, whilst living through 2 world wars, losing her first husband in the first world war and having to contend in a male dominated world. The life of Ethel comes through in the various chapters, showing her rugged determination to change life for the better and leaving a legacy that today, we need to build upon. The book makes you question your own ideals of what legacy we want to leave behind for future generations and the role the countryside plays in that role. A legacy which is in constant flux and faces new challenges, we can draw inspiration from Ethel and continue to strive for a better future.
To be honest, I’d never heard of her and feel that we really should know this remarkable woman, who pioneered the early National Parks, that allow us today to visit and walk in her footsteps today. Thankfully, Helen Mort has been able to delve into Ethel’s life and imaginatively retold her story through a thought-provoking biography, interspersed with her own thoughts, questions and pieces of poetry that Ethel had written.
This biography is long overdue and hopefully, others will come to appreciate reading this, will agree that Ethel deserves higher recognition. It tells of her constant and dogmatic approach to ensure the countryside is available to all, whilst living through 2 world wars, losing her first husband in the first world war and having to contend in a male dominated world. The life of Ethel comes through in the various chapters, showing her rugged determination to change life for the better and leaving a legacy that today, we need to build upon. The book makes you question your own ideals of what legacy we want to leave behind for future generations and the role the countryside plays in that role. A legacy which is in constant flux and faces new challenges, we can draw inspiration from Ethel and continue to strive for a better future.
August 18, 2025
This is book 18 of my 20 books of summer 2025.
These are the kind of women I want to read about! I knew nothing of Ethel, before I saw her book recommended somewhere online, and now I'm very glad I've learnt more about her and wish there were more women about like her now!
She was born into wealth so led quite the privileged life, but nature and the countryside were her calling and she became a huge countryside pioneer and through the power of letter writing, it led to so many changes for the English countryside - all through her quiet revolutionary actions! We need more of this in the world!
She led a fascinating life, and the author captures all aspects of that from her personal life, her poetry and her work to help protect nature and allow access to places for everyone, which led to the national parks. A really inspirational woman who didn't do things for personal glory or attention, who just wanted to protect the walks she enjoyed and alllow more people to have access to places. Highly recommended!!
These are the kind of women I want to read about! I knew nothing of Ethel, before I saw her book recommended somewhere online, and now I'm very glad I've learnt more about her and wish there were more women about like her now!
She was born into wealth so led quite the privileged life, but nature and the countryside were her calling and she became a huge countryside pioneer and through the power of letter writing, it led to so many changes for the English countryside - all through her quiet revolutionary actions! We need more of this in the world!
She led a fascinating life, and the author captures all aspects of that from her personal life, her poetry and her work to help protect nature and allow access to places for everyone, which led to the national parks. A really inspirational woman who didn't do things for personal glory or attention, who just wanted to protect the walks she enjoyed and alllow more people to have access to places. Highly recommended!!
July 7, 2024
Having lived in Sheffield for nearly ten years, and subsequently falling in love in the Peak District, I absolutely adored this book.
The first biographical section of the book, carefully, poetically and lovingly told by Mort, is so important in understanding not only the establishment of the Peak District as a national park, but in providing the pretext for Sheffield’s status as a green city, the ‘outdoor city’ of England, largely fuelled by Ethel herself. As someone who frequently uses our protected ‘green belt’ to walk from my house to the Peaks, I am a little embarrassed to have not been aware of its context.
The second part of the book absolutely blew me away. A romantic long poem written by Ethel entitled ‘The Pride of the Peak’, a love letter to the Peak District. Knowing the places she speaks of allowed me to imagine myself there with her, soaking it all up. Incredible.
Ethel is now a true hero of mine!
The first biographical section of the book, carefully, poetically and lovingly told by Mort, is so important in understanding not only the establishment of the Peak District as a national park, but in providing the pretext for Sheffield’s status as a green city, the ‘outdoor city’ of England, largely fuelled by Ethel herself. As someone who frequently uses our protected ‘green belt’ to walk from my house to the Peaks, I am a little embarrassed to have not been aware of its context.
The second part of the book absolutely blew me away. A romantic long poem written by Ethel entitled ‘The Pride of the Peak’, a love letter to the Peak District. Knowing the places she speaks of allowed me to imagine myself there with her, soaking it all up. Incredible.
Ethel is now a true hero of mine!
July 16, 2024
This is a book which shines a light on a woman at the forefront of pioneering active conservation that may have been largely overlooked in popular history. Ethel Haythornthwaite's campaigning was instrumental in the formation of National Parks in England. With a focus on her home area of Sheffield it will be of particular interest to those interested in the Peak District.
The style is unusual consisting partly of the authors letters to the subject and her interpretation of what Haythornthwaite would think of these thoughts. It didn't quite work for me as I sometimes I felt I was learning more about the author than the subject. The author also refers to a large extent on the subjects poetry which will appeal more to some than others.
So this is a book for those interested in poetry, history of the conservation movement and the Peak District, and to those who like the authors style.
The style is unusual consisting partly of the authors letters to the subject and her interpretation of what Haythornthwaite would think of these thoughts. It didn't quite work for me as I sometimes I felt I was learning more about the author than the subject. The author also refers to a large extent on the subjects poetry which will appeal more to some than others.
So this is a book for those interested in poetry, history of the conservation movement and the Peak District, and to those who like the authors style.
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June 10, 2024A short 100 page biography of national parks pioneer Ethel Haythornthwaite whose campaigning is attributed to the formation of the Peak District national park and permanent green belt around Sheffield. Ethels life is well researched and documented by Helen Mort, who peppers the book with contemporary letters to Ethel which act as a conversation with Ethel and serve as if friendly progress updates to Ethel on the writing of the book. The book also includes a reproduction of ‘The Pride of the Peak’, which is a long poem written by Ethel in 1926. The book is full of photos of Ethel and other relevant illustrations and will be of interest to anyone that loves the outdoor life and the history of the wonderful national parks.
April 13, 2025
I’m glad this book was written as I hadn’t heard of Ethel before this (despite living in Sheffield since 2007 and studying Geography here). However I found in quite challenging to get into at first. It felt like I was reading an academic piece of writing rather than a biography, with a lot of poetry references (which I guess makes sense when you look into the authors background). It also seems that there still is much unknown about Ethel and bits felt like padding at times. However I loved Helen’s description of the Peaks and her knowledge of the area shone through. I also thought she raised some important questions on access to the countryside. I agree with her totally that we need a statue/mural of Ethel in the city to remember her important and pioneering work.
June 13, 2024
I had never heard about Ethel but I chose this book as I am interested in protecting our wild spaces. What an interesting person she was, without her determination and influence it makes you wonder what some of the countryside would be like now, especially the Peak District. She campaigned to create green belts around Sheffield and to create the Peak District National Park. She joined the council of preservation for rural England and several other groups, often being the only female member, protecting the countryside. She was a pioneer, activist, environmentalist and poet, an amazing person and a very interesting and informative read
June 9, 2024
I kindly received a review copy from the publisher and sadly it was not for me.
I am so glad to now know about Ethel and her pioneering work and did enjoy the pieces by the author about the present day Peak District. For me the to-ing and fro-being between the present day and Ethel’s life was unsatisfying and meant that neither worked as well as they should. I couldn’t get into the flow of Ethel’s life and work and felt that it was slight, leaving me wanting to know more.
I may return to Ethel’s poetry at a later date.
I am so glad to now know about Ethel and her pioneering work and did enjoy the pieces by the author about the present day Peak District. For me the to-ing and fro-being between the present day and Ethel’s life was unsatisfying and meant that neither worked as well as they should. I couldn’t get into the flow of Ethel’s life and work and felt that it was slight, leaving me wanting to know more.
I may return to Ethel’s poetry at a later date.
June 20, 2024
I really enjoyed finding out about Ethel - I’ve camped, walked and run in the Peaks but was sadly ignorant of Ethel and what she had done to save this beautiful area. Really interesting read about her, her passions and following her gut instinct to protect what was necessary; especially during a time where she had the added ‘disadvantage’ of being female. I enjoy how the author adds a personal touch with her visits to places too.
June 3, 2024
I live in the Peak District and have hiked here since my childhood. While I’ve come across the CPRE in my adult life, I’d never heard of Ethel and her remarkable contribution to the protection of the area.
This is a wonderful book of a little known woman and I highly recommend it, particularly as it also includes writing from Ethel herself with the inclusion of her long poem The Pride of the Peak.
This is a wonderful book of a little known woman and I highly recommend it, particularly as it also includes writing from Ethel herself with the inclusion of her long poem The Pride of the Peak.
February 13, 2026
Beautiful biography of this exceptional woman who is not known to most people in the UK. Also contains The Pride of the Peak, a long-form poem that she wrote, celebrating the beauty of this part of the world.
September 10, 2024
I loved learning about Ethel Haythornthwaite’s influence in creating the Peak District National Park. This biography was written in a very inventive and personal way, and I really enjoyed it. Also loved reading Ethel’s long poem The Pride of the Peak which, traversing the entire Peak District through the seasons, really helps the reader understand Ethel’s love for the area.
June 16, 2024
I enjoyed this more than I expected. It's interesting to learn about Ethel and her allies, and how their actions led to protection of the landscape I enjoy, and the Peak District National Park. There's also quirky bits of history I wasn't aware of. But it also felt like just a lovely soothing read to me. A conversation between the author Helen Mort, and Ethel. The book includes some historical photos and campaign illustrations, and Ethels poetry. It's also a lovely quality book, on nice paper, so it has a nice feel to it in general.
January 28, 2026
Grateful to have found this book and to know the history of the Peaks.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews