Wilderlands - When was Britain last truly wild?

Seven Fables and The Exmoor Society present an evening with historical archaeologist Eloise Kane, the author of Wilderlands, The Human History of Wild Britain - Wainwright Prize Longlist 2026

When was Britain last truly wild? And what, if anything, remains? This is the unexpectedly human history of wild Britain.

In Wilderlands, archaeologist Eloise Kane unearths 12,000 years of our changing relationship with and influence on the landscape. Through prehistory, Roman occupation, the Middle Ages and beyond, we see the unfamiliar beasts of our old wild make way for species such as brown hare and fallow deer, now romanticised as eternal symbols of the British countryside, but introduced much later than we might think.

Places free from our influence haven’t existed for a very long time. But Eloise Kane invites us to rethink our definition of the wild – not as separate from us. Seen anew as the result of millions of human lives lived, Wilderlands demonstrates how we are integral to the ecology and biodiversity of our land - with the power to shape its future.

DOORS 6PM

TALK 6.30 Followed by book signing opportunity

Bookstall & refreshments on arrival

The Exmoor Society is an independent charity and the only membership organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting Exmoor for the benefit of all.

'Early Bird' tickets available until 31st of August