Rainforests? In Britain? Growing up in a Devon farmhouse, the FT's political editor George Parker was aware of rain, and lots of it. But not that he was living on the fringes of a temperate rainforest.⁠ ⁠ A remarkable new book by Guy Shrubsole has completely changed the way many people look at the temperate woodlands that remain in parts of western Britain, fragments of which survive as havens of flora and fauna, as well as eerily evocative reminders of how much of the country used to look.⁠ ⁠ For many, Britain’s woodland, particularly its oak forests, gives the country a sense of home and national identity, a connection to its distant past. Druids practised rituals in oak groves, ancient kings wore crowns of oak leaves and the tree is a national symbol of strength. Rainforests, hunched and twisted against inclement weather and often rooted in poor soil, combine oak, holly, birch, rowan and other trees in a fairytale mix.⁠ ⁠ Read on via the link in our bio⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ 📷️: @nicholasjrwhite #rainforest #forest #britishrainforest #woodland #temperatewoodland #ftweekend #financialtimes⁠