A Road for All Seasons: A Tribute to Britain

by Harry Bucknall

A journey of 6,518 miles, that filled 14 notebooks and encompassed all 4 countries of the United Kingdom, travelling through 42 out of its 95 counties, visiting 23 cities; requiring 75 trains, 60 maps, 26 cars, 16 buses, 9 ferries, 4 tubes, 4 uber taxis, 4 black cabs, 2 DLR, 2 vans, a canal boat, a probation service minibus, an intercontinental articulated lorry, a 1953 Morris Oxford and a pair of size 9 boots ... A tumultuous period in British politics left writer Harry Bucknall questioning whether he really knew the place he called home. Propelled by a growing desire to better understand his island nation, Harry decided to undertake a pilgrimage of sorts; he embarked on a series of four walks across Britain that would mirror the changing seasons, covering a distance of nearly 1,600 miles.From fresh and heady spring through to the gloriously crisp winter months, Harry journeyed across Britain visiting cities, towns and vast swathes of the countryside from Mull to Sunderland and Aberystwyth to Lowestoft, meeting a host of diverse and charismatic characters along the way as he strove to uncover the beating heart of the nation. Uplifting, joyous and charming, A Road for All Seasons is a vivid, social and cultural snapshot of 21st-century Britain. Focusing as much on the beauty of the fertile land as the people who inhabit it, it explores a unique culture, its folklore both past and present, as well as the wealth of the nation's history and heritage. Exquisitely written and filled with delightful people and places, this is Harry's ardent tribute to the British Isles.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2026

About the author

Harry Bucknall was born in 1965 and brought up in Dorset. After 12 years service in the British Army, he worked in the oil and mining industries and as a consultant in the Middle East. He has also produced theatre on the London Fringe, sat on the Olivier Awards Panel and reviewed theatre for Arts Council, London. As a freelance travel writer he has contributed to the international and national press. He lives in London and returns to his native Dorset whenever time permits.

IN THE DOLPHINS WAKE about Harry's journey from Venice to Istanbul was published by Bene Factum in 2011.

LIKE A TRAMP LIKE A PILGRIM, the story of his 1,400 mile walk from London to Rome will be published by Bloomsbury in the summer of 2014.

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Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting travelogue around the uk

[Sho · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. This, on first glance, ticks all my boxes: travel writing. (ok so it ticks that box)

And it starts fine, the idea of the trek etc. But. Oh god the writer is the kind of person i really wouldn't like to go on a trip with. And given the eventual revelation that he was an officer in the army, the fact that he really didn't seem prepared (holes in his shoes in the first bit? REALLY?) started to bug me.

Then he really didn't seem to like a lot of the people who put him up (a chap in Glasgow seemed to annoy the author so much i wonder why he bothered even contacting him) etc etc. And also i did really expect that he walked the entire trip (i am savvy enough about this kind of writing to know that it often doesn't all happen in one go) but. Meh.

But what really bugged me is that one second you're in Sheffield, getting a tiny bit of info about the town, how he got there etc, and the next you'Re in Manchester with nary a backward glance. There was a lot of that and while lots of people might enjoy that stylistic quirk, i really didn't.

I pushed onto the end because i have DNR Shelved too many books lately.

Harumph.