Uncommon Ground

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What to expect

‘A curious-minded and subtle intervention in the politics of the countryside’ Sunday Times

'Galbraith spent three years investigating the truth about rural Britain and how we treat it. Uncommon Ground is the brilliant result' Daily Telegraph

'Very funny. Acutely observed. An attempt to look beyond the usual clichés of country life' Observer

“Brilliant. This book is a sort of necessary clever trespass itself, on everyone’s notions about ‘our land’.” Country Life

"Filled with voices from people who don’t always make the headlines in the UK land access debate." Scotsman

The countryside is under increasing pressure and people, the science shows, need nature. Access to the countryside is essential for our health, our happiness and our future. But does nature need us?

In January 2023, the largest land access demonstration since the 1930s took place on a bright wintery morning on Dartmoor. The access movement demands that the countryside be thrown open. This, they argue, would help nature by giving the public the opportunity to hold farmers and wealthy landowners to account.

But would it really work for Britain’s growing population to spill out across the countryside, and is access quite as restricted as we are led to believe?

In Uncommon Ground, Patrick Galbraith takes us on an extraordinary tour of rural Britain, from the Hebrides to Devon, and from Anglo-Saxon England to the present day. To uncover the truth and fully understand our deep connection with the land, he meets farmers, Irish Travellers, politicians, salmon poachers, and the nation's most-hated landowners, as well as activists calling for a total abolition of the right to own land.

In his much-celebrated style, Galbraith works hard to listen to those who often don’t get listened to. This raking survey of our fast-changing country, reveals the essence of rural Britain's soul. Uncommon Ground argues that what matters is not greater access but how we engage with the land and demands that landowners give us more opportunities to do so, while also giving endangered wildlife the right to tranquility.

Critics Review

‘An adventurous, intelligent, bold, empathetic, provocative, curious and argumentative exploration of the English countryside and its various human landscapes’ Richard Smyth

‘This then is Britain. A perverse treat’ Jonathan Meades

‘Galbraith has written a book about the countryside and its vital issues with a clarity of mind and prose possessed by few, if any. Galbraith is fair-minded (now there’s a rare quality), always grounded, and has a knack of collecting interesting people to talk to.’ John Lewis-Stempel

‘Galbraith wades into the complexities of land access with typical courage and curiosity, venturing far beyond where most nature writers dare to tread. The result is a monumental achievement.’ Peter Oborne

‘Galbraith is a remarkable writer. In Uncommon Ground he seeks out voices which usually go unheard, offering perspectives on the countryside in all its glorious, gory, often uncomfortable contradictions. Intelligent and fearless, he challenges widely-held assumptions about what would most benefit wildlife and people.’ Katrina Porteous

‘Come for the clear-eyed consummately researched deep dive into the perennially complex question of land access in Britain. Stay for Galbraith’s crackling wit.’ Laird Hunt

‘Uncommon Ground is a genuinely revelatory text. A beautifully-written narrative based on original research and open minded conversation.’ John Mitchinson

‘An eloquently-written book that brings much-needed nuance into unfortunately fractious, binary debates around land access, and who gets to enjoy it.’ Luke Turner

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