Ancient: Reviving the Woods That Made Britain - Luke Barley

Luke Barley is at the Millennium Gallery on Friday 16 October, talking about his book Ancient: Reviving the Woods That Made Britain. It's an evening around the book, which won the Wainwright Prize 2026 for Nature Writing and was published by Profile Books.

Barley lives here in Sheffield, and he's spent more than twenty years rehabilitating ancient woodland across the Lake District, the Peak District and suburban London. He's a chartered forester, a senior adviser on trees and woodlands with the National Trust, and a trustee of the Ancient Tree Forum. He was also a ranger, looking after ancient woods in the North Downs, the Lakes and the Peak District.

Ancient draws on that experience. It follows woodlanders as they cut and fell trees to let light back into habitats that are remnants of Britain's primeval 'wildwood'—the vast, ancient forest that once covered the land. Along the way, Barley writes about majestic oaks, freshly coppiced hazels and endangered limes, and the people who tend them. The book has been praised by Chris Packham, James Fox, Tristan Gooley and John Wright.

The talk runs from 7pm to 8pm at the Millennium Gallery, tickets are £12 or £10, and you'll need to book in advance.