Seascape: Notes from a Changing Coastline

by Matthew Yeomans

Overview

A timely exploration of Wales’s coastline that challenges us to rethink our relationship with the sea and the future it holds.

Matthew Yeomans takes us on a journey along the Wales Coast Path, a stunning 870-mile (1400 km) stretch of coastline that offers much more than a breathtaking horizon. With an intimate understanding of Wales’s rich mythology and culture, Yeomans uncovers how the sea has shaped the people and communities along its shores.

Seascape is not just a celebration of the past; it’s also a call to action for the future. As climate change accelerates, Yeomans urges us to confront the harsh realities of coastal erosion and the shifting relationship between humans and the natural world. Only by reconnecting with Y Môr (the sea) can we hope to adapt and build a sustainable future.

A follow-up to his well-received book Return to My Trees, this new work dives deeper into the coastal environment, offering an urgent exploration of how the sea and climate change will continue to alter the world as we know it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781837600304
Publisher:	University of Wales Press
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Matthew Yeomans is an author and journalist. He is the author of Return to My Trees and four other books. His writing has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and National Geographic. He has also served as a senior editor at The Industry Standard and The Village Voice. Previously, Yeomans taught journalism and writing at New York University and Cardiff University.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1Taming the Levels

2Turning Back the Tide

3Castles in the Sand

4Copperopolis

5Putting Faith in Science

6Below the Landsker Line

7The Sustainable Sea

8Stories of the Sea

9Farewell to Fairbourne

10The Town That was Built on a Beach

11Whose Home is This Anyway?

12Two Bridges over Troubled Waters

13The Wreck that Inspired the Shipping Forecast

14The Winds of Change

Editorial Reviews

"Matthew Yeomans’ method is wonderfully pragmatic. Seascape is honest but positive. In his words ‘sobering but also very practical.’ His manner is calm. It is essential reading."

Nation.Cymru

"With a culture, legends and literature shaped by the sea, Wales beckoned author Matthew Yeomans, who set off along its 870-mile coast path, walking the circumference of the country. Follow him as he explores the beautiful beaches and salt-sprayed bays in the Gower, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Anglesey."

National Geographic National Geographic

"Seascape is a vivid portrait of the Welsh coast as it is today, a fascinating lesson about its many salty pasts, and a clear-eyed assessment of the challenges to come, on the front line of climate change. Matthew Yeomans takes the wide view, and joins the dots, weaving a story that's urgent and informed, but also a good blast of seaside fun."

Mike Parker

"Timely in the extreme, this brisk, invigorating walk along the coast of Wales takes in the sheer variety of the land’s edge - its ruggedness and rich history - when so much of it is under serious threat. As sea-levels rise, Matthew Yeomans considers how we can deal with this aspect of climate change, from costly coastal defense to abandoning entire communities to inundation. He reminds us of the many ways the sea has nurtured and shaped the people of Wales, even as he offers a sobering reminder of our shameful disregard for the world we share."

author of The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Jon Gower

"This is a thoughtful and informative walk. We learn about Welsh history and are helped to think about the changes that we have wrought on land and contrast it with our inability to similarly dominate the marine environment."

Sunday Book Review Mark Avery