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REVIEW BY MATT RITCHIE
This is a very fine biography of Britain and Ireland’s once extensive ancient forest and woodland. The book is nicely balanced – the first half spans the millennia from the Mesolithic to the Normans, while the second half spans the centuries from the medieval period to the present day. Each chapter neatly sets the scene before delving into a range of topics, from deforestation and regeneration to the cultural use of timber and the impacts of human exploitation on ecology and biodiversity.
The author is clearly very well read, and his writing style is celebrated by his publisher as ‘a wealth of arcane anecdotes and the latest scientific understanding’. The author himself writes of the use of ‘anecdotes and knowledge’ and, although a naturalist at heart, he confidently explores both archaeological evidence and historical sources. Each chapter is largely crafted from expertly summarised references, name-checked and made palatable for the reader. However, where there is detail (on the fascinating physical evidence for submerged forests for example), there can be corresponding omission (with nothing on isostatic rebound and little on Doggerland). The illustrations are a little uninspiring – lots of veteran trees but no archaeological plans or reconstructions – and there are no maps with which to chart our progress.
The author states in the preface that ‘it is only by understanding the process by which our forests were lost can we begin to plan for their renewal’. But the main lesson from history seems to be that human intervention is generally to be frowned on, and that today’s sustainable forest management – including the planting of saplings and the all-important deer control – is somewhat distasteful. The author concludes that natural regeneration, rewilding, and the reintroduction of charismatic megafauna are the purest ways to return to a truly healthy native woodland ecosystem.
The reader may or may not agree with the finer points – but is now armed with a good understanding of what went before and a grounded appreciation of the importance of protecting and restoring our native woodlands. Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in our natural and cultural heritage.
Forgotten Forests: Twelve thousand years of British and Irish woodlands
Jonathan Mullard
William Collins, £22
ISBN 978-0008561048
