Nature

Alexander Darwall: Dartmoor camping case is about conservation and preservation, not denial of access

The landowner at the centre of the legal battle over wild camping on Dartmoor explains why he has chosen to go to the Supreme Court about the issue.

The neglected weed with 100 different names that 'deserves more than a passing thought'

Shepherd's purse is a common sight in our hedgerows, but there is much more to this plant than what meets the eye.

The very nature of Middle Earth — how Tolkien's passion for the countryside inspired the Lord of the Rings

A Nature writer at heart, J. R. R. Tolkien drew on his love of the Malvern Hills and the surrounding countryside to paint his fantasy realm, says James Clarke

John Lewis-Stempel: Never look after other people's animals

Our countryside columnist does a friend a favour, and ends up having to free a half-ton heifer from a muddy trench.

A walk around St Albans and its cathedral — a 'welcoming place, and proud of it'

Fiona Reynolds explores the ancient city of St Albans to discover how its cathedral connects with the people and geography of the surrounding area.

'Disconnected from our heritage' — conservation charity warns that more must be done to tackle light pollution

According to CPRE, The Countryside Charity, most of us can't see the stars correctly, and is calling on government to help fight back.

From the Box to the Yox — how did our rivers get their names?

British river names trip off the tongue like nonsense of Edward Lear, but the meanings behind these great watercourses run deep.

Meet the dry-stone wallers who restored a 300-year-old sheep pen in Cumbria

Craftsmen Steven Allen and Trevor Stamper hope restored this historic sheepfold as part of a wider campaign to help support and promote common-land grazing

Organic farmed salmon is a 'misnomer' and certification should stop, claim fish conservation charities

In an open letter to the Soil Association, WildFish and more than 30 other organisations have questioned the organic certification schemes for farmed salmon in Scotland.

83% of England's rivers show 'high pollution' levels as sewage and agricultural waste flow into the waterways

Data collected by more than 640 anglers across the country have found that our rivers are in a perilous state.

Far better than its bite — what's really going on in the secret world of tree bark

A vital source of food, a pharmacy and a haven for wildlife, a tree's living skin is a surprisingly sophisticated surface.