The Old Ways
A Journey on Foot
by Robert Macfarlane, Robin Sachs · first published 2012
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Lyrical, reflective account of walking old routes and paths across the UK and beyond; recommended to readers who enjoy writing about walking, roaming and landscape, even if it's outside their usual reading.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"In this exquisitely written book, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge, England, home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove roads, and sea paths that crisscross both the British landscape and its waters and territories beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, and of pilgrimage and ritual. Told in Macfarlane's distinctive voice, 'The Old Ways' folds together natural history, cartography, geology, archaeology and literature. His walks take him from the chalk downs of Engl
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I can strongly recommend Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot which has a chapter on the Broomway. The book was recommended to me here on HN after I happened to mention that I live near an "Old North Road" (for possibly Agricola levels of "Old").
on “The Broomway” ↗A few good reads on walking, purposeless or otherwise: "A Philosophy of Walking" by Frédéric Gros "Wanderlust" by Rebecca Soinit "The Old Ways" by Robert Macfarlane (or really anything by him) "Walking Home" by Simon Armitage
on “The slow death of purposeless walking (2014)” ↗I'd highly recommend the book "The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot" by Robert Macfarlane in which the writer describes walking the Ridgeway and other walks in the UK and other places. His description of walking the Broomway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broomway)…
on “The Ridgeway: The 5k-year-old pathway that's Britain's oldest road” ↗You may enjoy this book, which it is derived from: The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane
on “Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)” ↗recommended for a related read : Robert Macfarlane, "The Old Ways" - a very lyrical book about tramping/hiking/roaming. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/560/56083/the-old-ways/97801... I also like the wistful poem "Roads" by Edward Thomas: "On this earth 'tis sure…
on “Search for England’s Forgotten Footpaths” ↗I've listened to a couple of Robert Macfarlane's books recently after a recommendation from someone on HN - "The Old Ways" and "Landmarks". Both very different to what I usually read but very enjoyable. I'm now reading Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain - which is every bit as good as Macfarlane suggests. Also planning…
on “What Lies Beneath” ↗