Down to Earth
Rediscovering our roots through the soil beneath our feet
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Wilton Square Books
Publishing:2nd Jul '26
£16.99
This title is due to be published on 2nd July, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
We rely on the soil and its rich biodiversity for our food, traditions and folklore, but are we guilty of taking it for granted?
In Down to Earth, Robert Ashton traces our evolving relationship with the soil from Neolithic flint miners to modern day naturists. By engaging with the people who work the land – gardeners, farmers, gravediggers and archaeologists – he unearths a wealth of practical wisdom, moving from the mysteries of ancient folklore to the urgency of today's environmental crisis.
Each chapter explores an aspect of our connection to the earth, seeking to deepen our understanding of its importance. All life depends on the soil, and this book serves as a vital call to treat our most precious resource with the reverence and respect it deserves.
‘Naturism can be a spiritual experience: vulnerable, naked and in touch with mother earth. This book will help you understand why’
-- Nigel Newman, British Naturism‘It all starts and ends here. The soil, the earth. Where there are cultural roots, flinty axes, badgers and bodies, the very roots of nature. Robert Ashton brings us another fine and wise book that looks forward, back and down. Here is great attentiveness to nature and culture. Here too the very cycles of life and regeneration’
-- Professor Jules Pretty, President of Essex Wildlife Trust
‘Reading this book is like going for an enjoyable countryside ramble with a knowledgeable and entertaining friend, and I heartily recommend it’
-- Deborah Tomkins, author of Aerth and The Wilder Path‘This reflective travelogue is often as charming as it is unexpected’
-- Emeritus Professor Rupert Read, Co-Director of the Climate Majority ProISBN: 9781806770106
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages