Uncommon Ground: Rethinking our relationship with the countryside

by Patrick Galbraith

We know that Britain's land ownership is unbalanced, but what about land access? Who can visit our green and pleasant spaces, who is making use of them and who is taking care of them?

Much is made of open access in Scotland, but what is the reality of the policy in practice, and should England and Wales embrace it?

The largest demonstration about land access since the 1930s took place on Dartmoor in 2023. It was organised by the Right to Roam Campaign, which has become a powerful voice in England and Wales – clamouring for open access for all to every acre.

In Wild and Free, Patrick Galbraith takes us on a tour of the British countryside to investigate the reality of open access – what are the rewards and what are the risks? He follows threads from Dartmoor to London, explores Loch Lomond in Scotland, where the right to wild camping had to be withdrawn due to widespread misuse, and alongside leading Right to Roamer Guy Shrubsole, he visits conservation projects endangered by the R2R campaign. He finds that the 128,000 miles of public footpaths and the 3.6 million acres of open access land already connect nearly every acre of countryside. He also discovers the reality of the Scottish situation. As Patrick criss-crosses the countryside, a picture begins to appear of what is actually the problem.

Wild and Free is the true visionary insight into the issues in the British countryside – where access is much more restricted by lack of transport and issues of diversity, which need to be solved to allow the whole population access to the countryside. It is a practical guide to what actually needs to be done with a profound message – Let’s work with what we already have.

Genres: Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

Published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[Stephen Dunstan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me. I'd already read Patrick's 'In Search Of One Last Song', which I had enjoyed and considered very well written.

At the outset whilst I don't always share his views I thought I was going to enjoy this as much as 'In Search Of One Last Song'. It is very well written much of the time, my issues with it were:

- it's too long, more judicious editing would have been helpful or just not including the stuff around naturism and travellers (separate chapters!) that are rather tangential

- there are a number of proofreading issues, with missing words in several places

- on one of the areas of the book I knew most about (wild geese) there were errors of fact. That would be forgivable but near the end of the final chapter Patrick berates Mark Cocker for the same thing.

It's a viewpoint that needs a spokesperson and Patrick Galbraith is eloquent so it's a shame this isn't even better than it is.

[Jordan Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and well put together book that lets the author’s interviews speak directly to the reader. The arguments, on both sides, are deeply personal accounts and allows the reader to understand differing points of view.

Conversations around access, conservation, estates, hunting, and the right to roam are all presented in an engaging way that question you own preconceptions and understanding of the topics and the people involved.

[Alex Boon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as bad at the end as it started, tries to be balanced but the author's pro-shooting/hunting biases are very clear throughout.