Using theory and method, this book seeks to critique and illuminate rural matters. Rural issues are tenacious and contested, as we continue to value the green and pleasant land, but in a rose-tinted way. The opening chapter provides a contextualising discussion of the new ways rurality has been conceptualised. Critical debates by leading scholars in recent years have expressed concern about the direction of travel inside rural areas and also with associated academic disciplines. These are overviewed and evaluated, as are the general trends in rural scholarship. This chapter then frames subsequent chapters on substantive areas of rural studies – both benign and contested.

The subsequent chapters unpack specific issues through original case studies, illuminating the contemporary rural. They are the green wellbeing zeitgeist, narrowed to focus upon gardening, and at the other extreme the more emotive issue of country sports and live quarry game shooting. A third and final substantive chapter offers new empirical evidence of a rural coastal community experiencing acute healthcare needs. Offering original case studies that illuminate and inform new theoretical ideas around the rural, this book is essential reading for academics and students across disciplines interested in rural matters.