Future Rural, Imaging Tomorrow’s Countryside. Editor Adrian Cooper. 2026. Little Toller Books.  218pp. ISBN 978-1-915068-57-6.. This is an ‘uncorrected proof’ copy. From 28 April: Hardback. £25 

 The CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England) has become of age, at least now that it is a 100 years old. This is not a prospectus of their way ahead. Instead it has offered an indulgence to 33 ‘contributors’ to write about their feelings of the countryside and how it has moulded their expectations, with a few nostalgic photos. The photos show earliest days or impressionistic landscapes of remembered pasts; they generally do not add a lot to the text, as they are small and not always very good. This is an ‘Uncorrected Proof’ that I am reviewing here, so this might be sorted in later revisions. The CPRE have moved from use of the words ‘Council’ to ‘Campaign’ and from ‘Preservation’ to ‘Protection’ reflecting new beliefs. Preserving the countryside is clearly not a sound policy as the countryside is always changing and one would not want to preserve what has become stark and ugly and not biodiverse.  The CPRE’s campaigns remain the same, trying to check the gross loss of the countryside and the anthropmorphic effects on nature, including the decline of flora and fauna (anthropocene). CPRE like to oppose solar farms in favour of PVs on factory roofs, but they have warmed in recent years to embracing biodiverse solar farms. Michael Morpugo writes a Foreword from deepest rural England estolling the virtues of wide open landscapes, hedges, sheep and how children will grow up to ‘becoming the greatest protectors’ of the countryside. Of th 33 contributors, and those who work for CPRE are noted naturalists, such as Richard Mabey who provides a potted history of his life between his beloved Chilterns and North Norfolk coast, Isabella Tree with her special rewilding experiences at Knepp, to Guy Shrubsole, environmental campaigner and author of the Lost Rainforests of Britain and his revealing book on who owns what land.  There are quite a few academics and directors of nature reserves who have done their bit for nature conservation, or have written plenty of nature books. Clearly they are all sympathetic of ‘preservation’ whatever that really means (not preserving everything in aspic), Fiona Reynolds giving her experience with the National Trust, Cambridge University and private landowners. All have a different take on the way the land is managed and proportioned and how wildlife tries, or is enabled to fit in to an every reducing and constrained optimal habitat. Generally nature and wildlife come off badly with such competing aims of everybody. Of course commentary on sustainability and the effects of climate change have been discussed. However there is no summary of all views or chapter to demonstrate how the CPRE’s campaign has been going. There is no index which is a pity. The only colour for the future, or indeed, in the book, is the cover, which acknowledges our current countryside gay with yellow fields of Oilseed Rape, ploughed fields, walkers, joggers and sheep in fields, and, last but not least people working allotments, with raised beds to come face to face with the fruits of the land.  They show swifts screaming over the yellow fields as something to remember right now. Enjoy it while it lasts, when swifts are experiencing a 57% decline, and House Martins a 47% decline.  It all paints a jolly picture of life on the land in 2026 acknowledging  intensive agriculture alongside man. It is not getting better. That is the pessimistic view.  UK, we have a problem. CPRE do their best. Their mission.