CollectednotesfromavidwalkerChristopherSomerville’streksthroughtheBritishcountryside.InChristopherSomerville’sworkroomisacaseofshelvesthatholdsfourhundredandfiftynotebooks.Theirpagesarecreasedandstainedwithmud,blood,flattenedinsects,beerglassrings,smearsofplantjuice,andgallonsofsweat.EverythingSomervillehaswrittenaboutwalkingtheBritishcountrysidehashaditsoriginintheselittleblackandredbooks.DuringthelockdownsandenforcedisolationoftheCOVID-19pandemic,Somervillebegantorevisitthistreasuryofnotes,spanningfortyyearsofexploringonfoot.TheViewfromtheHillpullstogetherthebestofhiswrittencollections,followingthecycleoftheseasonsfromafreezingJanuaryontheSevernEstuarytothesightofsunriseonChristmasmorningfrominsideaprehistoricburialmound.InbetweenarehundredsofwalkstodiscovertoadsinaCumbrianspring,troutinaHampshirechalkstream,alordlyredstagattheautumnrutontheIsleofMull,andthreethousandgeeseatfullgabbleinthewintryNorfolksky.Somerville’swritingenablesreaderstoenjoythesemagnificentwalkswithoutstirringfromthecomfortofhome.
