Annette Shaw is a freelance journalist with 30 years of experience, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections. With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here.

Wild Swimming Walks: Dorset and East Devon by Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury
It takes your breath away. By that I mean the scenery, as well as the cold water. And it’s truly exhilarating! There are 28 days out featured around the coast, lakes and rivers. Having followed health and safety as detailed in the opening chapters, the authors dive into East Devon. The Ladram Sea Stacks Circular is a stunning walk…with an exciting swim amongst spectacular and unusual red sandstone stacks. Each adventure has an information panel, so we can see the time it takes, places of interest and where to find refreshments. A more rural walk is the Ottery St Mary Circular: a Wind in the Willows style amble through pastoral meadows, with river swims and a pub-stop in a well kept English village. Then there’s a hike through Branscombe and Beer, or a saunter through Colyton and Whitford. Makes staycations look very appealing.

The Women Who Saved The English Countryside by Matthew Kelly
Each year, many thousands of people visit Dartmoor. Perhaps the story behind the accessibility of this ancient and unspoilt land that we enjoy will come as a surprise. Octavia Hill. Beatrix Potter. Pauline Dower. Sylvia Sayer. The chances are, the first two names will be familiar to readers. However, all these feisty women are remarkable in that they campaigned tirelessly to protect the natural environment, and it’s thanks to them that we have so much public access to green space.
The Women Who Saved the English Countryside is a thought provoking book. Author Matthew Kelly takes us through 150 years of landscape protection, and our focus rests with Sylvia Sayer who was closely linked to the foundation of the Dartmoor National Park in 1951. She appears to have taken on everyone, from the military to the Forestry Commission, in the pursuit of preservation.

The South West Coast Path: 1000 Mini Adventures Along Britain’s Longest Waymarked Trail by Stephen Neale
At 630 miles, the South West Coast Path is awesome, and Devon of course has both north and south entries. Let’s consider Hartland and the surrounding area. Stephen begins by listing adventures and points of interest (with refreshment and overnight stops) that include glamping on a working farm, exploring an eroding Iron Age fort and looking for fin whales along the shipwreck coast. All with simple directions and engaging writing. These cherry-picked, time saving and inexpensive ideas for wild days out are illustrated with Stephen’s beautiful photography, and are accompanied by useful information about how best to enjoy the experiences. The book delves in some depth where and how to get closer to nature. With tips on the best places to explore starlit cliffs, caves, pools, and more.

The Green Traveller by Richard Hammond

The subtitle is: conscious adventure that doesn’t cost the earth. With an increasing awareness of the negative impact of travel, many people are reassessing their priorities, and I was impressed by the practical way that Richard introduces environmentally friendly holidays. Beginning with planning and basics, such as essentials for plastic-free travel, the scope of green options is explored, not only low carbon transport, but also where to find sustainable food and drink. There are lists of hotels with natural pools, foot ferries such as the Lundy route, and off-grid sites – see devondens.co.uk
The book extends to mainland Europe, but our county is well represented. North Devon’s Tarka Trail is the longest continuous cycle path in the UK. Close by is a “trailblazer” recommendation at Wheatland Farm, where guests can stay in eco lodges and use a swimmable wildlife pond!