The Essay - The Scientist and the Romantic - The Map and the Word

Nature writer Richard Mabey reflects on his lifelong relationship with science and the natural world. He considers how maps are not just a tool from getting from A to B; for him, they are a kind of 'cryptogram'. A mapworm all his life, Richard considers every little nuance on the page as a clue to a new landscape. They are 'paper dreams'.