The Moor

by William Atkins

In this journey across England's most forbidding and mysterious terrain, William Atkins takes the reader from south to north, exploring moorland's uniquely captivating position in our history, literature and psyche. Atkins' journey is full of encounters, busy with the voices of the moors, past and present. He shows us that, while the fierce terrains we associate with Wuthering Heights and The Hound of the Baskervilles are very human landscapes, the moors remain daunting and defiant, standing steadfast against the passage of time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Travel, History, Natural History, British Literature, Environment

371 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2014

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Moor. Just the thought of it can bring up feelings of bleakness, isolation and forbidding places. An Britain has it's fair share of moorland too, from the windswept southern moors in Cornwall and Devon to the harsh and uncompromising northern moors of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

And yet these places have supported industries and livelihoods for hundreds of years and inspired some of most well known literature as well as providing perfect environment for some of the unique flora and fauna perfectly adapted to these places.

In this book, Atkins walks these moors to uncover their past events and the people that inhabited them, as well as absorb their stark beauty. He visits Dartmoor prison in the centre of Dartmoor, which presents any prisoner intending on escaping with the toughest of journeys. He joins shoots on the moors, and visits those that still have legends that haunt the location.

Well worth reading, Atkins has given us a fascinating account of some of the the harshest environments that this country has, and has brought the history of them alive. 3.5 stars overall.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
On a clear day, if I look out of my house's upstairs windows I can see the outline of the North Yorks Moors hills in the distance, about 15 miles away.
On nice days we might choose to go walking across their network of footpaths and bridleways, admiring the lambs in the Spring and the purple heather in the autumn.
Between November and February I don't tend to go anywhere near them! Seeing pictures of banks of snow and impassable roads on the local news is quite enough.
Until I read this book I knew very little about the moors, not just in North Yorkshire where I live but the other moorland areas of England. I liked the mixture of natural history, social history and the role of the moor in novels and poetry. And it's given me a good view of what the moors are like during the months that I avoid them. I have the luxury to be able to do so. Farmers, gamekeepers, wardens etc have to deal with them every day of the year.
Atkins writes well, although I felt that some chapters (the grouse shooting for instance) went on far too long. And why no illustrations of such a scenic area? Not one photograph or any sort of picture in the entire book.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has been walking moors since I was a toddler (and I am now well on the way to the opposite end of life) a book on moorland was a must read. I can happily say that I enjoyed this book ranging widely over subject matter and areas. I've walked on all the areas mentioned over the years and for some areas I've visited rarely I learnt quite a bit; much less so with areas I'm fairly well acquainted with. The main problem I have with it is while I love rambling over moorland so does this book. The choice of subject matter for each moorland area is very personal and at times obviously important - the Abbot's Way on Dartmoor, Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor and Ian Brady on Saddleworth Moor are examples. However there were times when I felt that the original subject had become lost in a diversion only to suddenly reappear unexpectedly. The space given over tor some of the moorland areas is rather limited and I felt a little frustrated at times that there was insufficient about a subject I'd become interested in and more than I wanted on another subject.

Any lover of moorland will be very happy to have this on thier bookshelves even if it is rather idiosyncratic in its approach. Covering industrial use, flora and fauna, social history, the environment, literature to name but a few of the subjects mainly for nine moorlands in England is bound to be a challenge but I would recommend it to those with an interest in the wonderful environment we know as "moorland".

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always jointly loved and been terrified of the moors, this book reminds me why.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right kind of nature writing; Atkins doesn't just wax lyrical about nature, but explores the effects that humans have on "wild" environments, in this case English moors from south-west to north-east. He may go a bit overboard on description at times, but it's full of interest. I particularly like the way he finds an individual historical character, such as a farmer, and uses documentary evidence such as journals and account books to bring a period to life. One strong theme is grouse-shooting, not surprisingly. He does a good job of exploring the issue from both sides, spending time with shooters, gamekeepers, and their opponents -- without going so far as to defend the indefensible (the elimination of hen harriers for example).

[Diane]

I want to read this RIGHT NOW but it is only available from libraries in the United Kingdom. *cue angry Hulk fists on desk*

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has something of the feel of a "first" book. Atkins is clearly a talented writer and has a good observational eye but like the moorland he describes, the book feels patchy as though there are some connections missing.

Perhaps part of the problem is that few of us will be familiar with all the moors that he describes. I can see the South Pennine Moors from my house, and have holidayed a fair bit in the North York moors, but know Bodmin moor not at all and hadn't even heard of Otterburn Moor. It therefore becomes difficult to picture what he is describing without just falling into a generic moor description (grouse, grouse, eccentric clergy, more grouse).

Pictures might have helped a little - though there are probably only so many pictures of sphagnum moss that a book can cope with. Maps should have been an absolute must and I am really surprised that no-one made the decision to preface each chapter with a map of the moor being described. It would, I think, have made a great difference.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My edition has as its title: The Moor: A Journey into the English Wilderness. Not sure why because the original is more accurate and inviting. We are in the English wilderness, but we have companions. Great ones: Brontes, Auden, Hughes; the lesser known historical writers and workers( whose names I kept googling!) and the folk who inhabit the moors today. Atkins is a romantic to me - his prose is beautiful with a kind of longing.

I will be paying attention to the Wainwright Prize selections in the future.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atkinson has set himself quite an undertaking in walking and writing about the moorland areas of England. He writes about his own rambles, the landscape and the wildlife, of the history, of the writers with literary connections, some religion, some modern day communities. All interesting but oh I wish there had been more. It feels like a lot has been missed out. But then the book is over 300 pages long, and would have to be a number of volumes to get it all in. But... consider my local moorland, the north Yorkshire moors. He focuses on Fylingdales and rich toffs shooting grouse. He does go into a heck of a lot of detail about the shooting, and I think there is so much more to this area than rich folk shooting too many birds. What about the folklore? The crosses and stone markers all over the moors? The communities, the moorland walking (Lyke Wake Walk)...

On the other hand when it came to the chapter on Saddleworth I was so glad to see how he didn't fall into that old cliche of focusing on Brady and Hindley, in fact the entire episode really only gets a page and that focuses more on the lost boy, Keith Bennett.

One glaring omission for the entire book, which is a common grumble for me, is where are the damned maps? Not a map to be found in this book.

He does seem to keep his observational neutrality throughout, whether it's walking with gamekeepers, attending a shoot or walking with conservationists. At the end of it all I don't feel like I know if he even likes moorland or what conclusions, if any, he came to.

[Jed Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, if somewhat meandering, record of encounter that is at its best when it merges natural history and walking tour. Atkins is much easier going about the human presence on the moor than I could ever imagine being: the grouse hunting chapter was particularly hard going for me, and I missed a more sustained criticism of this elitist and ecologically destructive blood-sport. The book is also very much for British readers only, as the author makes no concession to readers who may not be familiar with the finer details of British landscape, particularly the lexicon (I spent half the time Googling terms and places while reading--some maps would have been nice!). Nevertheless, there is a lot of intriguing history here, and some moments of fine writing: definitely recommended for readers intrigued by these unique landscapes.

[Jan]

Dry with occasional interesting stories

[Delphine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atkins explores the grim English moors on various levels: The Moor is a mixture of natural and social history and it also examines the role of moors in literature (Wuthering Heights! Jamaica Inn! The Brontës! Ted Hughes!). It's a landscape of grouse shooters, mine relics and military fields. Fascinating read, although the final chapters are a bit tedious. Don't be discouraged by the many geographical references, the book is a pleasant enough read even for those lacking geographical background information.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few maps and pictures should have been included.

[Sue Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book rich in the history, mystery and life lived on the moorlands of England written by art historian and author, William Atkins. William grew up in Hampshire and his love for the Moor began at an early age. He wrote an essay for his GCSE in Geography questioning the future of Bishop's Walthem Moors. His concern for these mysterious landscapes has never wavered and he has explored them all.

True moorland exists only at high altitudes where rainfall is heavy. Moorlands, therefore, are saturated from above as opposed to lower lying Fens which are watered from below. A moorland's magnitude, unlike mountain or canyon, is chiefly lateral, giving us the beautiful vistas of long grasses and ferns, steadily climbing up to the rugged 'clitter' and granite boulders of the striking moorland tors.

'To reach the Moor, you must go uphill, burningly leaving the cultivated fields and broadleaf woodland behind.' The exposed granite upsurges which are characteristic of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall and Dartmoor in Devon are called tors. 'Begin the climb by walking through Gorse at the hill's foot, then russet Bracken and then Moor-Grass and finally 'clitter' - the expanse of boulders that rings the summit of every tor, the interstices packed with Heather and Bracken.'

It is wise to avoid the low soggy grasslands with its tufted tops. These are called 'featherbeds' by local people, identified by bright green grass (or neon Sphangnum) which has become overgrown with darker Rush or yellowish Moss or Cotton Grass. This is excellent advice as noted by Daphne du Maurier in her book, Jamaica Inn, where: 'Mary, newly arrived on the Moor at Jamaica inn, relied on unknown instincts to keep to the paths, stones and fencelines following the sheep.'

When you reach the top of a tor you can see for miles around and get a feel for the moorland landscape. William describes this perfectly when he denotes that 'where the Oaks and Hazels met was the way onto the Moor'. It is true that it can be a hard landscape to cross consisting of mostly purple Moorgrass, Tussock Sedge and Rush. A pale, rough, uncultivated place where the soil is acid and the springs that rise up are chalk-based or alcaline.

This mixture of acid and alcaline conditions means that the Moor supports not only acid-loving plants such as Orchids and wild Heather, but also chalk species such as Cowslips and Milkwort, that grow alongside them. The subtle hues and tones of the Moor are breathtaking and something I never tire of on my walks on Dartmoor. Throughout the seasons, I am taken in by the earthy tones with splashes of yellow gorse, purple heather or red Rowan Tree berries, depending on the time of year.

'Try to name its colours and you will exhaust yourself. Beyond the white-grey of moss-spotted clitter; the Moor sank through chartreuse slopes, down to the dulled emerald intake of Penhale Farm, to a motley lowland of pale lime dashed with tawny and dun and fawn, and then the intricate tapestry of purple Moor Grass, Cotton-Grass, Mat-Grass, Healther, Moss and Lichens; chamois, bronze, taupe, walnut - a hannaed mouldering, rusting vastness shot with saffron, carmine and topaz, with swathes of reflectivity that shimmered'.

The weather on Dartmoor, as in all moorland areas, is unpredictable, turning from bright sunshine to fast incoming mist in seconds. It's always important to know where you are and where to find safe passage (often along routes taken by animals if you are off the main pathways). As William correctly describes, 'the wind is an assault - in bracken it sang rich and loud, in the grass it was piping, between the boulders a hollow roar - it was a thousand voices in one.'

Moorlands started out as mountains seething with magma, cooled and hardened into granite with the softer mantle worn away. Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor are underlain with granite which is a course stone known as 'clitter' - the courser rocks at the edge of the Moor where granite meets slate, and where the previous minerals of copper, tin, lead and wolfram can be found.

Living close to the fringes of Dartmoor, the granite tors are etched on the horizon around me. I have spent many hours walking across its wild expanse and always the mystery and wildness of the Moor beckons. It's history recalls many myths, lengends and ghost stories re-told over hearth fires and bonfires, representing an intricate part of the lives of those who love the Moor.

Such is the mystery of the Moor with its evocative and intense energy that serves to provide calm, solace, awe and invigoration whenever you have the opportunity to visit.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moors are a fascinating part of the English landscape - seemingly unspectacular, barren and difficult to pass. They are unlike almost any other part of this overly-well trodden countryside.

So I was intrigued to learn a bit more about them. Atkins certainly covers a lot of ground, working his way across a variety of types of moors from the southwest to the pennines and finally the far north of the country.

His main preoccupation is local history. He researches the lives and livelihoods of local farmers, publicans and the like, often from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but occasionally more recently. While these provide useful and realistic insights into the hard life on and around the moors, I found them only of passing interest. I'd have liked a bit more focus on the geology, geography and nature of the moors, which he only touches on briefly.

Something that becomes gradually clear is that moorland isn't really the wild, natural landscape it may appear. It emerged when our distant ancestors first cleared the land of trees. Its modern form is heavily influenced by the efforts to cultivate it (digging drainage ditches and fertilising with lime) from the Victoria era, the extensive grouse shooting estates that still persist, and even the military training grounds that are found there. But modern efforts to rewild and to slow down climate change mean gradually more land is being allowed to return to its semi-wild peat moorland state.

Atkins's prose style is fairly dense and sometimes poetic, so it's not the easiest of reads, but fine once you get into it.

5/10.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly expected a book on the most famous of English landscapes would be really interesting, but in the end I was quite disappointed by this one.

It starts out well and I did enjoy some of the literary references. In fact, the original subtitle of this book is ‘Lives, Landscape, Literature’ and I think that was a better description of this book. It was not so much about the wilderness as about the people and lives that were influenced by it. Some of the history was interesting and other bits really was not and I found myself skipping over paragraphs, which is never a good thing.

This just felt a bit all over the place without a clear purpose of what the author was trying to achieve. The premise sounded so interesting, but I found myself just not that interested in much of the information the author chose to focus on. Besides, in places it felt like he was trying too hard to be ‘a writer’.

I am sure there are people who would enjoy this and overall it certainly was not bad, but the subject matter was just not for me. I am just a little disappointed.

[Falcon Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ambitious book, taking studies of English moors as a motif for the deeper study of literature and nature and the impermanence of our lives. It's a curate's egg of a book- sometimes interesting and adroit, often exhaustingly tedious. But it teems with nuggets of interest about ordinary folk and sets them against the moorland backdrop, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. I thought the gamekeeper segment was too long, for instance. When writing about the military incursions, he writes significantly less effectively that Fay Godwin, who was principally a photographer. But I am being unkind. He writes well enough, sometimes very well, but mostly adequately- yet I did enjoy the book, and it has stayed on my shelves alongside MacFarlane and Shepherd...I haven't sent it away to the charity shop.
So three stars, for an interesting read that must have taken a lot of research, but just isn't very entertaining.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In these strange lockdown days, when any kind of unnecessary travel is verboten, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to follow ancient footsteps and hear only the sound of your own breathing. Across Dartmoor now...fabled beasts that rip out the throats of unfortunate livestock, captured prisoners from the Napoleonic wars swinging in cheap hammocks in Princetown, bee keepers and drunken abbots, and somewhere in the darkness the hound of the Baskervilles, stalking me from fiction a century ago. Next stop Saddleworth, grim despair and empty cold hopelessness. On to the wuthering heights of what’s known as Brontë country, and up to North Yorkshire, with groundsmen, hunters, birders and other-worldly RAF listening stations.

The best travelogues and nature books take you with them. I’m right there. This is a beautifully written and elegiac book. Wonderful and spirited and an important guide to the land beneath our feet.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suspect that it's growing up in the rich, flat agricultural land of Norfolk that's caused me to have a love of bleak, rough, open moorlands in adult life. William Atkins' excellent book captures the essence of the moor's appeal: the apparent wildness, the extremes of weather and the solitude all draw the visitor in search of escape or a close encounter with the elements but as he demonstrates in his travels from Exmoor, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor in the south west up through the South Pennine wastes of Saddleworth, Haworth and the Calder Valley to the North York Moors and beyond to the vast northern moorlands of the north Pennine watershed and Northumberland, the moors have many different lives and many histories, lived, experienced and imagined. The Moor is an immensely satisfying book - the perfect mixture of travelogue, natural history, social history, wonder and illumination.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in sections over several weeks, and just the areas of moorland I’d been to, in both the north east and the north west. The detail is remarkable, with many fascinating stories from the past and the present. It made me want to go for a long walk on the moors - but never in wet weather. Some very depressing facts about the near-extinction of birds of prey, hunted down so that the grouse moors can bring huge financial benefits to wealthy landowners.
If you have no interest in moors, this book is probably not for you.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evocative, fascinating and just thoroughly enjoyable. My edition is subtitled “A journey into the English wilderness” (and also a much more attractive cover) and the author brings to vivid life the natural and human histories of England's moors.

He loses points for his use of 'terra nullius' to describe nineteenth century Australia and for the use of 'man' when he means humankind. Not really acceptable - at least to this reader - in the 21st century

[John Ingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

More social history than anything else, with bits of landscape and natural history thrown in. Profiles of historical figures i find boring at times but overall mostly compelling. Prose didn't flow particularly well for me but at the same time was quite readable.
Quite a balanced argument on grouse shooting but didn't delve into our highlight the criminal side of things enough.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and serving to realise how much of my A level geography I don't really remember. Moors, like for me the architectural arch, amaze and intrigue me and this was comprehensive enough to give a tour and a taste - and more - about their complex ecosystems and associated culture.

[Flob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy walking in moorland and so this book preached to the converted. I know many of the moors well. It was one of those books that feels informative while reading it but afterwards I remember precious little of what I read - my fault or the books?

[Stephen Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit hard going,but nevertheless interesting and worth the read.
Best bits are north Yorkshire moors and dartmoor.
does present the balance between conservation and man's indifference to the moors in a very objective way.

[Diane Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough, pleasant but somewhat exhaustive.

[Abigail Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet, musing read. Slow-paced, with a very light touch.

[Christopher Vowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stories of England’s moorlands.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like walking in peat bogs, I found this book rather hard work. It is certainly not an easy read, especially some of the literary referencing. Some fascinating detail though, even on moors that I feel I know pretty well. Not too bad a read, but I was a bit surprised to see it was short listed for the Wainright award.

[Nicola Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book and well written book, which held my interest even though it was not something I would have picked up unprompted. I enjoyed particularly the information about the various writers who have been inspired by the moors, but there was a wealth of interesting information on all sorts of diverse topics. I'm glad I read it, but am now glad I have finished it and can read a novel next.