Oaklore: Adventures in a World of Extraordinary Trees

’[T]he joyful verve with which Acton imparts wisdom gathered in the wild is impossible to resist.’--The Observer

​​’As rich, satisfying and revelatory as a long walk in the woods.’ Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees

What connects Robin Hood, the history of ink, fungi, Shakespeare and sorcery?

In Oaklore, Jules Acton, an ambassador for The Woodland Trust, explores the incredibly diverse history of the ’king of the woods’ from a source of food and shelter to its use in literature as a plot device and muse, its role as an essential ingredient in ink, and in mythology from across the British Isles as a sacred plant and precious resource.

Acton’s infectious enthusiasm shines through in chapters that open with excerpts from oak-y poems, as well as tips for connecting with nature - like how to recognize bird songs and help moths and butterflies thrive.

Meeting fellow oak-lovers along the way, and trees like Sherwood Forest’s Medusa Oak or the gargantuan Marton Oak in Cheshire, Acton plots an unforgettable journey through the tangled roots of the oak’s story, and that of Britain itself.

Jules Acton - whose surname means ’oak town’ - can trace her love of nature back to childhood. A former journalist, she has worked for the Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and WaterAid. She lives near Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, with her husband, Toby, and rescue dog, Pepe. This is her first book.