Fennel’s JournalThe Quiet Fields
The Quiet Fields is rooted in the humus-rich soil of the countryside. It’s about the remote rural places where Nature exists undisturbed, where we may sit and ponder ‘The Wonder of the World’. Written by rural lifestyle author Fennel Hudson, The Quiet Fields tips his its hat to natural places, and to the nature writing of BB, revealing the Lost England that still exists if you know where and how to look. It's the most sentimental and astutely observed Journal, discussing the ‘true beauty’ of Nature. If you’ve ever yearned to hear birdsong during a busy day, then this is the Journal for you.
Abridged Kindle eBook available. Extended edition in hardback is pending.
Chapters
- Introduction – To be outdoors.
- The Call of the Wild – The importance of finding the Quiet Fields.
- First Light – Writing, for the love of nature.
- Rising Early – The beauty of a winter dawn.
- Silent White – Snowfall causes mixed emotions.
- Nature Connection – Connecting with the nature within and around us.
- Birdsong – Fennel relaxes by a hedgerow.
- The Company of Trees – Our woodland friends. Read sample chapter.
- A Way with Plants – Where all roads are fringed with green.
- Spring into Summer – A dawn walk marks the change of season. Read sample chapter.
- A Summer Sunset – A moment of sheer brilliance.
- Hunter Gatherer – Fennel gets wild in his garden.
- The Contented Countryman – A holistic rural life, governed by a love of nature.
- Heaven's Above! – The beauty of the night sky.
- Night Sense – The appeal of 'night'. Read sample chapter.
- Jack Hargreaves and Me – Fennel tips his hat to a great countryman.
- 'Of the Land' – Our countryside heritage.
- The Lazy Days of Summer – Fennel considers the seasons.
- The Air We Breathe – The life-giving properties of wild places. Read sample chapter.
- Charlie's Web – A study of our eight-legged friends. Read sample chapter.
- Inside Out, Outside In – To be outdoors, indoors.
- Through Artist's Eyes – Fennel asks us to see the detail around us.
- Wildheart – Fennel rallies us to rediscover our wild spirit. Read sample chapter.
- The Friend of Silence – Spirituality and nature.
Publication details
Published by Fennel’s Priory Limited.
- First shared as handwritten letters in 2011
- Limited edition collectors' magazine published in 2012
- Abridged eBook published in 2013
- Extended version in hardback and eBook – pending publication
- Audiobook – pending publication
Copyright © Fennel Hudson 2011, 2013
- Hardback ISBN 978-1-909947-26-9
- Kindle ISBN 978-1-909947-24-5
- Audiobook download ISBN 978-1-909947-86-3
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Fennel's Commentary
Fennel's Priory may have grown from watery places and the gentle sentiments that come from the 'contemplative man's recreation', but as a gardener I knew that exposing the roots of a plant for too long would cause them to dry and the plant to wither. Hence why, in 2011, I decided that the angling roots of the Priory, as featured in three successive journals, had been exposed for long enough. I covered them with moist earth and in doing so was reminded of what feeds the Priory and inspires my writing: it is the humus-rich soil of the countryside. My writing activities became focused on the freedom to be found in wild, quiet, open places.
2011 was the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of BB's The Quiet Fields. It seemed an opportune time to acknowledge the book that encouraged so many people (including me) to look as a naturalist does at the changing seasons – and the goings-on in wildlife that occur where humans have least presence. But as with all the Journals, my version of The Quiet Fields looks inwards, at how human nature compares and contrasts with the nature around us.
The Quiet Fields tips its hat to the nature writing of BB, highlighting the Lost England that still exists if you know where and how to look. It also celebrates the importance of the natural world in today's fast-paced 'digital age', where quiet times in secluded spots serve as the 'breath of fresh air' where we may sit and ponder the beauty of the world.
Favourite Quote
"The countryside, with its vast horizons, fresh air and ever-changing seasons is, by its very nature, more life-giving and adventurous than any amount of modern indoor living. It inspires a love of natural history – everything from the birds that sing in the trees to the quality and richness of the soil beneath our feet. Most of all, it creates the desire to exist more naturally. And in doing so, we appreciate the balance of life."
- Fennel Hudson, The Quiet Fields, Fennel's Journal No. 7
Other quotes
"What are the Quiet Fields? They are those undisturbed places set aside from intensive agriculture and the concrete sprawl of towns and cities. They are not polluted by the noise and emissions of motorways, nor suppressed by the manicured neatness of suburbia. They are wild places, quiet corners of the landscape left untouched, where Nature is free to do her own thing. ...They’re where your heartbeat slows to a more natural rhythm, where you can breathe, forget your troubles and, for a while, rejoice in being properly alive."
- Fennel Hudson, The Quiet Fields, Fennel's Journal No. 7
Reader Testimonials
“Fennel’s writing reminds me of the works of Roger Deakin. It inspires me with faith in the quiet life and that although I may be isolated, I am certainly not alone.”
“Artist, author, naturalist and countryman. Fennel has a lifestyle to inspire the most bricked-up townie.”
“Fennel has captured the essence of the countryside – that is, its almost human character. So brilliantly has he compared and contrasted it with the nature of we humans. It’s not so much a ‘balanced study’, more a ‘study of the balance’ between Nature and Man.”
“Witty and emotive, Fennel’s writing conveys passion for a slower-paced and quieter life.”
