The Fresh and the Salt: The Story of the Solway

Description

Firths and estuaries are liminal places, where land meets sea and tides meet freshwater. Their unique ecosystems support a huge range of marine and other wildlife: human activity too is profoundly influenced by their waters and shores. The Solway Firth - the crooked finger of water that both unites and divides Scotland and England - is a beautiful yet unpredictable place and one of the least-industrialised natural large estuaries in Europe. Its history, geology and turbulent character have long affected the way its inhabitants, both human and non-human, have learnt to live along and within its ever-changing margins.

Ann Lingard spent her childhood in Cornwall. After living and working in various places including Cambridge, Glasgow, Oxford and Oregon, she and her husband now manage a smallholding in North-west Cumbria, within sight of the Solway Firth. Having left academia and research to write and broadcast, she has subsequently written and spoken a great deal about the countryside and shore.

'a kaleidoscopic portrait of the borders of the land' * Cumbria Life * 'Beautiful, intensely visual prose, born from deep intimacy with subtle borderlands: land and sea, England and Scotland, people and environments. Lingard expertly probes the margins for their hidden riches' -- David Gange, author of The Frayed Atlantic Edge 'Like a hungry gull, Ann Lingard explores her beloved Solway shoreline for every living detail that catches her eye. In so doing she has created a portrait of this nation-cleaving water that is as broad and deep as the estuary itself' -- Mark Cocker, author and naturalist 'Lingard writes vividly about this estuary ... an excellent point of reference for locals, visitors and for those simply intrigued by this lesser-known corner of Scotland' * Scottish Field * 'Lingard's scientific knowledge of the area and its multitudinous inhabitants [is] delivered in riveting prose. This is deep and beautiful natural history writing' * BBC Countryfile Magazine * 'A natural history in the richest sense of the term. ... There's a lot of erudition in The Fresh and the Salt but also a squeaking, sloshing immediacy to almost every page' -- Isaac Land 'Mesmeric ... an engaging portrait not only of place but of a particular way of seeing; one that sets out to investigate and celebrate much more than that which lies merely upon the surface' * Caught by the River * 'You can sense Ann's unwavering dedication and interest ... refusing to stop with the knowledge she already holds, and seeking out those with additional stories and information to add. She never fails to make the reader feel as if they are right alongside her (knee deep in mud at times) exploring all the same locations. There is truly something for everyone [here]...' * Tidelines, Winter 2020 *