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Exciting news… In a couple of weeks, I will be releasing a new book, Walking the White Horses: Wiltshire’s White Horse Trail on Foot.  

Earlier this year, I set off on a long walk – seeking to tackle the 90+ miles of Wiltshire’s White Horse Trail, joined in the adventure by my wide-eyed 10-year-old son, Charlie.  Walking the White Horses  follows our progress, and takes the reader on a lyrical meander through the natural wonders of southern England’s chalk downland environment, its people, heritage and wildlife. Along the way we explore the story of these striking equine hill figures and the role they have played in the cultures, belief systems and lived experiences of Wiltshire folk across the centuries.       

There are eight White Horses still visible in the Wiltshire landscape today – Westbury, Devizes, Cherhill, Broad Town, Hackpen, Marlborough, Pewsey and Alton Barnes. Our 93-mile walk takes in them all, culminating in a visit to the most famous – and the oldest by many centuries – the Uffington White Horse, over the county border in present day Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire).     

Charlie’s place alongside me as we take on the journey, opens up the narrative to simultaneously become a portrait of a father and son relationship, while his enthusiasm for exploring the nature on our doorstep and his wonder at the white horse hill figures helps to create a unique piece of work, reigniting the youthful wonder for our natural environment deep within us all.    

Walking the White Horses is released on Friday, November 3 and will be available from that date on Amazon, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, as well as in a range of local independent bookshops and visitor attractions across the South West.