Nature Books

It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson’s Farm. So, that went well . . . The spring barley crop failed. Just like the oil seed rape. And the durum wheat. Then the oats turned the colour of a hearing aid and the mushrooms went mouldy. Farming sheep, pigs and cows was hardly more lucrative. Jeremy would be better off trying to breed ostriches. But in the face of uncooperative weather, the relentless realities of the agricultural economy, bureaucracy, a truculent local planning department and the world’s persistent refusal to recognise his ingenuity and genius, our hero’s not beaten yet. Not while the farm shop’s still doing a roaring trade in candles that smell like his knacker hammock, he isn’t. On the face of it, the challenges of making a success of Diddly Squat are enough to have you weeping into your (Hawkstone) beer, but misery loves company and in girlfriend Lisa, Farm Manager Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald his Head of Security Jeremy knows he’s got the best. And it’s hard for a chap to feel too gloomy about things when there’s a JCB telehandler, a crop-spraying hovercraft and a digger in the barn. Because as a wise man* once said, ‘there’s no man alive who wouldn’t have fun with a digger . . .’ *Jeremy Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241728192 • Author: Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Hardback • Pages: 224 • Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.2 x 2.1cm

Pull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the farm we're all obsessed with . . . An idyllic spot offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows and natural springs. Until one day, Jeremy decided he would do the farming itself. After all, how hard could it be? . . . Faced with suffocating red tape, biblical weather, local objections, a global pandemic and his own frankly staggering ignorance of how to 'do farming', Jeremy soon realises that turning the farm around is going to take more than splashing out on a massive tractor. Fortunately, there's help at hand from a large and (mostly) willing team, including girlfriend Lisa, Kaleb the Tractor Driver, Cheerful Charlie, Ellen the Shepherd and Gerald, his Head of Security and Dry Stone Waller. And yet while the farm may be called Diddly Squat for good reason, Jeremy soon begins to understand that it's worth a whole lot more to him than pounds, shillings and pence . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241464502 • Author: Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher: Michael Joseph • Format: Hardback • Pages: 224 • Dimensions: 24 x 16.2 x 2.6 cm

Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. At the end of Jeremy's first year in the tractor's driving seat, Diddly Squat farm rewarded him with a profit of just £144. So, while he's the first to admit that he's still only a 'trainee farmer'*, there is clearly still work to be done. Because while he's mastered the art of moaning about nearly everything, some of the other attributes required of a successful farmer prove more of a challenge. Did you know that loading a grain trailer was more demanding than flying an Apache gunship? Or that cows were more dangerous than motor-racing? Or whether would have been easier to get planning permission to build a nuclear power station than to turn an old barn into a farm restaurant? But if the council planning department and the local red trouser brigade seem determined to frustrate his schemes at every turn, at least he's got Lisa, Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald, his dry-stone-walling Head of Security to see him through.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241695791 • Author:  Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher:  Michael Joseph • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  240 • Dimensions:  15.24 x 1.3 x 23.5 cm

Discover the joy of growing and using plants indoors and outdoors, no matter how limited your space. This beautifully illustrated book is a modern, fresh take on gardening that shows how anyone can grow their own vegetables, create a mini wildflower meadow or learn how to make the most of their houseplants. And you don’t need your own garden to get started. Creating a thriving window box, choosing suitable plant pots for a desktop oasis or joining a local community garden are perfect ways to experience the joys of gardening. Learn which plants will encourage wildlife, discover what works best for your space (no matter how small), find inspiration, experiment with colour, texture and techniques. Whatever you choose to grow, you’ll be doing one of the best activities there is to enhance your sense of well-being and improve your physical health – so grab those seeds, pick up the watering can and get growing! Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008595234 • Author: Robyn Booth • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Hardback • Pages: 176 • Dimensions: 22.7 x 17.6 cm

Join Julia Bradbury as she leads you through the walk of our lifetimes. There’s a lot of talk about how we all must connect more with nature. But what does that mean? How do you do it? And what does it do for you in return? Can something as simple as going for a walk really improve your life? The simple answer is: YES. Walk Yourself Happy will explain the elemental link between our own health – both physical and mental – and the natural world. Julia knows first-hand the profound impact of nature: it has helped her survive breast cancer, overcome infertility and continue through failed IVF treatments; it balances the soul and acts as a confidante and therapist. Through science-backed information, practical tips and Julia’s own story, Walk Yourself Happy will explore how nature can soothe anxiety and stress, how a mountain or a tree can keep you company in times of grief, and the importance of building nature into your everyday life, so you eat well, sleep better and move more. Walking, one of the most accessible activities for most of us, is the fastest and easiest way to embed yourself in nature. You don’t need expertise or equipment; you just need to put one foot in front of another. You don’t need an epic landscape either, you can walk down the street or in your local green space. Though, as you will learn from this book, a walk in the park is rarely just that. We all have shocks and surprises that stop us in our tracks, make us question who we are and why we are here. In walking, we have the power to change our pace. And when we do that, we can find union with nature, camaraderie with friends and a form of intimacy with self. We can walk ourselves happy and we can walk ourselves healthy, and we can rekindle the innate bonds, all-but extinguished by modern living, that we have always had to our natural environment. We can start today. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349436241 • Author: Julia Bradbury • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Paperback • Pages: 272 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 12.62 x 1.45 cm

Information, inspiration, tips and trivia to help you make the most of your gardening year. Packed with new features and advice, the 2025 edition of this guide remains a perfect gift for any gardener. Month by month, there’s timely gardening advice and information from the National Trust, together with inspiring writing and beautiful illustrations. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008641344 • Author: Greg Loades • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Hardback • Pages: 224 • Dimensions: 18.42 x 11.43 x 2.29 cm

A celebration of some of Britain's most important and beloved buildings – its sheds. From the humble to the not so humble. The National Trust looks after many of Britain's most important and beloved buildings – its sheds. They lurk in the shadow of grand country houses; they brave the elements on the tops of cliffs; they have inspired famous writers and housed everything from beehives to birdwatchers. These beautiful and sometimes eccentric structures are as individual as their owners. A Victorian coastal shed in Cornwall is where the Reverend Hawker went to write verse, and smoke opium. It's also the smallest building cared for by the National Trust. George Bernard Shaw’s shed could be rotated throughout the day to make the most of the sun, while sculptor Barbara Hepworth used hers for napping in. Rather than a place in which to create, many of these sheds are the creation. Alongside the literary writing dens and horticultural hideaways there are also floating sheds, coastguards’ sheds, artists’ studios, summer houses, beach huts, camping pods, bothies, teahouses, follies and much more. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781911657019 • Author: Anna Groves • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Hardback • Pages: 128 • Dimensions: 20.2 x 15.5 x 2 cm

What better gift for a rambler than this delightful, clearly written and well researched guide to some of the UK’s best walks with watering holes en route? 100 Great Pub Walks includes classic walks and watering holes that span the length and breadth of Britain. Taking in some of the country’s most dramatic scenery, the walks range from gentle riverside footpaths and rolling fields to invigorating coastal trails and breath-taking hilltop hikes. The routes are organised by region and graded according to ease. Most are circular and suitable for all levels of fitness. There are also lots of family- and dog-friendly options. Each walk includes easy-to-follow maps and clear directions plus information on facilities, transport links, local attractions, and of course local beers, ciders and other refreshments. 100 Great Pub Walks is the perfect companion for anyone who appreciates a refreshing ramble followed by a well-earned rest in a welcoming country inn. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781911657217 • Author: Patrick Kinsella • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions: 22.86 x 15.24 x 1.78 cm

Don’t just take your dog for a walk. Take your dog for one of Britain’s 100 best dog walks. These country routes are custom-made for you and your four-legged friend. Ranging from 2 to 6 miles, they cover the whole of the UK and take some of our most beautiful woods, coast, rolling hills and fields, not to mention fascinating and inspiring historic sites. For each walk, there’s a map and comprehensive directions, plus information on whether and where a lead is needed and suggestions for dog-friendly refreshment stops and accommodation nearby. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008641337 • Author: National Trust Books • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 272 • Dimensions: 21 x 14.8 cm