Lakeland Wild

THE ACCLAIMED nature writer Jim Crumley has written more than 40 books about wildlife and landscape in his native Scotland; but now, for the first time, he has travelled south to discover wild places in the Lake District. And, to be a bit more specific, it’s the north-east corner of the national park that forms the focus of Lakeland Wild. Perhaps this was the easiest part to get to on his forays across the border; but, certainly east of Ullswater, it’s also an area that still remains relatively quiet.

The author admits he was pretty much new to Cumbria and had to quickly come to terms with the marked differences between the sweeping panoramas of the Highlands and the well-known clusters of fells in the much smaller area of the Lake District. He says he’s very good at just sitting still and doing nothing, and through his detailed observations of backwaters and backwoods he was determined to write about wildness rather than simply “Wainwrighting a way through the landscape”.

Many might believe true wilderness has long since vanished from the Lake District but Jim was determined to prove them wrong. He clambers over fells and through dales, looks for eagles and swans, listens to stags roar and searches for lost landmarks. One special discovery is a remnant of ancient oak woodland that somehow clings to patches of scraggy scree above the 1500-foot contour.

It’s not shown on any map; it’s almost invisible from the valley floor; and, once there, the twisted bonsai trees seem ready to hiss like mythical snakes.

He pleads for a far-reaching reappraisal of the region’s wildness and, in doing so, combines the enthusiasm of a primary school naturalist with the magic of a mature poet. This meant, as with some of his previous offerings, that I had to frequently re-read sections to help untangle his lyrical lilt. There are no illustrations, so it’s definitely the words that paint the pictures here. Roger Butler