Westering: Footways and folkways from Norfolk to the Welsh coast

From Great Yarmouth to Aberystwyth, Westering is a coast-to-coast journey crossing the Fens, Leicester, the Black Country and central Wales. It connects landscape, place and memory to evoke a narrative unravelling the deep topography, and following a westerly route that runs against the grain of the land, its geology, and culture. ‘Westering is a beautifully compelling reminder that we never walk alone. Alongside us, always, are the complex cultural and natural histories, topographies, geologies and folk memories that have helped shape the path and those places we pass. Laurence Mitchell is a superb and illuminating guide to the rich seam of stories found underfoot.’ ‘His narrative blends a geographer’s store of knowledge with perceptive observations of our natural and man-made environments … there are bucketloads of fascinating history and topography: deserted medieval villages, battlefield sites, ancient forests and hidden canals … I felt like I’d been with him every step of the way.’

''Rich with detail about the landscape … clear, engaging … the perfect travelling companion … understated … but, nonetheless, profound.''

''A treasure trove of unexpected and little-known facts written by a travel writer with an insatiable interest in walking, landscape and local history … Highly recommended.'' From Great Yarmouth to Aberystwyth, Westering is a coast-to-coast journey crossing the Fens, Leicester, the Black Country and central Wales. It connects landscape, place and memory to evoke a narrative unravelling the deep topography, and following a westerly route that runs against the grain of the land, its geology, culture and historical bedrock. With the industrial Midlands sandwiched between bucolic landscapes in East Anglia and Wales, here we explore places too often overlooked. Along the way we encounter deserted medieval villages, battlefield sites, the ghosts of Roman soldiers, valleys drowned for reservoirs, ancient forests, John Clare’s beloved fields, and the urban edgelands. Notions of home and belonging, landscapes of loss and absence, birds and the resilience of nature, the psychology of walking, and the psychogeography of liminal places all frame the story.

• | Author: Laurence Mitchell
• | Publisher: Saraband
• | Publication Date: Apr 29, 2021
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781913393069
• | ISBN-10: 1913393062