The Lost Rainforests of Britain – an enlightening call to arms

TL;DR

Guy Shrubsole’s The Lost Rainforests of Britain is a rousing call to rediscover and restore one of the UK’s most overlooked ecosystems: temperate rainforest. From personal pilgrimage to political advocacy, the book blends fieldwork, folklore and environmentalism into a compelling manifesto. Drawing on visits to ancient woods in Dartmoor, Wales and the Lake District, Shrubsole illuminates the biodiversity and cultural resonance of these moss-draped places, while making a strong case for their restoration. Those who enjoyed Wilding or Feral, or who care deeply about landscape, nature writing or the climate crisis, will find this an accessible and inspiring read.

First Thoughts

The Lost Rainforests of Britain was a surprise delight – picked up on impulse and quickly became personal. Years ago, a fleeting visit to Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor left a lasting impression. Reading Shrubsole’s book, I learned that this magical patch was a remnant of a vast rainforest that once covered 20% of Britain. The book rekindled that memory and offered a shocking perspective: these rainforests now make up just 1% of the land.

Shrubsole’s previous work on land ownership had long sat on my to-read list, so encountering him again in this ecological context was a pleasant surprise. His blend of research, cultural insight and passionate advocacy evokes the best of British nature writing. From ancient myths to Tolkien, and from biodiversity to climate mitigation, he touches on it all – with evocative prose and a clear agenda.

The most hopeful takeaway was the regenerative potential of the land itself. With time, and if left to bovines instead of sheep, the rainforest can return. The book may read at times like a manifesto, which could deter some, but I found it readable, inspiring and deeply important. It’s not just informative – it’s also moving.

About the Book

In The Lost Rainforests of Britain, environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole uncovers a little-known but ecologically rich feature of the British landscape: the temperate rainforest. Once spanning a fifth of the British Isles, these lush woodlands now survive only in scattered fragments across the wetter western seaboard – from Devon to Argyll. The book is part nature writing, part environmental call-to-arms, and part personal journey.

Shrubsole sets out to locate and map the remaining rainforest patches. Along the way, he meets scientists, historians, and local advocates, weaving their insights with his own observations. His writing in The Lost Rainforests of Britain combines lyrical descriptions of moss-draped trees and rare lichens with hard-hitting commentary on overgrazing, invasive species, forestry practices and government inaction.

Published by William Collins in 2022, The Lost Rainforests of Britain follows Shrubsole’s earlier Who Owns England? and continues his interest in the relationship between land, policy and the public. It has been widely praised for raising awareness of a habitat often forgotten in mainstream environmental discourse. The book’s broader aim is to spark a national conversation – and ideally, a political commitment – to the restoration of these forests, much as other countries have pledged to save their tropical rainforests.

What Others Think

In this review, Geographical magazine highlights the surprising ecological richness of Britain’s temperate rainforests, noting that Shrubsole’s book is both an engaging read and a timely intervention. His vivid prose – describing mosses, lichens and rare tree-dwelling plants – captures the imagination. The review stresses how Shrubsole connects the dots between biodiversity, myth and policy, making a persuasive case for the rainforests’ significance in addressing climate change.

Another review, in the Literary Review, acknowledges the author’s infectious enthusiasm and praises the evocative depictions of the UK’s ‘dripping microclimatic wonderlands’. It also critiques aspects of the book’s rewilding agenda, noting that some prescriptions feel breezily idealistic. Nevertheless, it concedes that Shrubsole builds a compelling case for restoration and makes intelligent connections between ecological and literary histories.

In this review, conservationist Mark Avery champions Shrubsole as a natural storyteller and advocate. He admires the attention given in The Lost Rainforests of Britain to lesser-known places such as Young Wood in the Lake District, and celebrates the book’s ability to make readers care about habitats that are typically overlooked. For Avery, the book is not only persuasive but also deeply enjoyable – a rare achievement in environmental writing.

Themes, Style & Impact

At its core, The Lost Rainforests of Britain explores how landscape, myth and ecology intersect. Shrubsole draws heavily on the tradition of British nature writing, echoing the likes of Robert Macfarlane or Roger Deakin, but with a sharper activist edge. His style blends poetic description with journalistic clarity. Readers are transported to rain-drenched glades teeming with life, and then jolted into action with statistics on deforestation and degradation.

One of the The Lost Rainforests of Britain‘s central themes is restoration – not just of ecosystems, but of cultural memory. Shrubsole recovers the forgotten stories of Britain’s woodlands, tracing them through Celtic mythology, Wordsworth’s poetry, and Tolkien’s imagined forests. In doing so, he reveals the deep roots of our ecological imagination.

The Lost Rainforests of Britain also champions rewilding, albeit not uncritically. While Shrubsole is a vocal proponent, he acknowledges the complexity and the need for human stewardship at the early stages of ecological repair. His optimistic tone – bolstered by tangible case studies of woodland regeneration – offers a welcome contrast to the often doom-laden tenor of climate discourse.

The impact of The Lost Rainforests of Britain lies in its accessibility. It invites not just policy change, but personal discovery (in this sense it is like Four Thousand Weeks). Readers are encouraged to visit, explore and connect with what remains of the rainforest on their doorstep. In this sense, the book is both a guide and a manifesto.

Final Thoughts

Shrubsole’s vision for The Lost Rainforests of Britain is both urgent and hopeful. He avoids the trap of despair and instead offers a roadmap for regeneration that feels within reach. The balance of personal anecdote, literary reference and ecological fact makes the book compelling throughout.

As someone engaged in reading the Booker longlist and beyond, this non-fiction entry felt especially resonant. It reminds us that stories don’t always come in the form of novels – sometimes they’re written in moss and bark, and it takes a determined campaigner to translate them. If there’s a downside, it may be the slightly polemical tone in parts, but even that feels earned given the subject.

The Lost Rainforests of Britain is a book that could genuinely change how readers see the land around them. It’s an accessible, engaging and important addition to the canon of British nature writing – one that I’ll be recommending widely.

Further Reading

• Who Owns England? by Guy Shrubsole – Shrubsole’s earlier investigation into British land ownership, forming a backdrop to his environmental concerns.
• Wilding by Isabella Tree – A foundational book in the rewilding movement, thematically aligned with Shrubsole’s approach.
• Feral by George Monbiot – Another key text advocating rewilding and ecological restoration.
• The Mabinogion – Referenced in both Shrubsole’s book and the reviews as a source of cultural resonance tied to the rainforest landscape.
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – Cited for its imagined forests and connection to Britain’s lost ecological memory.