At the heart of this book is a highway. The A1; The Great North Road. A 400-mile multiplicity of ancient trackway, Roman road, pilgrim path, coach route and motorway that has run like a backbone through Britain for the last 2,000 years.
In this genre-defying and profoundly personal book, Cowen follows this ghost road from beginning to end on a journey through history, place, people and time. Weaving his own histories and memories with the layered landscapes he moves through, this is the story of an age, of coming to terms with time past and time passing, and the roads that lead us to where we find ourselves. Written in kaleidoscopic prose, The North Road is an unforgettable exploration of Britain’s great highway.
‘A haunting exploration of time, place and memory along the road to London-Edinburgh highway. Radical. Beautiful. Brilliant.’ Robert Macfarlane
*Independent signed special edition
Travel, Nature, History, Memoir
Published April 2025
Hardback 304 pages | 240 x 156 mmHutchinson Heinemann
*Please note if ordering other items in the same basket as The North Road your order will not be dispatched until April 2025, if you require earlier delivery please place a separate order - thank you*