Downstream: Across England in a Punt

by Tom Fort

Downstream is a celebration of rivers â an appreciation of what they mean to us and what we owe to them. Tom Fort explores the historical, geographical, social and industrial aspects of Englandâ s Trent River in the unsung heart of Middle England.


From the Hardcover edition.

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2008

About the author

Tom Fort was education at Eton and Balliol Collge, Oxford. On leaving Oxford he went to work as a reporter at the Slough Observer and the Slough Evening Mail before joining the BBC in 1978 where he worked in the BBC Radio newsroom in London for 22 years.

He took early retirement in 2000, just before the publication of his social history of lawns and lawn-mowing, The Grass is Greener.

Reviews

[Richard Hakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an explorer who can get to Nottingham and Gainsborough by train I have explored these areas by bike many times and I knew sections of the Trent well. The idea of a book that followed the Trent sounded like something I should read. The book is fifteen years old and I know the world changes but it is still recognisable. I know the head of the Trent less well took his explorations as they came. As the river grows in mid life it becomes more remote and less easy in its exploration even though he still sailed along. When he abandons his boat for a bicycle is where he seems to loose contact with the river. His explorations become based on bookish research and show a remarkable lack of understanding and appreciation. The area around the lower Trent is a wonderful area but its beauty requires understanding and seeking out. I do not think he ever gets close.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author paddles his way in a punt across England, starting off by finding the source of the River Trent and trying to follow it from source to end. The book is part local history, part reflection on changing times, and also a celebration of what rivers can be. He comments on the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, and the lives of riparian dwellers, plus his love of fishing.