My latest book -
Down to Earth
My latest book Down to Earth was published in July 2026 by Wilton Square Books.
We rely on soil for our food, for the rich biodiversity that defines life on this planet and much of our traditions and folklore, but are we guilty in today’s largely urban age of taking it for granted? And if we are – what is the cost?
Each chapter will focus on one aspect of our relationship with soil, opening with how we used to think about and work with earth, drawing on books written over the past 500 years, before telling the stories of practitioners who work with earth today.
From gardener to gravedigger and archaeologist to agriculturalist and naturists to naturalists, I am on a quest both to deepen my own understanding of the ground beneath my feet, and perhaps also to help you develop a more informed view of the importance of soil to all of our lives today.
Down to Earth
Review by Tom Stanger
Climate change has been a topic prevalent for the past few decades, and with heatwaves scorching much of Northern Europe and increasing wildfires across parts of the USA, yet with increasing regularity of such events, it’s a topic we’ve largely misunderstood during this time.
In Down to Earth: Rediscovering our roots through the soil beneath our feet, author Robert Ashton takes us on an exploration of the soil, with which we hold a very symbiotic relationship, and illustrates how the earth beneath our feet teems with life and, throughout history, how we’ve manipulated it, used and abused it, to our ever-growing needs.
Spanning back across 500 years, our countryside exploration begins with one Thomas Tusser, who abandoned the easy living of city life to venture countrywards and live closer to the land; however, falling out of favour with the Royal Court unfortunately cut short his literary endeavours and left society for a life in the country. This is a tale that spreads over the following centuries. The rural landscape soon came to the attention of artists, poets and writers alike, including a fascinating explanation of the introduction of the Reaper-binder by H. Rider Haggard.
Down to Earth is a book which genuinely surprised me; it’s not just informative, it’s highly entertaining and witty, and often feels like being on a walk with a good friend. Robert Ashton has imbued this book with humility and personality, not just from a personal perspective, but one anyone can appreciate, and one I highly recommend before a summer’s walk.
Editor/writer at The Gothic Revival magazine, former Editor/Writer at The Pilgrim Magazine, curator of the Pontyddim archives, tea drinker, hat wearer and autism advocate. researcher on Gothic Literature & religion, also does book reviews, bad photography, and other bits and bobs
You can order a copy from my publisher Wilton Square Books here, from any good bookshop, or of course from Amazon here. If you’re planning an event at which you’d like me to speak about what I’ve learned researching this book, email me and I’ll see what I can do.
I’m often invited to speak at literary events, and am always happy to speak about the book, oral history, or how our rural past can inform our future. Get in touch if you’d like me to speak at an event you’re planning.
