Back in 2011 Neil Ansell (see previous post) wrote another book, called “Deep Country: five years in the Welsh hills.” In it he writes about a stay of five years in a remote cottage, without modern services, transport or a phone, a story about wild, remote places and wild creatures that became his society…

Once again, the book contains some real gems, both in its encounters with wild life and some of Neil’s discoveries as he spends this extended time with only occasional human companionship, like this one:

I couldn’t feel lonely. Loneliness is the product of isolation that has not been freely chosen. You can of course feel more lonely in the midst of a crowd of people if those people are not giving you the human contact you desire, in the same way that poverty surrounded by affluence feels harsher, more shocking, than poverty shared. Solitude embraced is the opposite of loneliness.

You might like this promotional video HERE