Book review: ‘Deep Country’ by Neil Ansell

This is a lovely book about the five years Neil Ansell spent living in a rickety old cottage in the hills of central Wales, chopping wood, gathering mushrooms, and watching nature.

Rather than recounting a detailed chronology, which, over five years, would inevitably involve some repetition, Ansell wisely groups related events from different years. This, I found, gave a much better feel for what was going on each season.

Ansell is a wonderful and knowledgeable observer of nature, and Deep Country is an absolute joy.

Here’s a video of the man himself telling you a bit more about the book:

Disclosure (August 2020): I first read and very much enjoyed Deep Country back in 2012. Since then, Neil Ansell and I have become friends. He provided some cover blurb for my book On the Moor.