Britannia Obscura

What is the shape of Britain? The country's outline, looking a little like a wingless dragon, is instantly recognisable on any map or globe. But jostling within that familiar profile are countless vying maps of the country. Some of these are founded on rock - or on the natural features of the land. But far more are built on dreams - on human activity, effort, and aspiration. Britannia Obscura is an exploration of just a few of these surprising hidden Britains. Through a series of meetings with figures such as the retired army colonel and ley-hunter John Christian, the horse-boater Sue Day, and the cave-explorer Dave Nixon, each of the book's five chapters focuses on how a different group or community imagines the land and our relationship with it.