Woodston

More about the book

In the beginning was the soil... From the volcanoes that stained it, to the Romans who occupied it, to Tudors who traded it, to the bombs that fell on it, John Lewis-Stempel charts an affectionate history of Woodston farm; the quintessential English farm. Combining the skill of the farmer and the historian with an instinctive love of the land, Lewis-Stempel mines the memories of his relatives and written records to provide a deep and thoughtful interrogation of the land that his family have been bound to for millennia. He draws upon his wealth of historical knowledge and innate sense of place to chart a fascinating biography of a farm in England. An English Farm not only reminds us of the historical riches that are buried beneath our feet but of our shared roots that tie us to this land.