Here follows a series of photos taken from Amanda Harman’s beautiful book A Fluid Landscape, centred around the Somerset Levels.

Amanda says:

Water is at the heart of the Somerset Levels. Once sea, it has gradually become land through a succession of salt marsh, freshwater wetland and rich summer pasture. Human intervention has seen rivers diverted, bogs drained and an intricate network of ditches, sluices and sea defences installed to keep the water at bay.

In recent years this land, damaged by drainage, agriculture and intense peat extraction, has been returned to marsh, creating a ‘new’ ancient landscape of water filled rhynes, damp fens, wet fern woodland, salt marsh and open water, fringed with reed beds.

These photographs tell the story of this watery landscape, tracing encounters with the changing of the seasons, the gradual return of marsh flora and fauna, the contant shifting of light, weather and tides; a reflection on the nature of impermanence and of transformation.

 A Fluid Landscape is out now, published by Another Place Press, and available to purchase here, priced £16.00.