Trees of Bristol

This is a natural history book about some of the woods I know. It explores local tree lore, culture, and the biodiversity of urban and ancient forests.

Back cover blurb:

Trees of Bristol is a poetic chronicle of the byways and oddities of local tree lore. It turns a perceptive eye on our green-faced and many-limbed fellow citizens, ‘pervasive icons of our daily forest.’ The capitol city of the West Country is full of trees, some planted by former benefactors, some are remnants of fine gardens now vanished, others naturally seeded by insects or birds or the wind. A very beautiful species of unique-to-Bristol whitebeam clings to inaccessible crannies of the Avon Gorge. There are apple orchards in Goldney hall, ancient yews and crocodile-skinned holm oaks, magnificent plane trees in the Georgian squares. Bristolians live cheek-by-bark with their ‘daily forest’. The spirit of the Green Man and the old wood gods is woven through these pages. It is a celebration of the trees of Bristol as honoured acquaintances, each with a remarkable story to tell.

Christopher Somerville

Poet, walker and nature writer Christopher Somerville is the world’s foremost authority on walking in England and Ireland. The author of over thirty books, he is also the walking correspondent for The Times. His latest books include The View from the Hill, Ships of Heaven, and The January Man.

Click here to buy Trees of Bristol from the publisher.

Click here to buy Trees of Bristol from Amazon.