Sarn Helen: A Journey Through Wales, Past, Present and Future

by Tom Bullough, Jackie Morris (Illustrator)

Sarn Helen - Helen's Causeway - is the old Roman Road that runs from the south of Wales to the north. As Tom walks the route, sometimes alone, sometimes in company, he describes the changing landscape around him and explores the political, cultural and mythical history of this country that has been so divided, by language and by geography. Running alongside this journey is the story of Tom's engagement with the issue of the climate crisis and its likely impact on the Welsh coastline. From one of Wales' most celebrated younger writers, Sarn Helen is at once a vivid and immersive portrait of a nation, and a resonant meditation upon the way in which we are shaped by place and in turn shape the places - potentially irrevocably.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History, Nature, Memoir, Environment

265 pages, Hardcover

Published February 2, 2023

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this Roman Road before coming across this book, but it runs from the south of Wales and crosses the Breckons to Y Gaer before reaching Llandudno in the north and then crossing to Anglesey, the place where the Romans crushed the druids.

He wants to walk this ancient route, and it is something that he has been wanting to do for a decade or so. It is a walk undertaken in stages, partly because of the pandemic and the time he had available during the lockdowns and various other restrictions that were in force then.

It is a triple view of Wales, he is very much in the present when walking up hills and along the 2000-year-old road, parts of which are still visible. But inevitably he explores the past of the landscapes and the people that inhabited the villages that he walks through. The third aspect of the book is the future of the country as the spectre of climate change looms ever nearer.

I thought this mix of travel, nature and environmental writing was really good. Bullough gets the balance between each element right.

It is a walk up through the country, but also back in time and with the interviews with leading environmentalists, a look to the bleak future that faces us all. Even though those passages could be grim reading at times, the rest of it is quite soothing. I liked that he wasn’t blending the different stages of the walk into one narrative. To me it didn’t feel disjointed, rather it came across as him having the tenacity to keep going regards. Each chapter has one of the amazing paintings by the artist Jackie Morris and they are as beautiful as any of her work that I have seen elsewhere.

[Rosie Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Communicates the grief, sorrow and disbelief of the climate and ecological crises in a way that is readable, understandable and feels very personal. Tom somehow does this without the book feeling like a doom narrative - by weaving several congruent 'stories' together, of Wales past, present and future, including contemporary interviews with climate scientists and Wales' ancient history, against a backdrop of his journey through the landscape.

Vivid descriptions of nature and insightful, funny snapshots of people and place... he's managed to shrink the psychological distance of the global climate crisis, bearing witness to the losses we've suffered, while ultimately providing hope for a future hanging in the balance.Communicates the grief, sorrow and disbelief of the climate and ecological crises in a way that is readable, understandable and feels very personal. Tom somehow does this without the book feeling like a doom narrative - by weaving several congruent 'stories' together, of Wales past, present and future, including contemporary interviews with climate scientists and Wales' ancient history, against a backdrop of his journey through the landscape.

Vivid descriptions of nature and insightful, funny snapshots of people and place... he's managed to shrink the psychological distance of the global climate crisis, bearing witness to the losses we've suffered, while ultimately providing hope for a future hanging in the balance.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neither travelogue nor polemic, Tom Bullough has written a remarkably thoughtful book that combines the best of those genres. During Covid lockdown, he walked the length of the Roman road Sarn Helen from Neath in South Wales to Llandudno in the north. Alongside his observations, he ruminates on climate change and on the history of his country - specifically on how myths and legends from the early Celts, the Age of Saints, and the Romans interpreted the natural world and made sense of changing landscapes. And, indeed, how their distortions made a confusing world make sense. Interspersed are his discussions with climate scientists at Welsh universities to share their visions of how to stop the steady destruction of their ecosystem, which all carry an unfortunate undercurrent of fatalism: Wales and the rest of the world are on a path to destruction, but it is really too late to stop without the wholesale transformation of our lifestyles, and the odds of that happening are as close to zero as you can get. It’s a quietly powerful book. I thought I’d feel more depressed by the end, but Bullough’s knack for not self-righteously beating you over the head with your sins keeps that quiet flicker of hope alive. His one digression from the Welsh road - a transcript of his defense when he was jailed in London after an Extinction Rebellion protest - is in particular deeply moving. I may not agree with a lot of XR’s tactics, but it is very, very hard to argue with Bullough’s testimony.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure that this was entirely successful for me but still it was an interesting concept that combined travelogue, history and myth (especially about the early Welsh saints) and an alarming call to arms around climate change (at the time of writing Bullough was active with Extinction Rebellion). The nature writing was gorgeous as was the sense of an ancient Wales hovering about just beneath the modern one, and he explored an area that I know well and that is rarely explored (wracking my brains here as I think in my experience that should read never explored…). In between he speaks to leading Wales based climate scientists and includes summaries of their discussions - all of which are terrifying. It’s a clever concept although I’m not sure that it meshes as a whole. If you can look beyond that though this is an interesting read, in turns uplifting and terribly depressing.

[Eirwen Abberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book to finish the year on! A fascinating exploration of Welsh history that traces the ancient Roman road/path, Sarn Helen, in the context of the current ecological/climate crisis and how central our relationship with the natural world is, and has always been, to Wales. Made even better by mentions of my local area!

[Michael Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Bullough is an environmental activist, writer, and concerned parent. His journey through Wales, to find and walk Sarn Helen, the old Roman road, like the spine of a book, holds his narrative together. One that delves deep into the foundations of Wales. It's mysticism and truth. As his journey progresses Bullough weaves in his concern about our abuse of the environment. Despoiliation, pollution, and disregard for the consequences. He does this in measured terms supported by the work and words of science. If the purpose of this book is to shake our complacency. To encourage us to become more inquisitive and perhaps challenge. Then in my case. It succeeds.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nicely balanced look at Welsh history, the current landscape and climate emergency imminently looming over all our futures. Not too much doom and gloom with a view to deliver facts in a humanised way through interviews with academics and stories of the authors own activism. Overall, a gentle book that engaged with lots of my interests, very much enjoyed.

[David Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book as it was a present and, on the face of it, a really good choice. I had not heard of the Roman road Sarn Helen, and I was interested to find out more. The problem is that it is part travel book and part polemic on environmentalism, and neither part really works. There are some good cut in conversations with environmental experts about various aspects of the crisis and some genuinely interesting information. However, constantly mentioning the presence of cars and aeroplanes on the journey gets a bit wearing after a while. I also wanted a bit more on the travel side, a bit more detail of the route and its environs. What there is is good but it felt thin.

The information on the Age of Saints (early medieval) was also interesting and several popped up on the journey. They are important in the history of Wales, so this made a lot of sense. However, trying to equate their converting Wales to Christianity to modern day environmental activists trying to convert a largely ambivalent population was pretty clumsy.

[Robert Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting mixture of travel book about Wales and welshness and the climate crisis. A passionate and lyrical writer about both subjects. Well worth the read.

[Julie Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more, the illustrations by Jackie Morris are rather lovely.

It describes the walk that Tom takes along Sarn Helen, the Roman road that runs from Neath in South Wales to Llandudno in the North. I enjoyed the descriptions of the now, found the interviews with scientists about different aspects of the Welsh landscape fascinating but I found the historical parts a bit dull and skim read a lot of them.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saints inhabited a Christian culture, but one with an emphasis on severed heads and on the central role of the poet; one drawn to yew trees, stones and wells...

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have much enjoyed reading Tom Bullough’s novels Addlands and Konstantin, and am looking forward to reading The Claude Glass, which a friend recently gave me. My husband and I went along to our local and most excellent library to hear Tom give a Creative Forum reading from his latest, non-fiction book Sarn Helen, and we bought two copies – one for my birthday and one for our son’s.

It is of interest to me, not only as a Welsh learner who is keen to learn more of Welsh culture, history and landscape, nor as a lover of Roman roads and good writing, but also as a grandmother who is keenly aware of the climate breakdown and what it will mean for our beloved small granddaughters.

Tom Bullough gives an impassioned plea in this book for all of us to sit up, take notice, and action. There are excellent chunks of scientific facts provided by academic experts who are interviewed for the book by Tom, and also an extremely affecting speech which he gave to the judges at his trial following arrest on a peaceful Extinction Rebellion protest in London.

There is a particularly telling passage about the general misinformation about Extinction Rebellion as supplied by the British mass media (the newspapers being largely owned by extremely rich men who manifestly don’t want things to change any time soon):

‘In February 2020, a psychologist friend, David Jones, and I gave a talk in a bookshop in Crickhowell, seeking support for local XR groups. In the usual way, we explained the basic science and then the reasons for XR’s approach. There were perhaps fifty people in the audience and, as we drew to a close, a man in the front row who had until then sat mute rose to his feet and asked who would join him in setting up a Crickhowell group. Twenty or more people signed up at once. As these evenings go, it was quite the success. Then, two days later, the news reached Brecon of anti-XR protests outside these people’s houses – the argument being, by all accounts, that they did not want ‘terrorists’ in their town.

Which spelt the end of XR Crickhowell.’

We recently joined a coachload of local people travelling up to London for the XR Gathering. It was peaceful, organised, with upwards of 60,000 very nice people attending of all ages, hardly terrorists.

Highly and urgently recommended reading to all and sundry.

[Giles Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read in a sitting or two and then turn back to page one and savour. Tom Bullough walks Sarn Helen, an old Roman road that bisects Wales from south to north. His narrative is punctuated with his conversations with leading climate scientists, discussing how global heating will cause the inundation of Welsh coastal towns and bring mass suffering across the world - and also with the account of his own "conviction" under UK "law" for protesting against environmental crime. The tone swings between devastating anger and sadness on the one hand, and a rapturous appreciation of all that is being lost on the other. It's illustrated with sixteen beautiful monochrome Jackie Morris illustrations showing species we are wiping out, plus a colour painting of a seventeenth on the cover. In a particularly powerful chapter towards the end of the book Bullough reproduces in full the speech he gave to the court in his own defence before his "conviction". He also writes about how the officer who took him into custody thanked him on behalf of his own children for what he had done (he just sat down in a road).

Wales is small enough that he can afford to give quite a bit of space to how the country will be progressively destroyed by climate change. There is also one of the best debunkings I have yet read of the CONservative myth that "carbon capture and storage" is going to save the day. And there's no optimistic ending to take the sting out of the message like you get in a lot of wildlife documentaries.

[Elen Boore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how I feel about this book. I find the author to be quite presumptuous about prior knowledge of topics but maybe I’m just ignorant. I found it difficult to follow at times and jumping from history of the Age of Saints in Wales to overly-descriptive accounts of Welsh countryside was quite jarring.

Having said that the interviews with climate researchers and specialists were seriously striking. The book made me really sad about the future and I think everyone should be forced to hear what the future of Wales will be if we don’t catch a grip. I think I would have preferred to just read a compilation of his interviews and drop the Sarn Helen journey.

You could tell that the book is written by someone who’s just really passionate and interested because it was such a focused niche and I think sometimes he would get carried away with himself and lose the reader.

Nonetheless it has had a profound effect on me so I guess mission accomplished.

I liked the illustrations of endangered species between every chapter just as a reminder of what we’re going to lose :(

[Patrick Ballin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our friends Jane and Nick bought me this book to ease my recovery after an operation in February. I was expecting something of a walking travelogue as the author traced the route of the old Sarn Helen path from South to North Wales. Not a path I had heard of before and it’s true that the beautifully written commentary and historical references make this an interesting read.

But what is really at the centre of the journey is his connection between the history of past Wales and a future threatened by climate change, in a way that is spelled out unflinchingly. Lost cities of legend become previews of lost coastal - and beyond - villages, towns and even cities of the next hundred years. The steps on Sarn Helen are also steps to help the reader’s thinking out how this will play, and what can be done. For the most part he manages to carry off the tough act of mining a naturally poetic and lyrical style with a didactic intent.

A book with a lasting emotional impact.

[Edwinnaarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me as someone who really loves Wales it was an excellent read. I loved the focus on the past, the present and the future. I also liked the focus on the Welsh saints and nature. The main impact for me, however, was that the book confronted me and depressed me. It confronted me with myself and my behaviours. Unfortunately, being born when I was it's what I am/was accustomed to and it's not easy to put the genie back in the bottle. It depressed me because we are all contributing to massive changes to the world. Nonetheless after reading the book, I had a strange sense of acceptance and peace.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For the natural world to be the first consideration is not, in act, and despite all appearances, alien to the culture of Wales. Indeed, it is its very heart.”

Walking the length of wales along what remains of a Roman Road, Welsh novelist Tom Bullough finds the universal problems the world faces in climate change in the particular of his homeland. This work of non-fiction is beautifully written, urgent, and in need of more writers taking up the stories of other places to make the coming emergency real. He shares so a wealth of knowledge of Welsh history and culture as well as his abiding love of its landscapes shaped by human habitation and farming.

[Marilyn Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Tom walks the old Roman road through Wales' hinterland, he reflects upon the past, present and future of Wales and our planet. He discusses the environmental crisis which we are facing through his connection to the landscape; and in the process making the coming catastrophe much more relatable. A particular moving section is when he states his reasons for supporting extinction rebellion. This is a book that should be read by everyone and especially by those in government. Ultimately it is an uplifting read leaving us with some hope for the future.

[Sian Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had an interest in Sarn Helen being Welsh and my parents lived a few miles from Caerhun so have a knowledge of the route as well. But this book was so much more than the history and passion for Wales, Tom has produced an honest clear insight into our climate crisis, showing the affect on Wales and the world.
Tom’s passion and intelligence is inspiring and I learnt so much about Extinction Rebelion which he is a member of. His speech when he’s in court is a lesson for us all.
I can’t recommend this book enough, eventhough it wasn’t what I expected..

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hotch potch of third hand Welsh history, retold myths and environmentalism that fails to mesh into a meaningful whole, though the last element gives us much food for thought, with well written and well argued points that Bullough is well capable of extending to a book of their own. Strangely, the author, a novelist, takes exception to a small piece of dialogue in Bruce Chatwin’s novel ‘On the Black Hill’, dismissing it as ‘something no one ever said in Radnorshire’, or words to that effect. Yet this non-fiction title has many examples of conversations that strain credibility.

[Jamie Thorburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

All right as a introductory guide. It's a bit more of the posh English(ish) man (see also Robert MacFarlane) tramps some supposedly wild unknown land meeting invariably fascinating and qirky characters. It might help introduce people to the western side of Wales via the most certainly modern antiquarian fancy. The saddest thing about the book is the use of English toponyms throughout. Surely the editors would have permitted the use of the real Welsh names. The English can't be so monolingual as that, can they?

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like the Rob MacFarlane and came to this book with similar expectations. For me it didn't work quite as well as MacFarlane's books, for some reason the narrative felt a bit disjointed. It may just be me as the book has some interesting reflections on Welsh history, nature, environment and religion. I particularly enjoyed the tales of Welsh saints! Current concerns are passionately highlighted but not delivered in a doom laden way. Finally a real high point are the wonderful illustrations by Jackie Morris.

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bullough is an able writer with lots in his head but I didn't get drawn into this book. I was interested in his relevant and impassioned pages on climate change but then it was on to the mesolithic, then the Romans and then the Bronze Age with references to the Age of Saints. Basically the book was all over the place and I needed more to find my feet in the complex history he was half-describing, which is a shame as I wanted to know, but ended up abandoning the book only about a quarter of the way through - a missed opportunity!

[Sam L · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The quiet fragility of it all, of everything that makes Wals distinct; it could all go without notice, just as our flocks of starlings have dwindled, just as the house martins have left our eaves, just as on Mynydd Illtyd, not twenty years ago, there used to be curlews, lapwings, redshanks - and now there are only the aeroplanes".

This book has its poetic moments and a good conservation message, but I give it one star. The creepy, subtly-objectifying way in which the author describes the women he meets bothered me

[David Twine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book is a description of the author's journey on foot from Neath to Llandudno following the Roman road (Sarn Helen), it is so much more than this. His trek is commenced through the Covid lockdown and is interrupted through this and his arrest participating in Extinction Rebellion's protests in London. The climate emergency is central to the author's perception of the landscape he walks through, and in his invocation of Welsh myth and legend he suggests that magical powers are now required to avert climate breakdown.

[Sam Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique book traces his walks north on Sarn Helen an ancient Roman causeway. His observations and the illustrations are very powerful. His observations and projections of what our world would be like when his children are various ages in the future was penetrating. His honesty about his difficulty of learning the Welsh language no doubt has application to the many indigenous languages here in New Mexico.
I am so glad I found this book which is an invitation to go back to Wales.

[Grace-Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the cover are the following quotes: "Deeply moving" "A thrilling journey" "A delight" but alas, I didn't agree with any of them. I did stick with it, however, and was very pleased I did as the last 100 pages were by far the most engaging for me.
The author's statement to the Magistrates' Court, well, I did find that "deeply moving" and particularly poignant, not fanciful or extreme, just honest.

[Richard Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

When not catastrophizing it’s a very interesting read. Would have benefited with a map (maybe illustrated) for each section. I printed an OS map of each chapter to follow the route in more detail based on his text. Sadly there’s not really anything online that gives a definitive route to Sarn Helen.

[Dee Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

On our Wales trip, we crossed the path that would have been the Roman road. The book weaves together details of the hike, the history of the place, and a deep concern for the future based on current ineffective steps to address the climate crisis. Throughout the trip and at the Hay Festival I was impressed that this small nation is making visible efforts to slow climate change.

[Chris Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry but, for me, this book didn't live up to its promise. The title, the cover and illustrations are beautiful, but I struggled with the lack of narrative flow, with the dense historical description and the sense of confusion on such a special and potentially inspiring and interesting walk through Wales.