Woods: A Celebration

by Robert Penn

A tribute to the natural history of some of our most iconic British woods. The National Trust manages hundreds of woods, covering more than 60,000 acres of England and Wales. They include many of the oldest woodlands in the land and some of the oldest living things of any kind—trees that are thousands of years old. From Dean to Epping, from Hatfield to Sherwood, this book covers the natural history of Britain's forests and how they have changed the face of a landscape. Covering the different species of trees that give these woods their unique characters, the plants and animals that inhabit them, and the way their appearance changes throughout the seasons, Woods is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated celebration of Britain's trees and the ancient stories that surround them.

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

Rob Penn is an author, journalist, TV presenter and cyclist. He’s ridden a bicycle most days of his adult life, in over fifty countries on five continents.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody that knows me well enough, will be well aware of my love and passion for The National Trust. The National Trust, is a charity that aims to preserve our nations beautiful open spaces and heritage, so that we all may enjoy it, in many years to come. I became a member of The National Trust some time ago and this enables me to drop by to any site, at any time, just for a wander, or if I'm in the mood, a throrough exploration. Either way, the work this charity does is amazing.

This book consists of information about some of the woodland, that The National Trust has taken care of over the years, and in this book, we have in depth descriptions, as well as gorgeous pictures.
I love nothing more, than getting in the car, packing up some food, drink and my books, and heading out to the woods. I think just being in the company of trees, has a profound effect on a person, and most of the time, this goes unnoticed. It can rapidly expel the feeling of anger or stress, and make one feel quite calm and tranquil. There is definitely something quite humbling about being in the presence of an ancient tree, and possibly wondering, who has stood in this spot before me?. And, what kind of things, has this tree witnessed in it's 300 year lifetime? As I take refuge under a beautiful tree, that provides me with some shade from the hot sun, I often think about these things.

The book is divided into sections of the four seasons. Each one is full of interesting descriptions about woodland, and certain trees. There was an awful lot I didn't know, to be honest. What stood out for me in this book, was the beautiful photography. It is absolutely stunning, especially the photographs that are used for the Autumn months. It really gets me very excited that Autumn is on it's way!
I'd recommend this book to any individual that has an appreciation of our woodlands, or even if you don't, as this book will definitely change that.

"You only need to walk a few hundred yards into a woodland to fall under it's spell."

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you think of the National Trust what comes to mind is the fine mansions houses and grand estates or the swathes of coastline that they are now custodians for. Under their protection is a wide variety of landscapes, from moor to heathland, farmland to mountains, ancient sites and what is the focus of this book, woodlands. In fact 60,000 acres in total on the land that they are responsible for, from ancient woodlands that contain some of the oldest living things in our country to forests that were the playgrounds of royalty.

Sadly woodland cover at just over 12% in the UK is the lowest it has ever been and we have one of the lowest in Europe too with both France and Germany being around 30%, but most are trailing in the wake of Finland as that has over 70% cover. That said, we have some of the oldest lived trees in Europe and the National Trust among others is custodian to some of our finest woodlands.

In this sumptuous coffee table book, Robert Penn tells the history of the woods and forests that the National Trust cares for. The book follows season by season showing the transformation from the skeletal outlines of the trees in winter to the rich colours of autumn. Penn's prose is short and to the point, as he weaves history, folklore, natural history and the future of our woodlands as well as talking about some of our most famous forests in the country as well as the lesser-known ones. into very readable prose. What makes this book though is that it is full of the stunning photographs of woodlands and trees and the other creatures that inhabit some of our most treasured of places.

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful coffee table book that helps to shine a little light on just how important woods are and how the National Trust are doing all they can to help preserve and conserve these areas for many generations to come.

This book takes you through the seasons in a variety of NT owned woods and how the flora and fauna change through the year and how each wood is used nowadays - how can it stay relevant in these more modern times when large patches of woodland are disappearing fast.

It talks about the problems facing these areas and the diseases that are wreaking havoc amongst the native species. As well as personal commentary from the author, it also features poetry, history and literature that features woodland areas.

The photos are beautiful and especially Autumn for me with all the different colours showing, just shows how stunning these areas are and hopefully will continue to be with the help of the National Trust and other organisations.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my episodic book over the past few months, reading just a few pages every few days. This style of reading suited it well. I do wonder, though, if I should have read it seasonally, so I could have matched what I was seeing first-hand with what the book showed me.

The photography is beautiful, and the book really celebrates the woodlands managed by the National Trust. As a dog owner and National Trust member, I spend most of my time in their parks and woods anyway, so it's been lovely having this guide me through the different woodlands in their care.

One of the bits I highlighted was about what makes a tree 'ancient':
“Trees are described as ancient when they are unusually old for their species. Thus, a 200-year-old ash or birch may be ancient, but it takes 600 years for an oak to make the grade. For beech, a tree over 300 years old is regarded as ancient.“

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book from the National Trust. I picked it as something different for our Rural bookclub topic. I love it - a wonderful tribute to British forestland - of which there is, like here, too little left.

[Puddle Jumper · Rating 5 out of 5]

bloody gorgeous book!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely gentle book on woods and trees with beautiful pictures.