Dave Hamilton
Dave Hamilton is an author, freelance writer, tutor, photographer, forager and explorer of historic sites and natural places. As a freelance nature writer, he has contributed to BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile, Walk Magazine and the Guardian. He has authored six books, including Amazon top ten best-seller, Wild Ruins and the comprehensive foraging guide, Where the Wild Things Grow. His books have been translated into five different languages selling over 75,000 copies worldwide. Dave has taught foraging to Ben Fogle and Mary Berry and led Guardian Masterclasses on the subject. In his spare time, he walks, cycles and occasionally performs as a stand-up comic. Photo credit: Justin Garrick, Instagram @beige_and_mundane
Recent articles by Dave Hamilton
Escape to the seaside this summer and explore Britain's best classic seaside attractions
The UK coastline is famed for its classic seaside resorts, each with its own vintage attractions. Here's our top 10 – from boats and big wheels, to trains and yummy ice cream spots.
This bizarre pyramid in Scotland looks like it was beamed down by aliens (but was actually a heartbreaking tribute to a prince)
There are sixteen stone cairns on the Balmoral estate, commemorating various Royal marriages – but this is the largest, commemorating a particularly tragic loss for Queen Victoria
This abandoned Scottish castle looks like a storybook mansion. The truth behind it is far darker
This beautiful Victorian castle hides a dark past as one of Britain's most notorious hospitals
Hidden among Northern Ireland's forests are three giant sculptures inspired by ancient myths
These giant sculptures are hidden among ancient forests. Each tells a story woven into the landscape
This secret World War II decoy bunker in Swindon fooled the Luftwaffe – and has an unexpectedly cute name
These unassuming concrete relics lured German bombers away from Britain's urban centres with ingenious pyrotechnics
Is this one of the creepiest places in Britain? Inside the gun tower off the coast of Kent, built to protect the Thames and Medway estuaries (and loved by urban explorers)
This 19th-century battery was used to defend Britain against the French, and was then recommissioned during several later wars
This towering steel miner rises above a Welsh forest. It commemorates one of Britain's worst mining disasters
A colossal monument looking over a small Welsh town, with a harrowing story to tell
This hill in Shropshire has a Bronze Age burial cairn, Iron Age fort and eerie, futuristic "golf balls" – and was featured in Assassin's Creed
Titterstone Clee Hill is punctuated with reminders of its rich mining history, when a railway ran just below its summit
One of Britain's most extraordinary industrial ruins is hidden inside this secluded Welsh cove
These abandoned brickworks look like the ruins of a lost civilisation. It's hard to believe they once powered Britain's steel industry
Hidden for millennia: Discover the 4,000-year-old, red-rock quarry that later became one of the largest in the world
You can visit the martian landscape today on a trip to Anglesey
This creepy 18th-century quarry creates a reflection like a haunting skull. No wonder it was used in The Witcher
This spooky spot was used in a memorable scene in Netflix's series The Witcher
A human badger, a windy court jester and Isaac Newton – meet the 7 most eccentric Brits of all time
There's a fine line between madness and genius, and these seven maverick individuals truly committed to that line
The 9 weirdest natural phenomena in the UK – from glowing seas to magical pavements – and where to see them
Often viewed as pretty, pastoral and predictable, Britain's landscape also has some downright strange natural oddities
Why do some stones sing? The curious phenomenon of ringing rocks
From the Cairngorms to the Hebrides, discover the strange natural “lithophones” that chime when struck – and the surprising science behind them
Could the lost city of Atlantis be just off the coast of Wales?
A prehistoric forest which was buried under water and sand more than 4,500 years ago has been uncovered on the beach between Ynys-las and Borth in mid-Wales.
This high-tech treasure hunt is a global phenomenon – and everyone can try it
The biggest treasure hunt in the world is right on your doorstep. It’s free, it’s easy and it’s called geocaching.
Ordered by Edward I in the 13th century, this impressive fortress was designed to quell the Welsh – on the very site Llywelyn the Great is buried
Conwy is exceptionally well preserved and one of the most complete castles in the Wales. Explore the castle in the centre of Conwy town, then head to Conwy Mountain for an aerial view of the fortress.
A picture-postcard castle, this iconic fortress has been used in many films, including the James Bond epic The World Is Not Enough
Eilean Donan, which means the Island of Donnán, is one of the most photographed places in Scotland and has appeared in a number of films, including Highlander. Visit the fortress, learn about its past and admire the grandeur of the mountains that surround it.
Inspired by the ancient Roman city of Constantinople, the grandeur of this 13th century castle simply takes your breath away
Built in the 13th to 14th centuries, imposing Caernarfon Castle was designed to be a show of Edward I’s imperial strength. Explore this fortress on the north-west coast of Wales with our visitor's guide
"I visited an abandoned Cold War base in England and discovered something astounding"
Forty years ago, Greenham Common was home to 96 nuclear warheads and era-defining protests. Now, butterflies have replaced the B-47s, as Dave Hamilton discovers on a walk with a Star Wars twist
This 1,000-year-old castle was ordered by William the Conqueror – and has been guarding our borders ever since, including playing a key role in WW2
Explore Dover Castle's impressive network of tunnels that run deep beneath the Kent fortress then take a walk along the famous white cliffs – the perfect day out for history lovers
This dramatic, medieval castle was once home to Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Prince of Wales, who tried to spark a rebellion that still stirs Welsh hearts
Visit Harlech Castle for spectacular views from the sandstone walls and towers towards Snowdonia's mountains
Perched high on an outcrop of volcanic rock, this iconic ancient castle will be instantly recognisable to fans of the Netflix series The Last Kingdom
Find out everything you need to know about Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland – including its history, filming, ticket prices, opening times and how to explore Bamburgh Beach – with our visitor's guide.
Designed to protect Devon from French invaders, this impressive fortress was built by a pirate nearly 700 years ago...
Dartmouth Castle has guarded the entrance to the River Dart for centuries. Visit the fortress today to learn all about its dramatic past.
