What do you think?
Rate this book
Upon A White Horse: A Financial Times Best Book of 2025 and Radio 4 Book of the Week
*A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK, FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2025, SCOTSMAN BOOKS OF 2025, COUNTRY LIFE BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2025*
'Packed with anecdote and colour, it's a surprisingly touching portrait of the countries' - Financial Times, Best Books of 2025
'An insightful and engaging reflection on the appeal of the ancient' - The Times
'I'm a card-carrying admirer of Peter Ross' - Robert Macfarlane
The prehistoric sites of Britain and Ireland are places of wonder and wondering. Who made these structures? What did they mean to them? And what do they mean to us now?
Author of the bestseller Steeple Chasing and prize-winning A Tomb With A View, Peter Ross journeys from midwinter at Stonehenge to midsummer at Sycamore Gap. Along the way he encounters bog bodies in Dublin, a wooden goddess in Edinburgh and a chalk giant in Dorset. He asks what it is like to live within the great stone circle at Avebury, what rituals occurred in an Anglesey tomb and what draws volunteers to care for the Uffington White Horse.
These objects and structures speak of the long human story. They offer the comfort of recognition and the pleasure of mystery. There is something about ancient places that fills a hollow in our souls.
Upon A White Horse is a celebration of landscape and people - and all that is beautiful, strange and old.
'Ross scores highly on his intuitive interpretations of places and his non-judgemental observations of human nature; he is empathetic, but can stand back' - Country Life
'Ross is a wonderfully evocative writer, deftly capturing a sense of place and history, while bringing a deep humanity to his subject' - Guardian
'Packed with anecdote and colour, it's a surprisingly touching portrait of the countries' - Financial Times, Best Books of 2025
'An insightful and engaging reflection on the appeal of the ancient' - The Times
'I'm a card-carrying admirer of Peter Ross' - Robert Macfarlane
The prehistoric sites of Britain and Ireland are places of wonder and wondering. Who made these structures? What did they mean to them? And what do they mean to us now?
Author of the bestseller Steeple Chasing and prize-winning A Tomb With A View, Peter Ross journeys from midwinter at Stonehenge to midsummer at Sycamore Gap. Along the way he encounters bog bodies in Dublin, a wooden goddess in Edinburgh and a chalk giant in Dorset. He asks what it is like to live within the great stone circle at Avebury, what rituals occurred in an Anglesey tomb and what draws volunteers to care for the Uffington White Horse.
These objects and structures speak of the long human story. They offer the comfort of recognition and the pleasure of mystery. There is something about ancient places that fills a hollow in our souls.
Upon A White Horse is a celebration of landscape and people - and all that is beautiful, strange and old.
'Ross scores highly on his intuitive interpretations of places and his non-judgemental observations of human nature; he is empathetic, but can stand back' - Country Life
'Ross is a wonderfully evocative writer, deftly capturing a sense of place and history, while bringing a deep humanity to his subject' - Guardian
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 27, 2025
A wonderfully vivid journey through ancient Britain and Ireland! Peter Ross's poetic and flowing prose has once again entertained me and made me think. The collection of monuments and stories that he has gathered are second to none - as a Green Lung fan I was so happy to see he had spoken to Tom Templar too. This is a lucid study of our place in this ancient landscape, its history and how there is a yearning to learn about where we come from and our old stories in an age where everything seems confused, tense and bland. A lot of this book has had me thinking about my own connection to this land and how I can get out more into it. There are stories everywhere and plenty of amazing people to gather them from. This is a masterpiece of curiosity, Ross digs deep into the psyche of the people that call these isles home and makes you feel part of something bigger, older and ancient.
January 10, 2026
I've really loved all 3 books in this series. They're so beautifully written and moving. Wonderful for any history fan.
January 30, 2026
Once again, a beautifully written book that makes you fall in love with the Isles of Britain again.
April 29, 2026
Beautiful written non-fiction. Fascinating, moving at times and thought-provoking
December 13, 2025
As always, beautifully written and so very engaging. Will read anything and everything Peter Ross writes and I'm already looking forward to whatever comes next.
October 27, 2025
Loved hearing Peter Ross discuss his latest book at my city's annual book festival - and he signed my copy too! This is a wonderful, lyrical, and evocative ode to history, landscape and community. A balm for the soul.
April 4, 2026
Upon a White Horse is clearly a book written with a lot of passion. You can feel how well-researched it is, and there’s a real depth to the ideas and history behind it, which I really appreciated as I was reading.
At the same time, I didn’t fully connect with it on an emotional level. It’s one of those books I found myself admiring more than loving - I could see what it was doing and respect the work that went into it, even if it didn’t completely pull me in.
Overall, I’m glad I picked it up. It’s thoughtful and clearly crafted with care, even if it wasn’t quite a perfect fit for me.
At the same time, I didn’t fully connect with it on an emotional level. It’s one of those books I found myself admiring more than loving - I could see what it was doing and respect the work that went into it, even if it didn’t completely pull me in.
Overall, I’m glad I picked it up. It’s thoughtful and clearly crafted with care, even if it wasn’t quite a perfect fit for me.
March 26, 2026
Our shared humanity through deep time got to me alright?
I don't know if I'm more sentimental these days but I found this book extremely moving. Not just these ancient special places we share our home with, have shared our home with for a long long time, but the loving care, curiosity and generous spirit with which the author encounters them and the people who interact with and take care of them.
I don't know if I'm more sentimental these days but I found this book extremely moving. Not just these ancient special places we share our home with, have shared our home with for a long long time, but the loving care, curiosity and generous spirit with which the author encounters them and the people who interact with and take care of them.
May 23, 2026
Awesome, awesome, awesome !!!
January 2, 2026
This book was set across 11 chapters - Shrine, Ring, Henge, Loch, Chalk, Grave, Lough, West, Wall, North and Scion. It was a journey to uncover the mysteries of these ancient places. The prose themselves conjure up ghosts of times past - a lovely book about the history of our country.
November 24, 2025
I enjoyed this more than I did Ross' previous work about churches, probably because I am far more personally familiar with many of the sites he covers.
November 23, 2025
I had this as a birthday gift. So interesting.
November 11, 2025
Such a moving and absorbing book. Perfect for autumn nights. I’ve found a new favourite writer along with Robert Macfarlane.
This is a funny, emotional, and wonderful exploration of Neolithic, Roman, Pictish, and Bronze Age historical sites in Britain. Some I’ve visited - Avebury, Stonehenge (several times), the Ridgeway, Hadrian’s Wall; some I haven’t. I now really really want to go to Orkney - I mean, I did before, but now, extremely much!
Of course, I’m off to seek out the back catalogue of Peter Ross.
This is a funny, emotional, and wonderful exploration of Neolithic, Roman, Pictish, and Bronze Age historical sites in Britain. Some I’ve visited - Avebury, Stonehenge (several times), the Ridgeway, Hadrian’s Wall; some I haven’t. I now really really want to go to Orkney - I mean, I did before, but now, extremely much!
Of course, I’m off to seek out the back catalogue of Peter Ross.
August 3, 2026
A surprisingly moving read. Peter Ross visits and ponders on a range of ancient-ish sties around the UK and Ireland and essentially asks “what do they mean to us?”
There is history and archaeology here but not enormous amounts of it. For example, with somewhere like Stonehenge there is no definite story of how it was built; archaeologists can work out a a lot (like where the stones actually came from) but as to who built it and why, we can only speculate.
But those “hard” facts are only there to give context to that question of what these sites and monuments mean to us today.
I’ve often had a problem with present day people supposedly enacting “ancient” rituals. I’ve seen the so-called Druids who turn up at Stonehenge every solstice as people who are just cos-playng frankly. The Druids (not that there’s a lot of actual facts known about them) were certainly not around when Stoneghenge was built; they were first mentioned about 2000 years ago, while Stonehenge was built a good 2500 years before that. These so-called ancient rituals were mostly drummed up in Victorian (or later) times when there was a trend for “re-discovering” these ceremonies.
Ross, on the other hand, presents these modern day events as a way that we can interact with the past, without pretending that we are actually carrying on the activities of the people that built the monuments. He travels and talks to self-professed druids (and even someone calling himself Arthur Pendragon). He also spends a lot of time with people who make no claims of being in tune with ancient people, like archaeologists and National Trust administrators who just try to keep the monuments in good order. And with some people, there are touching stories of where they’ve lost loved ones who had found their connection, and that bond is something that helps those left behind keep their love ones with them.
So I’ve shifted my thinking. It’s the efforts (and occasionally mania) of these people that give these monuments and places meaning in the current day, as opposed to them just being dusty relics of the past. It is because we are missing that vital “why” about these places that we have to insert ourselves and what they mean to us into them. In contrast, say, the Colosseum in Rome is something where we know exactly what it was for so, while it is an impressive monument and testament to Roman building, it doesn’t let us be part of it. It’s just a glimpse of how things were back then.
With Stonehenge, on the other hand, we can marvel that the people without our tech managed to construct it, but lacking the reason why, we find a meaning for ourselves and, maybe, a deeper connection to the land it sits on.
Lovely book – and I really have to make the effort to rediscover some of these wonderful places.
There is history and archaeology here but not enormous amounts of it. For example, with somewhere like Stonehenge there is no definite story of how it was built; archaeologists can work out a a lot (like where the stones actually came from) but as to who built it and why, we can only speculate.
But those “hard” facts are only there to give context to that question of what these sites and monuments mean to us today.
I’ve often had a problem with present day people supposedly enacting “ancient” rituals. I’ve seen the so-called Druids who turn up at Stonehenge every solstice as people who are just cos-playng frankly. The Druids (not that there’s a lot of actual facts known about them) were certainly not around when Stoneghenge was built; they were first mentioned about 2000 years ago, while Stonehenge was built a good 2500 years before that. These so-called ancient rituals were mostly drummed up in Victorian (or later) times when there was a trend for “re-discovering” these ceremonies.
Ross, on the other hand, presents these modern day events as a way that we can interact with the past, without pretending that we are actually carrying on the activities of the people that built the monuments. He travels and talks to self-professed druids (and even someone calling himself Arthur Pendragon). He also spends a lot of time with people who make no claims of being in tune with ancient people, like archaeologists and National Trust administrators who just try to keep the monuments in good order. And with some people, there are touching stories of where they’ve lost loved ones who had found their connection, and that bond is something that helps those left behind keep their love ones with them.
So I’ve shifted my thinking. It’s the efforts (and occasionally mania) of these people that give these monuments and places meaning in the current day, as opposed to them just being dusty relics of the past. It is because we are missing that vital “why” about these places that we have to insert ourselves and what they mean to us into them. In contrast, say, the Colosseum in Rome is something where we know exactly what it was for so, while it is an impressive monument and testament to Roman building, it doesn’t let us be part of it. It’s just a glimpse of how things were back then.
With Stonehenge, on the other hand, we can marvel that the people without our tech managed to construct it, but lacking the reason why, we find a meaning for ourselves and, maybe, a deeper connection to the land it sits on.
Lovely book – and I really have to make the effort to rediscover some of these wonderful places.
December 21, 2025
Walking the Old Roads: A Meandering Journey Through Britain’s Ancient Soul
Peter Ross has always had a gift for finding the human pulse in places where most people only see scenery. In Upon a White Horse: Travels around ancient Britain, he turns his attention to the ancient landscapes of Britain — chalk figures, stone circles, burial mounds, and the half‑forgotten mythologies that cling to them like morning mist. The book is, at its best, a gentle, thoughtful meditation on how the past lingers in the present, and how the stories we inherit shape the land beneath our feet.
Ross’s prose is warm and observant. He’s the kind of writer who can make a windswept hillside feel like a character in its own right. His encounters with local historians, folklorists, and the occasional eccentric wanderer add colour and texture. There’s a clear affection for the places he visits, and an even clearer desire to understand why these ancient sites still matter.
But the book’s strengths are also its limitations. Ross is a wanderer by temperament, and the narrative often wanders with him. The structure is loose — sometimes charmingly so, sometimes frustratingly so. Chapters drift from one site to another without always building toward a larger argument or emotional crescendo. You get the sense of a journey, but not always a destination.
There are moments of real insight, especially when Ross reflects on how modern Britain negotiates its relationship with antiquity. Yet these moments can feel fleeting, overshadowed by digressions that don’t always earn their page space. The result is a book that is consistently pleasant, occasionally profound, but rarely gripping.
Still, for readers who enjoy travel writing that prioritises atmosphere over analysis, Upon a White Horse: Travels around ancient Britain offers a rewarding, if uneven, ramble through Britain’s deep past. It’s a book best read slowly — perhaps even while travelling — letting its quieter observations settle in their own time.
Peter Ross has always had a gift for finding the human pulse in places where most people only see scenery. In Upon a White Horse: Travels around ancient Britain, he turns his attention to the ancient landscapes of Britain — chalk figures, stone circles, burial mounds, and the half‑forgotten mythologies that cling to them like morning mist. The book is, at its best, a gentle, thoughtful meditation on how the past lingers in the present, and how the stories we inherit shape the land beneath our feet.
Ross’s prose is warm and observant. He’s the kind of writer who can make a windswept hillside feel like a character in its own right. His encounters with local historians, folklorists, and the occasional eccentric wanderer add colour and texture. There’s a clear affection for the places he visits, and an even clearer desire to understand why these ancient sites still matter.
But the book’s strengths are also its limitations. Ross is a wanderer by temperament, and the narrative often wanders with him. The structure is loose — sometimes charmingly so, sometimes frustratingly so. Chapters drift from one site to another without always building toward a larger argument or emotional crescendo. You get the sense of a journey, but not always a destination.
There are moments of real insight, especially when Ross reflects on how modern Britain negotiates its relationship with antiquity. Yet these moments can feel fleeting, overshadowed by digressions that don’t always earn their page space. The result is a book that is consistently pleasant, occasionally profound, but rarely gripping.
Still, for readers who enjoy travel writing that prioritises atmosphere over analysis, Upon a White Horse: Travels around ancient Britain offers a rewarding, if uneven, ramble through Britain’s deep past. It’s a book best read slowly — perhaps even while travelling — letting its quieter observations settle in their own time.
July 26, 2026
”A stone is the opposite of a screen. You can’t swipe limestone or doom-scroll granite.”
This is my favorite line from Peter Ross’ Upon a White Horse (though the commentary about the first rule of Stone Club is a close second). In short, the book is a jolly, engaging, and accessible ride across Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age Britain. Ireland, too, is covered as the subtitle suggests, but it’s mostly about England and Scotland with smaller forays in Wales and Ireland, just so yah know.
This is one of those books, where like travel—which it harkens to throughout—the point is more about the journey itself than the end destination. So it’s not setting forth in an attempt to prove some notion or seeking to be the most comprehensive/authoritative guide to ancient sites. Instead, it creates a sort of ambiance, providing a sense of the past and the present’s relation to the past in an evocative, informative sort of way that also includes a fun cast of characters. You definitely learn from this book (it’s educational) but it’s by way of atmosphere, anecdotes, and mental imagery rather than by the rote reciting of known facts and theoretical arguments bogged down by academic jargon.
In a sense it’s a very personal book as it’s about the author’s own experiences with the sites in question, including his interest in them as has evolved from childhood. But that also makes it personable and pleasant to read. Because of this, the reader is only afforded a glimpse into the sites Ross has himself personally experienced. There are of course many others that could have been covered, but that’s not the point of the book.
The book is definitely geared towards British readers—nothing wrong with that, but certain recent cultural references may not land for non-Brits. This was my experience anyway, since I’m not British. I also wish the publisher had endowed the book with more photos. And maps. I would have really appreciated some maps.
Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic read. And as someone who claims Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as the most influential movie of his life (right place, right time, right age, despite all my viking antics), this one ended on a very sweet note.
This is my favorite line from Peter Ross’ Upon a White Horse (though the commentary about the first rule of Stone Club is a close second). In short, the book is a jolly, engaging, and accessible ride across Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age Britain. Ireland, too, is covered as the subtitle suggests, but it’s mostly about England and Scotland with smaller forays in Wales and Ireland, just so yah know.
This is one of those books, where like travel—which it harkens to throughout—the point is more about the journey itself than the end destination. So it’s not setting forth in an attempt to prove some notion or seeking to be the most comprehensive/authoritative guide to ancient sites. Instead, it creates a sort of ambiance, providing a sense of the past and the present’s relation to the past in an evocative, informative sort of way that also includes a fun cast of characters. You definitely learn from this book (it’s educational) but it’s by way of atmosphere, anecdotes, and mental imagery rather than by the rote reciting of known facts and theoretical arguments bogged down by academic jargon.
In a sense it’s a very personal book as it’s about the author’s own experiences with the sites in question, including his interest in them as has evolved from childhood. But that also makes it personable and pleasant to read. Because of this, the reader is only afforded a glimpse into the sites Ross has himself personally experienced. There are of course many others that could have been covered, but that’s not the point of the book.
The book is definitely geared towards British readers—nothing wrong with that, but certain recent cultural references may not land for non-Brits. This was my experience anyway, since I’m not British. I also wish the publisher had endowed the book with more photos. And maps. I would have really appreciated some maps.
Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic read. And as someone who claims Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as the most influential movie of his life (right place, right time, right age, despite all my viking antics), this one ended on a very sweet note.
January 5, 2026
As a child, Peter Ross went on archaeological digs with his grandparents. He says, “So whenever I think about my childhood adventures in digging, I have a feeling of a path not taken. This book is an attempt to walk it a little.” And walk it, he does. Each entry has the feel of the posts on his most excellent Substack entitled Small Finds. Ross has a way of taking you along on a journey and illuminating it with exactly the detailed research you want to know. The writing is vivid and fascinating as you rollick through the English and Irish countryside alongside him, discovering ancient sites and learning about their significance.
“When you study history you realise that time means nothing. It’s what you do with it that matters,” says Patricia Burnham, who spent most of her life painstakingly excavating the Roman Fort of Vindolanda, which has grown to be one of the major attractions of Hadrian’s Wall. A huge number of objects have been recovered from a wet clay-sealed layer of soil, which miraculously preserved them. One of these is the first known piece of writing in Latin by a woman. It’s a birthday party invitation from AD 104. These kinds of things stagger the mind and this book is full of them.
This is not a dry piece of non-fiction though, because Ross is first and foremost a consummate storyteller. At each site, you are taken along on a visit of discovery. It reminds me of the amazing Bill Bryson, so interesting and so readable. I could hardly put it down. “Anyone who has ever been lonely, or in need of time alone: anyone who has ever felt that life is long, yet short: anyone who has wished to be silent and still—will find those feelings reflected in a standing stone.” I’m already planning my next visit and ready to purchase another of Peter Ross’s books.
“When you study history you realise that time means nothing. It’s what you do with it that matters,” says Patricia Burnham, who spent most of her life painstakingly excavating the Roman Fort of Vindolanda, which has grown to be one of the major attractions of Hadrian’s Wall. A huge number of objects have been recovered from a wet clay-sealed layer of soil, which miraculously preserved them. One of these is the first known piece of writing in Latin by a woman. It’s a birthday party invitation from AD 104. These kinds of things stagger the mind and this book is full of them.
This is not a dry piece of non-fiction though, because Ross is first and foremost a consummate storyteller. At each site, you are taken along on a visit of discovery. It reminds me of the amazing Bill Bryson, so interesting and so readable. I could hardly put it down. “Anyone who has ever been lonely, or in need of time alone: anyone who has ever felt that life is long, yet short: anyone who has wished to be silent and still—will find those feelings reflected in a standing stone.” I’m already planning my next visit and ready to purchase another of Peter Ross’s books.
April 16, 2026
I accidentally came across A Tomb with a View in Waterstones in Birmingham while at a loose end at a conference. Having read a few cemetery books around that time I decided to give it a go; always like a good pun. Was delighted with Peter Ross’ style and the book on the whole
Now pick up his books as they come out
This is excellent
Love the subject matter (also worth a look is Land of the White Horse by David Mills) but it is the gentle flow of the words that take you with him on journey
Excellent closing chapter in Scion. Pulls all the threads he has started through Sycamore Gap and binds them to leaves us with a perfect cord to carry on our own journeys through the British countryside
Now pick up his books as they come out
This is excellent
Love the subject matter (also worth a look is Land of the White Horse by David Mills) but it is the gentle flow of the words that take you with him on journey
Excellent closing chapter in Scion. Pulls all the threads he has started through Sycamore Gap and binds them to leaves us with a perfect cord to carry on our own journeys through the British countryside
February 25, 2026
I appreciated this book greatly. It strikes a wonderful balance of having respect for the emotional significance of the monuments and rituals it discusses while still being skeptical of some of the factual claims people set out about them. It really brought back into focus why we care about these things, something that can get lost in the source criticism and repetitive folklore compilations. Also, as is often the case in these sorts of books, some of the people we meet are absolutely delightful.
February 7, 2026
A wonderful book by a wonderful author. Ross’ powers of description take you by the hand and lead you through his world as you accompany him to the places and the times he visits. Sublime, as are all his books.
April 10, 2026
Intriguing and very „fey“!
I wasn‘t quite sure at the start but the book (and the narration) resonated with me on a deeper level. If you are interested in Ancient Britain and history or worlds long past this is a must-read. (audiobook)
I wasn‘t quite sure at the start but the book (and the narration) resonated with me on a deeper level. If you are interested in Ancient Britain and history or worlds long past this is a must-read. (audiobook)
July 7, 2026
I enjoyed most of this book 90%. I listen to it on Audible and the narrator has a good style and it’s very pleasant to listen to. The author does in a very subtle way drop in little sign posts about modernity and its controversies.
Read
August 9, 2026Found this in a charity shop and it appealed immediately - I bought it online for a pound more... but enjoyed the bit about King Arthur, coming to Stonehenge to meet the dawn. Interesting characters, too light to my taste.
December 29, 2025
Sometimes a stone isn’t just a stone. Sometimes it’s a friend :)
January 25, 2026
Outstanding. I have no other words that would do it justice.
March 16, 2026
A lovely book full of stories and information. Even if you are familiar with the sites you will learn something new. The audiobook is read by the author which is also a bonus.
April 22, 2026
I can’t lie guys this was a tricky read. I really loved peter’s first 2 books but I just couldn’t get into this one in the same way hence why it’s taken 6 months to read
May 13, 2026
This is so well written; poetic but still easy to read. A fascinating subject, and my husband and I were fortunate to hear Peter talk about it further at a book talk. Recommended.
August 3, 2026
This was not an easy book to read because of many unfamiliar place names. However, it was most interesting and informative and at times amusing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews