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Walking through Spring: An English Journey
Walking Through Spring follows Graham Hoyland’s journey as he creates a new national trail, walking with the Spring from the south coast in March up to the border with Scotland, which he reaches on the longest day: the twenty-first of June.
How does the Earth’s angle to the sun make the seasons change? Which plants start blooming first? Which birds survive the bitter winter in our hedgerows and which arrive from overseas? Graham Hoyland introduces us to England’s unique botanical, geographical and social landscape as Spring unfolds across the country – from dairy cows cantering and kicking their heels when released into lush meadows in the West Country, to new lambs in the Peak District.
Avoiding roads, Walking Through Spring begins on the sea shore at Lymington, up through the New Forest, following the old ways to Salisbury and Bath, then heads north along the Cotswold Escarpment, up the River Wye through England’s secret county of Herefordshire to Offa’s Dyke. Hoyland takes us through John Lewis-Stempel’s famous meadowland, across the Malvern Hills and along canal tow-paths to the Pennine Way, Yorkshire Dales and the English Border country.
The journey also engages with England’s rural characters: farmers, tractor drivers, pub landlords and narrow-boat owners. What does Spring mean to them? Is it really getting earlier every year? Away from the streams of gleaming cars and motorways, can Springtime help us reconnect with the old England of The Wildwood and Pan?
How does the Earth’s angle to the sun make the seasons change? Which plants start blooming first? Which birds survive the bitter winter in our hedgerows and which arrive from overseas? Graham Hoyland introduces us to England’s unique botanical, geographical and social landscape as Spring unfolds across the country – from dairy cows cantering and kicking their heels when released into lush meadows in the West Country, to new lambs in the Peak District.
Avoiding roads, Walking Through Spring begins on the sea shore at Lymington, up through the New Forest, following the old ways to Salisbury and Bath, then heads north along the Cotswold Escarpment, up the River Wye through England’s secret county of Herefordshire to Offa’s Dyke. Hoyland takes us through John Lewis-Stempel’s famous meadowland, across the Malvern Hills and along canal tow-paths to the Pennine Way, Yorkshire Dales and the English Border country.
The journey also engages with England’s rural characters: farmers, tractor drivers, pub landlords and narrow-boat owners. What does Spring mean to them? Is it really getting earlier every year? Away from the streams of gleaming cars and motorways, can Springtime help us reconnect with the old England of The Wildwood and Pan?
384 pages, Hardcover
Published April 21, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 24, 2016
Partly inspired by a memory of his father saying that spring moved at walking pace across the country and that he had missed a number of English springs whilst being stuck up some of the highest mountains in the world, Hoyland had the idea of following it as it moves up and across the country from the first day of spring on the south coast to the Scottish border a few weeks later. The warmth that the season brings turns a monotone landscape into one that is fresh, green and bursting with life.
Starting on the beautiful Dorset coast at Christchurch, Hoyland and his wife planned their route following where possible the ancient footpaths that criss-cross the countryside. He marked each mile along the paths and hawthorn hedgerows with the planting of an acorn, noting the GPS position so they could return one day to check progress. Each day that they walked brought the delights of spring to them; bluebells, animals emerging from hibernation, the arrival of the swifts and cuckoos and the way that all life blooms.
There are some amusing parts in the book, he has a knack of getting a little bit lost on a regular basis and he is not afraid to speak his mind either with forceful opinions an subjects as diverse as HS2, the perils of industrial farming and the loss of so many of the birds and animals over the years. It is packed full of interesting facts and details as he draws from nature writers, poets and artists as well as architects and engineers that have been inspired, changed and made their living from the countryside. It has a great bibliography too with lots of relevant quotes and recommendations on other books to read. Not only is this a most enjoyable stroll through the English countryside at the walking speed, I really liked that he made an effort to give something back too by planting the acorns along his route. Even though it is not as lyrical as Macfarlane and Deakin it is still well worth reading.
Starting on the beautiful Dorset coast at Christchurch, Hoyland and his wife planned their route following where possible the ancient footpaths that criss-cross the countryside. He marked each mile along the paths and hawthorn hedgerows with the planting of an acorn, noting the GPS position so they could return one day to check progress. Each day that they walked brought the delights of spring to them; bluebells, animals emerging from hibernation, the arrival of the swifts and cuckoos and the way that all life blooms.
There are some amusing parts in the book, he has a knack of getting a little bit lost on a regular basis and he is not afraid to speak his mind either with forceful opinions an subjects as diverse as HS2, the perils of industrial farming and the loss of so many of the birds and animals over the years. It is packed full of interesting facts and details as he draws from nature writers, poets and artists as well as architects and engineers that have been inspired, changed and made their living from the countryside. It has a great bibliography too with lots of relevant quotes and recommendations on other books to read. Not only is this a most enjoyable stroll through the English countryside at the walking speed, I really liked that he made an effort to give something back too by planting the acorns along his route. Even though it is not as lyrical as Macfarlane and Deakin it is still well worth reading.
May 30, 2016
Graham Hoyland and his wife walk from Dorset to Carlisle following Spring as it moves up the country from March til June. I have not read many nature books in what seems a current revival of interest in the British countryside, but I very much enjoyed this mix of travelogue, environmental discourse and miscellany of local traditions. You do get a few repetitive thoughts and lame jokes but the sum is greater and inspired me to load a few tree and plant identification apps onto my smartphone in order to improve my nature knowledge whilst on my walks. Deep Ecology seems like the philosophy for me.
May 9, 2018
I did enjoy reading this starting it as I did on a very sunny spring day on a train journey from Birmingham up to Durham watching the landscape unspool outside the train window. I do agree with my dad though in his suspicion of the 'Wikipedia-lite' writing with the relentless appearance of one fact and then another throughout the course of the book without looking at anything in any real depth.
October 22, 2019
I picked up this book at the right time for a 2 week journey of my own by motorbike, ferry and foot - and the acorns break it into the right sized chunks for reading a bit at a time. I hadn't recognised the author as the eminent mountaineer who also sails, directs and writes, so it was nice to discover his background bit by bit as the book went on. I won't quibble about any inaccuracies, especially as the reader discovers at the end that he wrote the book in 4 months and had to read over 80 books to do so. I don't hold with quite a lot of his conclusions and therefore noticed the repetition, but well written and a great idea, including the acorns. Shame about the original acorns but his honesty gives confidence.
June 20, 2016
This is a literate and thoughtful account of a walk from the Dorset coast to the Scottish border through spring. I loved this book. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the diverse and interesting things that Graham encounters along the way and the references to nature writers of past generations. It is a book that examines how our landscape and ecosystem has changed over a relatively short time, sometimes for the better but mostly for the worse.
A must read for anyone with a passion for the environment and for anyone who likes a good road trip.
A must read for anyone with a passion for the environment and for anyone who likes a good road trip.
April 5, 2018
Quite enjoyable, especially in the run up to spring here in Devon. It just dropped a star because of the ranting; even though I agreed with his overall stance in most cases, he sometimes came across almost petulant. I think I just prefer my arguments a bit more well-reasoned. Would also have enjoyed the book more if he had taken the time to identify sightings of some plants and birds or at least provide a more detailed description. Lacking a little for those of us who prefer a more scientific naturalism. Nonetheless, recommended in anticipation of spring and summer of walking.
August 14, 2021
Written like a blog rather than a book, it pops and fizzes with the author’s interests and insights, his thoughts sparked by a bird or a tree. His intelligence and eclectic reading mean there’s something new to learn on every page. Despite the occasionally ranting tone I enjoyed it immensely.
July 31, 2017
Very well balanced between walking, history, nature, environment etc... makes several points well with a light touch..
June 7, 2020
This book was recommended at the library book café so I was primed for the rambling nature of the subject matter as Graham Hoyland wends his way with partner Gina up England pacing himself with the spring.
I felt slightly on edge reading of his background in exploration as some such writers on nature can be of an uncomfortably individualistic, iconoclastic through to extreme right-wing bent (and he goes into a little of this discussing Henry Williamson) However, I felt his experiences had not narrowed his view of humanity and the natural world, and his reflections on Nepal added to his account of journeying through much gentler terrain. He returns fairly frequently to the theme of overpopulation, as those who are innocent of contributing to it can do.
I was tickled by his references to the Roman occupation and the Derwent Valley as their Heart of Darkness - I think he was too, either that or the book shows signs of being stitched together and not having the attentions of a good editor as they are repeated in successive pages. I would have liked slightly more about the section of his journey through the city of Birmingham given that he goes that way explicitly to experience a city Spring. I was relieved to find someone who had undertaken such intrepid trips could still describe walking in England as arduous.
He skitters over the surface of a lot of topics, creating a real Everyman feel to the work... plenty to go away and read up more on, but an enjoyable read.
I felt slightly on edge reading of his background in exploration as some such writers on nature can be of an uncomfortably individualistic, iconoclastic through to extreme right-wing bent (and he goes into a little of this discussing Henry Williamson) However, I felt his experiences had not narrowed his view of humanity and the natural world, and his reflections on Nepal added to his account of journeying through much gentler terrain. He returns fairly frequently to the theme of overpopulation, as those who are innocent of contributing to it can do.
I was tickled by his references to the Roman occupation and the Derwent Valley as their Heart of Darkness - I think he was too, either that or the book shows signs of being stitched together and not having the attentions of a good editor as they are repeated in successive pages. I would have liked slightly more about the section of his journey through the city of Birmingham given that he goes that way explicitly to experience a city Spring. I was relieved to find someone who had undertaken such intrepid trips could still describe walking in England as arduous.
He skitters over the surface of a lot of topics, creating a real Everyman feel to the work... plenty to go away and read up more on, but an enjoyable read.
May 11, 2025
At first I thought it was a travel book by someone who has nothing else to do. However I was proved very wrong!
Loved it.
Loved have the references for me to jump into. Also loved how Graham discusses everything under the sun, all prompted by the walk.
Once fit, I would love to do some similar walking myself.
I love the British countryside and love being in it. I hope I have managed to pass this onto my children.
Loved it.
Loved have the references for me to jump into. Also loved how Graham discusses everything under the sun, all prompted by the walk.
Once fit, I would love to do some similar walking myself.
I love the British countryside and love being in it. I hope I have managed to pass this onto my children.
March 14, 2022
I was intrigued by the idea of walking with the springtime, and I love English nature writing. The best parts of this book were recognizing the places I've been. Some of the author's views seem to be the complete antithesis to mine, but I am all for preserving the English countryside.
August 4, 2016
There are quite a few nature books out there at the moment which are also book reviews. This is one of those books and not the best example.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews