The destination for history
Natural history
For centuries natural historians have observed and recorded the world around them, contributing to our understanding of life on Earth.
Things accelerated in the 18th and 19th centuries when marine trade routes and empire building opened up new opportunities for exploration and discovery, revealing the diversity of our planet and how it evolves.
Today, our busy, modern lives have become increasingly disconnected from the world around us and as we move deeper into a climate-change affected world, our relationships with the earth and nature are transforming. Natural history helps us to investigate globally significant matters, such as the origins of life, helping to secure a sustainable future and the environmental impacts of climate change. Plus, connecting with the natural world has many benefits for both our mental and physical wellbeing.
From birds to botany and forests to foxes, get back to nature with our wide range of natural history books. Our collection covers the animal kingdom, wildlife, woodland, the prehistoric world, astronomy, sustainability, natural science, coastlines, the countryside, meteorology and so much more!
Read more about the natural world
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The meaning of ‘spice’
Redefining what we mean when we say ‘spice’
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Coastal places: The Central North Coast in Norfolk
The unique archaeological and palaeontological discoveries of the Norfolk coast
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Wild times in a London park
The beautiful Burgess Park is situated between the urban bustle of Peckham and the busy streets of Camberwell in London
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A love letter to February
Martin Maudsley dedicates a love letter to February and the folklore behind it
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Life on the edge of land and sea in Norfolk
Ajay Tegala gives us a glimpse into life at Blakeney Point in Norfolk
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Was it witchcraft or pragmatic plant medicine?
Why the story of domestic plant medicine in Britain should be preserved for posterity
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Freshwater follies and fantasies
Author Lisa Schneidau reflects on the folk tales of Britain and Ireland’s freshwaters
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A wild New Year
Author Dawn Nelson reflects on 2021 as we go into the New Year
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A beginners guide to tracking
John Rhyder’s beginners guide to tracking
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A walk in the wild, wild woods
Lisa Schneidau introduces a collection of folk tales that reflect our complex relationship with the trees and woodlands of Britain and Ireland
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Penguins and polar bears: The wildlife at Earth’s poles
The unique geography and climate of the polar regions are home to many species
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A pig called Alice
A writer new to traditional farming reveals the benefits of living like a pig
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Bringing forests to life through the power of stories
Tom Phillips tells the story of our environment through the history of our forests and woodlands
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A short history of the Fens
Author Frank Meeres guides us through a short history of the Fens
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Ask the author: Arthur Parkinson on spring gardening
An interview with Arthur Parkinson, gardener at the Emma Bridgewater Factory and author of The Pottery Gardener
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The devastating storm of 1953
What caused the high death toll of the Great Storm of 1953?
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Birds of a feather: The female founders of the RSPB
The Victorian women who changed the face of wildlife conservation
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Mary Anning and the primeval monsters
The cabinet-maker’s daughter who discovered an important fossil
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The joys of burning wood the modern way
An evening by the fireside is one of life’s great pleasures
