Nicola Chester
Nicola Chester has been writing professionally for more than 17 years. Her memoir, On Gallows Down. Place, Protest and Belonging, (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2021) has been shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Award. Nicola is the RSPB‘s first and longest-running female columnist in Nature’s Home Magazine, a Guardian Country Diarist and writes a fortnightly column for the Award Winning Newbury Weekly News, exploring her local wildlife and our relationship with it. She is the author of RSPB Spotlight: Otters. Published by Bloomsbury, the book was one of the first in an exciting, new series on iconic British Wildlife. Nicola’s writing also features in all four Seasons books, published by Elliott and Thompson for The Wildlife Trusts and edited by Melissa Harrison. She is one of the authors in Red Sixty-Seven, a collaboration of illustrated ‘love letters’ to the birds we are in danger of losing (BTO) and is also one of the authors in the historic anthology, edited by Katharine Norbury, Women On Nature. Her writing has appeared in other publications such as The Telegraph, Countryfile Magazine and Berkshire Life.
Recent articles by Nicola Chester
“Children young as 11 were advised to walk miles along unlit, dangerous roads.” Public transport is failing rural youth – here’s why a shake-up is long overdue
Limited public transport disadvantages rural teenagers academically and socially, says author Nicola Chester
Are accents and dialects “dying out”? How American phrases and smart tech could threaten our regional identities
Regional accents are a source of pride, but they're in danger of fading away, says author Nicola Chester
Green spaces, local shops and less overcrowding: What future town planners can learn from the past
Author Nicola Chester on how we can build the 'model' villages of the future
“British farms rallied to save the day”: What the Second World War got right about farming – and how it could reset today's industry
The Second World War revolutionised British agriculture – could a similar reset help us navigate today’s climate and nature crises? Nicola Chester asks what we can learn from the ‘national farm’ of the 1940s
The seaside is the best place to gain perspective – and change your life
Discover how the horizon inspires personal growth and reflection, and learn how embracing the ocean's edge can instigate transformative change in your life.
What's the difference between a buzzard and a kite?
Whether you're a birdwatcher, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about wildlife, identifying the differences between buzzards and kites will help to identify these majestic birds of prey in the wild.
Red kite guide: how to identify, what they sound like and where to see
Subject of the world’s longest continuous conservation effort and most successful reintroduction programme, red kites are a dramatic emblem of what we are capable of.
Nicola Chester: Winter can be brutal in the countryside – but community prevails
When freezing weather makes rural life challenging, help from neighbours can be the key to survival, says the award-winning writer.
The slow decline of local newspapers is "an unquantifiable loss". Yet they remain a vital forum for country voices, reports Nicola Chester
Nicola Chester talks about the gradual loss of local newspapers, why they are declining, and why they remain a vital service to the community.
Nicola Chester: Rural buses are a dying breed
Nicola Chester discusses the importance of rural buses and the ‘transport deserts’ appearing across the British countryside
Nicola Chester: All needn't be lost for farmland birds
As farmland bird populations plummet, the desperate rescue of two local birds proves that rural communities can still make an impact
Nicola Chester: A rural childhood has its privileges as well as its hardships
An upbringing spent close to nature is a hugely privileged one, but there are compromises and difficulties, too
Nicola Chester: Get involved in your village fete for a real sense of community
A sense of community and belonging is the real prize to be won from the local village fête, says nature writer Nicola Chester
Nicola Chester: walking in the countryside should be a simple and essential freedom for all
The simplest form of freedom and independence, walking in the countryside should be accessible and available to all, says nature writer Nicola Chester
Nicola Chester: patience and gritted good humour are the only ways to deal with rural roads
Wandering cows, potholes, fallen trees and unnamed lanes can turn rural roads into a test of patience, says nature writer Nicola Chester.
Nicola Chester: The power of fiction to connect us to the countryside is stronger than ever
Books are still an invaluable portal into rural life, wildlife and the countryside for both children and adults, says nature writer Nicola Chester.
Nicola Chester: Our bond with horses remains strong
Although they now play a different role in society, there is still a deep connection between horses and humans, says the award-winning nature writer
Nicola Chester: Rural evictions summon the spirit of resistance
As evictions increase on tenanted estates rise, a symbol of protest has risen - Esme Boggart, the Silt Witch
Guide to blackbirds: where they live and how to see them
Learn about the familiar garden blackbird, where it lives, what it eats and why it sings so beautifully
Meet author Nicola Chester
Author, countrywoman and BBC Countryfile magazine columnist Nicola Chester discusses her love of nature and the North Wessex Downs
Nicola Chester: The right to roam could heal our broken relationship with nature
Access to nature is critical in the fight to save it, argues the nature writer
Nicola Chester: A stubble field in autumn is an evocative sight
Stubble fields are making a comeback offering food and shelter for wildlife, says Wainwright Prize finalist Nicola Chester.
Nicola Chester: Habitats for nature should be part of our everyday lives
The author of On Gallows Down, which has just won the 2022 Richard Jefferies book award, discusses her writing journey – and urges us to fight for the nature we hold dear.