The Perimeter

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR ILLUSTRATED BOOKS

'Every page twinkles with gems. . . Storytelling at human scale is slippery and elusive but The Perimeter is packed with geographical tales. It’s an exquisite record of a monumental endeavour and an intimate portrait of an extraordinary coast' Nicholas Crane

'Astonishing . . . A fascinating, contemporary portrait of the coastline that defines us' Robert Penn

'What an incredibly beautiful book, it captured my heart and took me to places I know well, reacquainted me with those I haven't visited for a while and fired my determination to visit many others. Armchair travel at its very best' Lara Maiklem

A feast for the eyes and imagination. . . Quintin Lake has an unerring eye for the interesting, the witty and the beautiful. A book of stunning artistry, a remarkable adventuring achievement, and, in many ways, an invitation: to explore more, to understand more, to care more' Mary-Ann Ochota, President @CPRE the Countryside Charity


Rediscover Britain in this vivid and intimate full-colour account of one man’s pilgrimage along its rugged shores

On Friday 17 April 2015, photographer Quintin Lake set off from the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral on a five-year journey that would take him around the entire coastline of mainland Britain. Armed with twenty kilos of hiking and photography gear, he walked 11,000 kilometres in 454 days with one goal in mind: to produce a body of photographic work that gets under the surface of the island nation that we call home.

Carefully curated with over 1,300 photos and interspersed with stories of Quintin’s adventures, this book is an immersive visual experience that showcases Britain as you’ve never seen it before.

Discover charming seaside towns such as Staithes in Yorkshire, venture to the desert landscape of Dungeness in Kent and marvel at the beautiful desolation of Scotland’s Knoydart Peninsula. Explore the contrast between industry and nature along the Welsh coast path, where plumes of steam rising from the Port Talbot steelworks are as jaw-dropping as the stunning Worm’s Head on the Gower Peninsula. And follow Quintin as he narrates the monumental challenges of wild camping – from battling with midges and stress fractures, to clambering up cliffs to escape a rising tide.

Filled with striking photos that capture the glorious and often surprising world between land and sea, The Perimeter is a celebration of Britain – a small island with a vast coastline.