Wherever you go in Britain – in the city, town or countryside – you come across hidden havens for wildlife. They may be home to sand lizards and stoats, adders and orchids, butterflies and bush-crickets, water voles and peregrine falcons.
These areas cover the length and breadth of the country, from prehistoric stone structures in Shetland to peat diggings in Somerset, and from Belfast’s docklands to London’s Shard. At first sight, they might not appear to have all that much in common. But all were originally created to serve our own needs; only later did they become places where wild creatures can thrive. Now they add up to an area larger than all our nature reserves put together.
In The Accidental Countryside, naturalist Stephen Moss tells the fascinating and uplifting story of how wildlife has taken advantage of us – often when we least expected it. And as we enter the most challenging period in our history, he also asks a crucial question: without these places, will Britain’s wildlife be able to survive?
