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Lost to the Sea: A Journey Round the Edges of Britain and Ireland
Medieval kingdoms. Notorious pirate towns. Drowned churches. Crocodile-infested swamps.
On a series of coastal walks, Lisa Woollett takes us on an illuminating journey, bringing to life the places where mythology and reality meet at the very edges of Britain and Ireland.
From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly and submerged prehistoric forests in Wales, to a Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight and castles in the air off County Clare, Lisa draws together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped and often overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.
Lost to the Sea is an exhilarating voyage around the ever-shifting shores of the British Isles, and a haunting ode to our profound relationship with the sea.
On a series of coastal walks, Lisa Woollett takes us on an illuminating journey, bringing to life the places where mythology and reality meet at the very edges of Britain and Ireland.
From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly and submerged prehistoric forests in Wales, to a Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight and castles in the air off County Clare, Lisa draws together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped and often overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.
Lost to the Sea is an exhilarating voyage around the ever-shifting shores of the British Isles, and a haunting ode to our profound relationship with the sea.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published May 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 24, 2024
Extremely fascinating read, exploring places around Britain and Ireland that have been lost to the sea, and in some cases from history itself.
December 16, 2025
Admittedly I didn't enjoy this as much as Sea Journal or Sea and Shore Cornwall: Common and Curious Findings. Some of the chapters seemed a little repetitive and the grainy black and white photos didn't really do the landscapes Lisa was talking about much justice.
The book is a mix of paleontology, archaeology, environmental and marine science and miniature memoir/reminiscence . There were some parts that I enjoyed more than others. I had already read about the area known as Doggerland in Time Song: Searching for Doggerland so the information here was nothing new. I particularly liked the chapter on Dunwich, and learned some other random facts about parts of the UK coastline that I wasn't familiar with.
Overall a good read but the repetition and multiple pages discussing rates of coastal erosion got a little tiresome after a while.
The book is a mix of paleontology, archaeology, environmental and marine science and miniature memoir/reminiscence . There were some parts that I enjoyed more than others. I had already read about the area known as Doggerland in Time Song: Searching for Doggerland so the information here was nothing new. I particularly liked the chapter on Dunwich, and learned some other random facts about parts of the UK coastline that I wasn't familiar with.
Overall a good read but the repetition and multiple pages discussing rates of coastal erosion got a little tiresome after a while.
September 29, 2025
An interesting read. Packed full of information about Britain and its retreating coastlines. Lots of reference to modern day sea level rises in comparison to sea levels hundreds of years ago. A good read.
May 12, 2024
“Good grief. It was the strangest and most awe-inspiring place I'd ever been. And for more than a thousand years, it had been appearing as if by magic after storms, as the seething tide withdrew to reveal a forest standing in the sea.”
“Lost to the sea” is a book about a wide variety of topics, daisy-chained together by the ocean’s impact on them. It explores vanished geographies, traditional storytelling, archaeology, to name a few. A book with such a wide variety of themes could easily feel disjointed, but Woollett avoids this. Periodically and regularly, the author’s cool, almost soporific voice brings us back to the fundament: the ocean.
This was a non-fiction book in which the author was very present, in ways literal, positive and negative. Woollett speaks in the first person, narrating her experiences as she travels to meet people and to see phenomena for herself — her teenage daughter occasionally makes an appearance too. This is clearly a subject Woollett is passionate and knowledgeable about. She at times has a poet’s voice, even as she conveys information, which made this an accessible read and one with merits based even just on the prose. However, I felt she sometimes strayed into conjecture or wishful thinking, especially in the more anthropological sections.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was very gentle and easy to read, and made good bedtime reading. I would recommend it if you like prettily written books, or enjoy nature non-fiction.
(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review!)
“Lost to the sea” is a book about a wide variety of topics, daisy-chained together by the ocean’s impact on them. It explores vanished geographies, traditional storytelling, archaeology, to name a few. A book with such a wide variety of themes could easily feel disjointed, but Woollett avoids this. Periodically and regularly, the author’s cool, almost soporific voice brings us back to the fundament: the ocean.
This was a non-fiction book in which the author was very present, in ways literal, positive and negative. Woollett speaks in the first person, narrating her experiences as she travels to meet people and to see phenomena for herself — her teenage daughter occasionally makes an appearance too. This is clearly a subject Woollett is passionate and knowledgeable about. She at times has a poet’s voice, even as she conveys information, which made this an accessible read and one with merits based even just on the prose. However, I felt she sometimes strayed into conjecture or wishful thinking, especially in the more anthropological sections.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was very gentle and easy to read, and made good bedtime reading. I would recommend it if you like prettily written books, or enjoy nature non-fiction.
(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review!)
April 16, 2024
Galley provided by publisher
Lost to the Sea is an enjoyable trip around the British Isles finding places where, as the title suggests, a town, village, or other settlement has been lost to an encroaching sea. The book is a mix of Lisa Woollett's own travels to these places and historical background (actually much like the other book I read about flooded lands a couple of months back!). It was a pretty enjoyable read although, as with the aforementioned other book, I was more interested in the historical background and that research than the author's personal experiences. It was well-written, though, and definitely a book I'd recommend.
Lost to the Sea is an enjoyable trip around the British Isles finding places where, as the title suggests, a town, village, or other settlement has been lost to an encroaching sea. The book is a mix of Lisa Woollett's own travels to these places and historical background (actually much like the other book I read about flooded lands a couple of months back!). It was a pretty enjoyable read although, as with the aforementioned other book, I was more interested in the historical background and that research than the author's personal experiences. It was well-written, though, and definitely a book I'd recommend.
August 5, 2024
Awesome.
I would dearly love to read anything that might conjure more from the imagination than Lost to the Sea.
Travel back through time and marvel in former landscapes, people and places, somehow so ridiculously easy to picture, given by Lisa’s articulate and wondrous descriptive writing. Bringing true colour to a distant past that would otherwise remain covered in mud, sediment and sand, Lost to the Sea is brilliantly researched, and strangely haunting.
A journey through the blurred lines of myth and history, I would recommend this fascinating book to anyone. Absolutely loved it.
I would dearly love to read anything that might conjure more from the imagination than Lost to the Sea.
Travel back through time and marvel in former landscapes, people and places, somehow so ridiculously easy to picture, given by Lisa’s articulate and wondrous descriptive writing. Bringing true colour to a distant past that would otherwise remain covered in mud, sediment and sand, Lost to the Sea is brilliantly researched, and strangely haunting.
A journey through the blurred lines of myth and history, I would recommend this fascinating book to anyone. Absolutely loved it.
June 22, 2025
Excellent!
October 11, 2025
Pretty cool history! Moved slowly though.
March 7, 2026
Fascinating. Got a bit bored in parts.
November 21, 2025
A beautifully written and fascinating look at places lost to the sea. I found the chapter about Blackgang Chine in the Isle of Wight particularly interesting as I have been there but didn’t really know the history.
For me, this book had the perfect amount of historical facts sprinkled with some of the authors own experience.
For me, this book had the perfect amount of historical facts sprinkled with some of the authors own experience.
January 9, 2025
What a gorgeously wonderful, evocative and fascinating book. Melancholic too. A reminder that nothing stays the way it is forever, everything is changing. Some changes happen quick, some take years or centuries.
The coastline and the sea are such important themes for the UK and Ireland as we are island nations with very jagged coastlines. We have a lot of land to sea space. And as the coastline is liminal, always changing with the tides, and on that basis alone you'd think hard to map. But now think of the land that falls into the sea, or is simply utterly submerged, or being returned to salty marsh. Most of this is through natural occurrences, long-term climate changes of the planet, after effects of mega tsunamis (goodbye Doggerland), soft sandy land being battered by the sea. But in places, like the lost village of Hallsands in Devon, it's been drastically accelerated by human action with large scale gravel dredging in the local area. And climate change, rising sea levels etc etc are accelerating it all even more. As I sit and write this L.A. in the states is burning with some big scary wildfires. Not the first place in the world to be hit so hard, I think back over the last few years with north Africa, Australia, Canada and southern Europe.... the land we have mapped and think we know is being torn apart....
Ok, back to this book. It's a mix of history, folklore, travelogue, memoir, geography and nature. She takes 10 chapters and visits ten sites and tells their stories... yes, there are countless other worthy places she doesn't get to which would also have important stories to tell. But these are all interesting chapters. Ireland and mutton island, Wales and this village where the land seems to be inevitably going back to a kind of salt marsh bog and out at low tide you can see the stumps of ancient forest. To Scotland and the dunes up in Aberdeenshire. Yorkshire and the fascinating Spurn Point. We visited in 2021, she a year or two later, and between those times things have changed and the coastguard no longer live out there. She goes to Blackpool to find the pennystone, Devon for the ruins of Hallsand, Norfolk to reflect over Doggerland, the Isles of scilly, The isle of Wight, and to Suffolk where a major medieval coastal port is completely gone. I'd never really thought about what a great extent of history, land and human settlement has already gone.
The coastline and the sea are such important themes for the UK and Ireland as we are island nations with very jagged coastlines. We have a lot of land to sea space. And as the coastline is liminal, always changing with the tides, and on that basis alone you'd think hard to map. But now think of the land that falls into the sea, or is simply utterly submerged, or being returned to salty marsh. Most of this is through natural occurrences, long-term climate changes of the planet, after effects of mega tsunamis (goodbye Doggerland), soft sandy land being battered by the sea. But in places, like the lost village of Hallsands in Devon, it's been drastically accelerated by human action with large scale gravel dredging in the local area. And climate change, rising sea levels etc etc are accelerating it all even more. As I sit and write this L.A. in the states is burning with some big scary wildfires. Not the first place in the world to be hit so hard, I think back over the last few years with north Africa, Australia, Canada and southern Europe.... the land we have mapped and think we know is being torn apart....
Ok, back to this book. It's a mix of history, folklore, travelogue, memoir, geography and nature. She takes 10 chapters and visits ten sites and tells their stories... yes, there are countless other worthy places she doesn't get to which would also have important stories to tell. But these are all interesting chapters. Ireland and mutton island, Wales and this village where the land seems to be inevitably going back to a kind of salt marsh bog and out at low tide you can see the stumps of ancient forest. To Scotland and the dunes up in Aberdeenshire. Yorkshire and the fascinating Spurn Point. We visited in 2021, she a year or two later, and between those times things have changed and the coastguard no longer live out there. She goes to Blackpool to find the pennystone, Devon for the ruins of Hallsand, Norfolk to reflect over Doggerland, the Isles of scilly, The isle of Wight, and to Suffolk where a major medieval coastal port is completely gone. I'd never really thought about what a great extent of history, land and human settlement has already gone.
March 31, 2026
A exceptionally written book and a haunting reminder of what is to come as sea levels continue to rise.
September 21, 2024
The author takes her readers on a fascinating, if alternative history of the fractured, flooded, and eroded coasts of Britain and Ireland.
Whether it's a medieval kingdom or a notorious pirate town, Lisa Wollett takes us on an illuminating journey through a series of coastal walks. She brings to life the places where mythology and reality meet. From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly to a submerged prehistoric forest in Wales, to a lost Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight to the lost land where one could walk all the way to the Netherlands from Cromer, Norfolk.
Lisa is able to draw together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped, and, in many cases, overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.
Whether it's a medieval kingdom or a notorious pirate town, Lisa Wollett takes us on an illuminating journey through a series of coastal walks. She brings to life the places where mythology and reality meet. From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly to a submerged prehistoric forest in Wales, to a lost Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight to the lost land where one could walk all the way to the Netherlands from Cromer, Norfolk.
Lisa is able to draw together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped, and, in many cases, overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.
July 21, 2024
Beautifully written, a wondrous journey exploring the land lost to the sea around the British Isles. Who knew about the land of Doggerland that connected England to Europe, just one of the lost areas. She takes us on a journey of who when and what of these lost lands. Exploring the myths and folktales as well as the facts we do know. Right up to modern times where developers contributed to the village of Hallands lost to the sea. A warning to the future of the potential climate change will have on ever more lost lands and lives.
September 1, 2025
A very interesting and learned read for those interested in the coast of the British Isles and Ireland, coastal erosion and the surprising quantity of lost villages and the once important port of Dunwich. I learnt a lot about preserved ancient, inundated forests, the myths and archeological history of vast flooding, Doggerland and prehistoric humans. I was educated and entertained. The book is made more interesting by the accounts of the author’s journeys to places that are difficult to reach. The writing style however is very accessible.
August 22, 2024
This book tells of lost places along the coastline of the UK. I have been to a few of these places the author visits and agree with her how they can be thought provoking and beautiful in their destruction. Gazing out at Dunwich inspires the imagination to picture in the minds eye what a whole town that lies just out in the North sea might look like if only the tide would roll back to show us. The ground beneath our feet is often far from as solid as we’d like to believe it is.
September 16, 2024
Quite an interesting book with lots of background. I have actually been to one of these places, as I don't live very far from it, Forvie Sands.
Borrowed from the library. Took along to Portugal. :)
Borrowed from the library. Took along to Portugal. :)
June 30, 2024
Nice account of the human aspect of Britain's constantly changing coastline.
April 7, 2026
Stories Of Church Bells That Toll Beneath The Sea.
Haunting Beyond Belief.
Oh wow.
Never have i come across a book like this or indeed its subject.
This is haunting at its ultimate. An unforgettable mixture of sadness and beauty. This is creepy, ghostly, supernatural and chilling.
It's superbly written in much detail and amazing descriptiveness giving the reader a real vivid experience.
Because of the detail as with most history books it takes some concentration and would need an additional read to absorb everything.
I'm really into Medieval History and Psychological Thrillers when it comes to books. So i was in the book store when this book instantly caught my eye, its title and its creepy front cover font and its lush blue. Is this a Thriller? Then seeing its heading A Journey Around the Edges of Britain and Ireland, I'm realising a non fiction history book. Then i read the blurb and I am completely hooked in a haze of curiosity.
Drowned Churches! What?? That's what got me, even before seeing Medieval Kingdoms!
I wondered what is this all about.
Drowned Churches, not knowing at all what this meant but the eeriness of this had to be explored.
Upon starting the book it just seemed like this could be something similar to what Alice Roberts does so i could be reading a book on archaeological findings which would certainly be interesting as are her books but not what is to become absolutely jaw dropping.
So i get further on and I'm utterly blown away. Further on i mean as in particular chapters, those chapters are each of the place names that the author Lisa Woollett visits to investigate and write their stories.
There's a lovely yet spooky touch to the chapter titles fonts. What the place name used to be that was lost to the sea is faint in its non existence, then its now current name of existence in bold print.
What blew me away were the chapters on churches literally falling into the sea one by one over the years within such a short time.
Unbelievably too whole villages and cottages are lost to the sea.
The author not only gives us the facts but tells the whole story about the people involved that are on the records.
Most interesting for me were the Medieval periods in this book, there has been so much included from those times thanks to Lisa's travels.
How both chilling and supernatural it is to read that these drowned churches bell tolls could be heard from under the sea, one of many legends told in this amazing book.
Yes there are legends galore which made this book so much more special! From Witches to Demons to Ghosts and legendary folk.
These folklore tales are breathtaking. I loved the Welsh legend about Ys.
'Every night she lures a different man to her bedchamber, and afterwards dashes their corpses onto the rocks beneath her window. One night though, the man she takes to her chamber is a knight dressed in red, who turns out to be the Devil'.
'Dunwich has its share of ghost stories. Among them are monks and lepers, an Elizabethan sailor who haunts the shore, and Old Maid Eva, who cut out her broken heart and threw it into the sea, when this Dark Heart of Dunwich washes ashore, it resembles driftwood and brings misfortune to the finder'.
Lisa Woollett tells us so much history too about what was happening in Britain alongside the lost to the sea stories such as the Witch trials and some of the accusers' stories.
Pieces on Vikings, James vi, Icelandic Sagas, Bronze and Iron Ages, Knights Templar, Domesday Book & Ann of Denmark to name a few!
There is a little humour in the Blackpool chapter as what all of us who have been to Blackpool know too well, as Lisa notices the ignorant barman, the so called hotel sea view, its little plastic kettle and the choppy brown sea. Just saying.
So i learned that this was a thing, Lost To The Sea, i'd never heard of the phrase, and i just couldn't believe that this was happening, i mean, whole communities sliding into the sea, it's fascinating beyond belief.
Graveyards literally sliding over cliffs and later people walking along the shores coming across skulls and skeletons.
This is the most unique book i have ever read and it will stay with me forever.
Haunting Beyond Belief.
Oh wow.
Never have i come across a book like this or indeed its subject.
This is haunting at its ultimate. An unforgettable mixture of sadness and beauty. This is creepy, ghostly, supernatural and chilling.
It's superbly written in much detail and amazing descriptiveness giving the reader a real vivid experience.
Because of the detail as with most history books it takes some concentration and would need an additional read to absorb everything.
I'm really into Medieval History and Psychological Thrillers when it comes to books. So i was in the book store when this book instantly caught my eye, its title and its creepy front cover font and its lush blue. Is this a Thriller? Then seeing its heading A Journey Around the Edges of Britain and Ireland, I'm realising a non fiction history book. Then i read the blurb and I am completely hooked in a haze of curiosity.
Drowned Churches! What?? That's what got me, even before seeing Medieval Kingdoms!
I wondered what is this all about.
Drowned Churches, not knowing at all what this meant but the eeriness of this had to be explored.
Upon starting the book it just seemed like this could be something similar to what Alice Roberts does so i could be reading a book on archaeological findings which would certainly be interesting as are her books but not what is to become absolutely jaw dropping.
So i get further on and I'm utterly blown away. Further on i mean as in particular chapters, those chapters are each of the place names that the author Lisa Woollett visits to investigate and write their stories.
There's a lovely yet spooky touch to the chapter titles fonts. What the place name used to be that was lost to the sea is faint in its non existence, then its now current name of existence in bold print.
What blew me away were the chapters on churches literally falling into the sea one by one over the years within such a short time.
Unbelievably too whole villages and cottages are lost to the sea.
The author not only gives us the facts but tells the whole story about the people involved that are on the records.
Most interesting for me were the Medieval periods in this book, there has been so much included from those times thanks to Lisa's travels.
How both chilling and supernatural it is to read that these drowned churches bell tolls could be heard from under the sea, one of many legends told in this amazing book.
Yes there are legends galore which made this book so much more special! From Witches to Demons to Ghosts and legendary folk.
These folklore tales are breathtaking. I loved the Welsh legend about Ys.
'Every night she lures a different man to her bedchamber, and afterwards dashes their corpses onto the rocks beneath her window. One night though, the man she takes to her chamber is a knight dressed in red, who turns out to be the Devil'.
'Dunwich has its share of ghost stories. Among them are monks and lepers, an Elizabethan sailor who haunts the shore, and Old Maid Eva, who cut out her broken heart and threw it into the sea, when this Dark Heart of Dunwich washes ashore, it resembles driftwood and brings misfortune to the finder'.
Lisa Woollett tells us so much history too about what was happening in Britain alongside the lost to the sea stories such as the Witch trials and some of the accusers' stories.
Pieces on Vikings, James vi, Icelandic Sagas, Bronze and Iron Ages, Knights Templar, Domesday Book & Ann of Denmark to name a few!
There is a little humour in the Blackpool chapter as what all of us who have been to Blackpool know too well, as Lisa notices the ignorant barman, the so called hotel sea view, its little plastic kettle and the choppy brown sea. Just saying.
So i learned that this was a thing, Lost To The Sea, i'd never heard of the phrase, and i just couldn't believe that this was happening, i mean, whole communities sliding into the sea, it's fascinating beyond belief.
Graveyards literally sliding over cliffs and later people walking along the shores coming across skulls and skeletons.
This is the most unique book i have ever read and it will stay with me forever.
August 4, 2025
I have always been fascinated by villages and towns, from centuries ago, fully engulfed by rising sea levels, via documentaries, news items and published articles. Especially the images of buildings tumbling to the sea from crumbling cliffs. I was aware of the problems, mostly around the Wash, so this made me much more aware travelling around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. Both fascinating and sad.
January 7, 2026
Learnt a lot from this book, the only reason it wasn’t five stars is that the back of the book talks of folklores and these are barely mentioned and if so, not given enough time, more just an aside to the more geographical content.
But what I’ve learned from this book will stay with me, a very interesting read and a lot different from my usual reading!
But what I’ve learned from this book will stay with me, a very interesting read and a lot different from my usual reading!
April 2, 2026
A rich and fascinating, well-told account of visits made to coastal areas of England and Ireland where erosion has been responsible for its shaping - its history and impact. Particularly so for areas I am familiar with, but the final, Cornish chapter heart-rending..
June 2, 2025
A very interesting book .
September 14, 2025
Loved this book, found it quite fascinating to read of forests and lost villages over the centuries.
March 26, 2026
Interesting, but sometimes felt like unnecessary information was included
April 28, 2026
we found this book a little too lethargic for our book club , although it is fantastically written its not for the feint hearted.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews