Two turf swaps four decades apart reveal changing fortunes of nature

Summary

A new book revisits David Nash’s 1983 turf exchange, which moved Welsh grassland sods to Kensington Gardens, and Mike Perry’s reverse swap more than 40 years later between Springfield Park in Hackney and pastureland in Pembrokeshire. The Guardian reports that Perry’s work revealed a striking reversal in the fortunes of urban and rural nature.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   16 Oct 2026, 10:01 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Mike Perry restaged David Nash’s 1983 turf exchange more than 40 years later, with the reverse swap revealing a striking reversal in the fortunes of urban and rural nature.