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Return to My Trees

Notes from the Welsh Woodlands

Now in paperback: Walking through ancient Welsh forests, Yeomans reflects on our relationship to the woods.
 
When and how did humans lose their connection with nature—and how do we find it again? In Return to My Trees, Matthew Yeomans seeks to answer these questions as he walks more than 300 miles through the ancient and modern forests of Wales. Weaving history and folklore together with tales of industrial progress and decay, Yeomans immerses himself in the homes of ancient Druids, early Celtic saints, Norman lords, and early miners. As Yeomans walks, he reflects on the woodlands’ uncertain future and how humans might make peace with the natural world. 


256 pages | 5.08 x 7.8 | © 2026

Biography and Letters

Biological Sciences: Natural History

Travel and Tourism: Travel Writing and Guides


View all books from University of Wales Press

Reviews

“It gives voice to the dying souls of abused forests and vivifies lands that are untouched by human hands; it warns that a choice must be made regarding what will be left for future generations.”
 

Foreword Reviews

"This is an inspiring story about one man’s determination and the power of trees. It should not be missed."
 

Dame Judi Dench

“If the Wales coast path is about walking the shape of a nation, this book is about walking its heart and soul. In this delightful exploration of a potential Welsh National Forest Trail, the author sheds new light on Wales’ identity and mythologies through its trees both absent and present. Crammed full of things you never knew, this is a joyous journey of the mental and physical release brought about by walking and nature.”
 

Jane Davidson, author of #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country

A "delightful account of a walk across Wales under the canopy, in search an answer to the question that vexes many - why are trees so important to us"
 

Robert Penn, author of Slow Rise

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART ONE – THE FALL OF THE TREES
Chapter 1 – The Wisdom of the Druids
Chapter 2 – The Story of the Saints
Chapter 3 – The Attack on the Forests
Chapter 4 – A New Forest Economy
Chapter 5 – The Original Black Gold
Chapter 6 – Stranded Assets
PART TWO – THE POWER OF THE TREES
Chapter 7 – Reconnecting Through Community
Chapter 8 – The Science of the Trees
Chapter 9 – In the Footsteps of the Welsh Robin Hood
Chapter 10 – The Stuff of Legend
Chapter 11 – Environmentalism’s Romantic Past
PART THREE – THE POWER OF THE TREES
Chapter 12 – A National Forest is Born
Chapter 13 – The Rights of Trees
Chapter 14 – Forest Politics
Chapter 15 – The Business of Nature
Chapter 16 – Sheep and Trees
Chapter 17 – Making Peace with Nature

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