To order your copy of Fens, Forests and Fields, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/Land-of-the-Fanns

The Land of the Fanns covers a diverse area of 185 square kilometres from east London to south west London. The five year Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has sought to to restore, discover and celebrate this area, one of the last remaining original landscapes of London as it once was.

A new essay by social historian Ken Worpole, photographs by artist Tamara Stoll and contributions from artist and walker Ali Pretty, demonstrate their appreciation of the people, places and stories of the Fanns. Worpole's essay celebrates the intriguing place that is the Land of the Fanns: a complex landscape, dissected by roads, rail, and industry that straddles the London and Essex border. This division has meant that local communities, proud and attached to their own part of the landscape, have never seen that landscape acknowledged and celebrated as anywhere worthwhile or meaningful.

Ken is no stranger to Essex. His essay for Fens, Forests and Fields recounts his new discoveries on his journeys through the Fanns, exploring the ebb and flow between London and Essex that has created this liminal landscape. In such a complicated border country, there are still to be found secret gardens and enchanted forests to amaze and delight. Ken conjures up a hidden landscape which had much to offer those wanting to walk and cycle during lockdown and has now a role to play into a different future.

The inspiration for the book was the 100 stories gathered through walks and writing workshops over a two-year period collected from across the area in a Community Mapping project led by outdoor arts organisation Kinetika and artistic director Ali Pretty. Beautiful images of the 100 silk flags created by Kinetika with participants from the local areas to illustrate the stories, are a central feature of the book

Made up of three parts: the recent past; the present; and hopes for the areas future, Fens, Forests and Fields includes a selection of these personal stories from the people who live and work in the 70 square mile area of the Land of the Fanns. Tamara Stoll joined Ken on cycle rides around the Land of the Fanns. A photographer who documents public spaces and communities, Tamara links photography with social exchanges and dialogue. For Fens, Forests and Fields, she photographed and interviewed 11 people who have an enduring and committed role in the landscape.

As the five years of the programme draw to a close in 2022, Fens, Forests and Fields is a fitting legacy for the people, places and commitment to the area of the Scheme. It captures the spirit of the place at a pivotal moment as the climate emergency and the aftermath of the pandemic force reflections on the past and a need to write a different future .

Copies of Fens, Forests and Fields can be obtained from the Thames Chase Forest Centre, Upminster. Alternatively, copies can be posted out. There is a suggested £10 donation per copy with an additional £4 to cover postage and packaging. Books will be sent out within 5 working days of ordering by second class post.

All donations received will go towards the legacy programme of the Land of the Fanns, ensuring work can be continued in the area for the foreseeable future.