ABOUT

Hi, I’m James. I’m a walk leader, storyteller and land raver with a dream: for you to spend more time in the Great British outdoors.

WELCOME TO BRITAIN

BRITANNIA; ALBION; THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH.

A mist-cloaked land beyond the North wind, once believed to be at the very western edge of the world. A land of lush forests, golden meadows, shining beaches, treacherous bogs and mighty mountains. A land of giants, fairies and dragons; of druids, witches and woad-painted warriors. A land so captivating that millions of people come from overseas each year to see it for themselves.

There is myth, magic and treasure in every tree, river and rock - and I’m here to help you find it.

If you want to explore the real Britain beyond the flag; if you want to see it’s best places and hear it’s juiciest stories; if you want to reclaim your joy, health and attention span; if you want to gather the power to save our home from destruction and injustice; or if you just want some fun for free; then you’ve come to the right place.

If you don’t think we live in one of the most beautiful and enchanted countries in the world -then you haven’t seen enough of it yet!

MY STORY

I was born in the ancient Kingdom of East Seaxe (that’s Essex to you) into a family of town and country; gardeners and geezers; rural farmers and city slickers. I was always away with the fairies, whether playing in the fields or playing Playstation. When I started working I was excited to move to the city, which (spoiler alert) turned out to be a nonstop grind for a lifestyle I was too burnt out to enjoy. I knew something was missing; but I didn’t know what.

After a long struggle on the ropes, I moved to rural Cornwall, swapping a Zone 2 flat for a remote cottage. Surrounded by the untamed beauty of moorland, forest and coast, I rekindled my love of the outdoors. Then lockdown came and showed me the vital importance of nature connection for physical, mental and spiritual health. I began to rediscover the magic I’d known as a young lad from Essex. The magic is still there, hidden in the forgotten stories and places all around us, waiting to be found.

I also saw the stories of a country severed from nature: colonialised over centuries, kicked off their ancestral land and herded into cities, suffering from plummeting mental health; poisoning our home for profit; thinking our country is a flag, not the land beneath our feet. I realised that separation from nature is one of the biggest issues of public health and social justice, and I wanted to do something about it.

So I decided to share my love for the wild side of Britain, so that others might deepen their love for it too. There’s so much to be proud of, and so much to fight for. There’s hard work to be done in unravelling the colonial systems that tore us away from the countryside in the first place; in examining ourselves and deciding on a Britain fit for the future, not stuck in the past. But the work must be done. And it starts with love. Love for ourselves, love for the land, love for each other. Imagine that!

"When you go into wilderness, something happens, something that civilisation does not like. That's why they cut it down, you know.”
- Stephen Harrod Buhner

Since then (and a year of full-time campervan adventures) I’ve moved to Bristol, the spiritual halfway house between town and country. And I’ve gone all in on my mission to get Britain outdoors. I swapped my old career in sales, marketing and hospitality for outdoor education, nature connection and storytelling. I’ve been leading walks for over 5 years, and I tell stories around campfires, amongst trees and on phone screens. I’m spreading the word that you don’t need to go abroad to find paradise; you don’t need expensive gear to go walking; you don’t need to do things “the way it’s always been done”.

I want you to explore this beautiful country that inspired the Lord of the Rings and countless other magical worlds. It’s mine; it’s yours; it always has been and always will be. The blessing of Britain is that no matter you live, there are wild places within an hour of your front door that will blow your mind and soothe your soul. Go for a walk: visit some trees; seek out some water. Do it however suits you best and you’ll soon feel the impact on your physical, mental and spiritual health. It changed my life and I know it will change yours too.