The Pebble Spotter's Guide – National Trust Edition

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Paper and an indelible marker: I’d recommend writing the location and date on the bag and also on a piece of paper to put into the bag with the pebble. Fascinating ... A pebble-hunting family could be most united and happy for hours ... Charmingly illustrated ... Ideal seaside companions. ( The Spectator)

Geologist and passionate pebble spotter Clive Mitchell has created a charming and wonderfully browsable book that is a perfect companion to a day out or holiday, or an idle moment at home. A handy illustrated guide to identifying pebbles is included on the reverse of the foldout book cover:

The Pebbles on the Beach: A Spotter's Guide (2018)

This is a spirited guide to the simple pleasure of pebble spotting. Clarence Ellis is a charming, knowledgeable and witty guide to everything you didn't know there was to know about pebbles. He ruminates on what a pebble actually is, before showing us how they are formed, advising on the best pebble-spotting grounds in the UK, helping to identify individual stones, and giving tips onthe necessary kit. You'll know your chert from your schist, your onyx from your agate and will be on your guard for artificial intruders before you know it. Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating. Camera or smartphone: photos are great for recording your finds and sharing them with friends online. You can also share your discovery with others via the BGS iGeology app.

A beautiful little guide to one of life's simple pleasures - pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones. Leave no stone unturned. But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble’s fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought… But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble’s fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought… I love this book. Like all the best nature books it is alchemical, sparking wonder in the mundane. ( Tristan Gooley) Not being raised in a location where shingle (pebble) beaches are common, the idea of pebble collecting was not one of which I became aware until a few years ago, when I happened upon the 2018 re-issue of Clarence Ellis’ classic 1954 book The Pebbles on the Beach; A Spotter’s Guide. I was instantly captivated by the past-time’s delightful combination of gentle contemplativeness, potential for surprises, and connection to natural history.

Ellis broke open the language of stones for me . He clearly loved language for its capacity to grade and sort perceptions but also for the poetry it carried. As an ordinary looking pebble could be sliced and polished to reveal dazzling patterns, so could a word. --( Robert Macfarlane) The phrase “here there be dragons,” so famously seen on old maps indicating places where there were great and mysterious dangers to be found, was not so very long ago not simply a metaphor. In fact, no less an authority on natural philosophy (what would later become known as natural history) than Linnaeus himself included […] But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble's fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought…

A beautiful little guide to one of life's simple pleasures – pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones. Leave no stone unturned. When you get there: sit yourself down on the pebbles and go through every one within reach. Look at them properly. Not only will you uncover that prize pebble, it is a relaxing, stress-free way to spend your time. Turn a day on the beach or a seaside holiday stroll into a treasure hunt with this lovely little guide to identifying pebbles.

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This is a spirited guide to the simple pleasure of pebble spotting. Clarence Ellis is a charming, knowledgeable and witty guide to everything you didn’t know there was to know about pebbles. He ruminates on what a pebble actually is, before showing us how they are formed, advising on the best pebble-spotting grounds in the UK, helping to identify individual stones, and giving tips on the necessary kit. You’ll know your chert from your schist, your onyx from your agate and will be on your guard for artificial intruders before you know it. Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating. Therefore when Clive Mitchell‘s new book The Pebble Spotter’s Guide, published by Pavilion Books in partnership with The National Trust, unexpectedly came to my attention, I knew this was a book I about which I had to make further enquiries. A copy now having reached me from the UK, I can clearly see that it is a continuation of this beloved British tradition. But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble’s fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought...