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A Wagon in the Woods
For everyone who dreams of escape to a cabin by a stream, for those moments of tranquility while the natural world does its thing around you ...
Some moments in childhood are frozen in time, vivid and vital, an anchor. When James Aldred tracked down an old Romani wagon he once played in, he found himself inside one such moment again. However broken and rotten, it transported him to a magical summer in the New Forest forty years ago and awakened in him the possibility of reliving it with his young family.
In his evocative memoir, Aldred chronicles his return to a cherished landscape. As he painstakingly restores the wagon, learning from local crafts people, he delves into both the New Forest's natural history and storied past, tracing its roots back to the 16th century and even further to the time of William the Conqueror. Camera traps reveal otters hunting in the brook nearby, while the nearby goshawk nest and fox earth speak to the area's thriving wildlife.
Masterfully observed, A Wagon in the Woods is a celebration of both people and place, and the timeless bond between land, history and the enduring spirit of adventure.
Some moments in childhood are frozen in time, vivid and vital, an anchor. When James Aldred tracked down an old Romani wagon he once played in, he found himself inside one such moment again. However broken and rotten, it transported him to a magical summer in the New Forest forty years ago and awakened in him the possibility of reliving it with his young family.
In his evocative memoir, Aldred chronicles his return to a cherished landscape. As he painstakingly restores the wagon, learning from local crafts people, he delves into both the New Forest's natural history and storied past, tracing its roots back to the 16th century and even further to the time of William the Conqueror. Camera traps reveal otters hunting in the brook nearby, while the nearby goshawk nest and fox earth speak to the area's thriving wildlife.
Masterfully observed, A Wagon in the Woods is a celebration of both people and place, and the timeless bond between land, history and the enduring spirit of adventure.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
About the author
James Aldred
10 books10 followersJames Aldred is an EMMY award-winning cameraman, adventurer and professional tree climber who has made a career out of travelling the world, filming wildlife for the BBC and climbing trees
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 10, 2026
In this evocative memoir, Emmy award-winning wildlife cameraman James Aldred returns to the cherished landscape of his youth: the New Forest. After rediscovering a "broken and rotten" Romani wagon, overgrown with brambles and barely standing, he used to play in forty years ago, James embarks on a painstaking, years-long journey to restore it to its former glory. The discovery awakens a deep-seated desire to relive those magical childhood summers with his own young family.
Interwoven with the technical restoration and local history is a celebration of the forest’s natural beauty. Using camera traps, James reveals a secret world of otters, goshawks and foxes, creating a heartwarming tale of homecoming, slow living and the enduring bond between land, history and family.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book I’ve read by James Aldred, and just like Goshawk Summer, I absolutely loved it! James clearly lives an amazing life; despite the time his career takes him away from home, he reports back on the last decade with such incredible detail it feels as though he’s been keeping notes on every moment.
The book beautifully balances the history and difficulties of the wagon restoration with James’s deep desire to reconnect with the New Forest and create lasting childhood memories for his own children. There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia throughout, but it is also highly inspiring and positive. As an ecologist, it really resonated with me, it made me want to find my own little paddock to celebrate wildlife, go camping (though perhaps not in quite such rugged conditions!) and set up camera traps in my own garden to watch my hedgehogs and other night visitors. I also found the book incredibly informative. I learned so much about UK history and the specific heritage of the New Forest, which added a fascinating layer to the narrative.
In Short:
A poetic, nostalgic, and deeply inspiring memoir. If you enjoyed Goshawk Summer or have any interest in nature writing, I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Interwoven with the technical restoration and local history is a celebration of the forest’s natural beauty. Using camera traps, James reveals a secret world of otters, goshawks and foxes, creating a heartwarming tale of homecoming, slow living and the enduring bond between land, history and family.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book I’ve read by James Aldred, and just like Goshawk Summer, I absolutely loved it! James clearly lives an amazing life; despite the time his career takes him away from home, he reports back on the last decade with such incredible detail it feels as though he’s been keeping notes on every moment.
The book beautifully balances the history and difficulties of the wagon restoration with James’s deep desire to reconnect with the New Forest and create lasting childhood memories for his own children. There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia throughout, but it is also highly inspiring and positive. As an ecologist, it really resonated with me, it made me want to find my own little paddock to celebrate wildlife, go camping (though perhaps not in quite such rugged conditions!) and set up camera traps in my own garden to watch my hedgehogs and other night visitors. I also found the book incredibly informative. I learned so much about UK history and the specific heritage of the New Forest, which added a fascinating layer to the narrative.
In Short:
A poetic, nostalgic, and deeply inspiring memoir. If you enjoyed Goshawk Summer or have any interest in nature writing, I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'd read Goshawk Summer by James Aldred previously, which is what made me request this to review. I love Aldred's easy knowledge of the natural world and his willingness to share it with the reader. His deep love of nature and of the New Forest in particular is contagious although I wouldn't be remotely as hardy as Aldred needed to be to buy and ready a plot of land and then construct an entire Romany caravan. There is a lot of mud, a lot of rain and a lot of making the best of terrible weather and conditions. There is not a huge amount about the actual construction of the wagon in this book. It's more about the patience and perseverance required to make a dream like Aldred's a reality without huge amounts of money and time. His ability to keep going and to find pleasure in situations and times that are often extremely challenging are what make this book such a good read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a joy it was to read this book. Finding a Romany caravan to rebuild and being able to find a plot of land to put it on is like a dream come true. In the New Forest as well a beautiful place that I am very familiar with. James’s writing is so full of his love and knowledge of the natural world it took me to a very serene place. If you loved Goshawk Summer as much as I did then this is definitely the book for you. This is a book full of hope and nostalgia, just beautiful.
June 26, 2026
A wonderful, inspiring and interesting read. Very well written.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews