Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places

Author Christopher Somerville has the highlands, lowlands and islands of Scotland to choose from as well as the vast boglands of central Ireland.

But Somerville has made a point of picking out unexpected gems, such as the former US air force base at Greenham Common, and learned to focus ‘down and in’ to gain a sense of wildness in everyday places.

Otmoor, right, was an obvious choice, since its bogginess has deterred human visitors since Roman times. (Unfortunately, Somerville has called it Ot Moor, but he captures its essence in one page, so we’ll forgive him).

The Ridgeway and its ancient sites take up three entries, and the Rollright Stones provide a good story, though it’s difficult to be alone up there.

The inclusion of Wytham Woods is more of a mystery, in view of its reputation as the most studied forest in Britain, and its status as private Oxford University land. Parts of it are indeed wild, but the ‘NB Permit to explore Wytham Wood from the conservator tel 01865 726832’ seems a little casual.

Such quibbles aside, this is a gem of a book, written by someone with a feel for landscape and its history.

As he says, we must seek out the wild in our urban spaces, railway cuttings and industrial ruins as well as in a Hebridean mountain or windswept moorland.

Britain and Ireland’s Best Wild Places: 500 Essential Journeys is published by Penguin Press at £19.99.