<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=6035250&amp;cv=2.0&amp;cj=1&amp;cs_ucfr=0&amp;comscorekw=Jack+Thurston"> Skip to main contentSkip to navigation
Print subscriptions
Sign in
Search jobs
Search
The Guardian - Back to home The Guardian

Jack Thurston

Jack Thurston is co-founder of Farmsubsidy, a website that tracks
farm subsidies and a network of journalists, researchers and activists pushing for greater transparency in the Common Agricultural Policy.
From 1999 to 2001 he was a Special Adviser to Rt Hon Nick Brown MP, UK Minister for Agriculture. He is currently a Transatlantic Fellow of
the German Marshall Fund of the United States, nonpartisan institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between
the United States and Europe

June 2022

  • Jack Thurston’s Lost Lanes Central England (£16.99) was published by Wild Things on 2nd May 2022

    Lost lanes of the Midlands: five great cycle routes in the heart of England

    Taking in backcountry from Leicestershire to Shropshire, these 30 to 50-mile routes, included in a new book, feature beautiful villages, countryside and places to stay

May 2021

  • South Wales cycle ride Cycleway decending into the Clydach Gorge

    Into the valleys: an off-road cycle ride through south Wales

    From Swansea to Abergavenny via the Brecon Beacons, this trip takes in forests, mountains and a former industrial heartland

August 2020

  • Bridleway in bloom across the Vale of York

    Up hill, down dale: five beautiful cycle trails in the north of England

    Forgotten byways in Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland make for scenic and challenging rides. The writer of a new book, Lost Lanes Northern England, chooses his favourites

May 2020

  • Black Mountains

    Outdoors again at last: a first real walk, run and cycle as lockdown eases

    With more exercise now allowed in parts of the UK, three writers venture outside to explore their local neighbourhoods

June 2019

  • Cyclists tackle a route in the Pyrenees national park, France.

    10 of the best hotels for cyclists in the UK, France and Spain

    Even the fittest riders need a place to relax, refuel and carry out repairs. Our expert knows the best bike-friendly hotels and B&Bs in cycling hotspots

July 2018

  • Cyclists on the Passage du Gois, uncovered for just a few hours at low tide.

    Tour de France: cycling the opening Vendée stage

    The grand départ of the 2018 Tour takes place next weekend on the Atlantic coast. Our writer rides his Brompton through dunes and forests with pit stops to sample fine local seafood

May 2018

  • A cyclist on the lanes around Wareham, Dorset.

    Five of the best scenic bike rides in the West Country

    These beautiful bicycle trips, taking in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, come from a new book, Lost Lanes West, which reveals some of England’s less-well-known, but no-less-exciting, byways

September 2016

  • Looking south at cyclists on Drake's Trail National Cycle Network Route 27, Devon Coast-to-Coast, Devon, England, UK<br>(Gem bridge in background) Looking south at cyclists on Drake's Trail National Cycle Network Route 27, Devon Coast-to-Coast, Devon, England, UK

    Bike blog
    How rail-to-trail cycling projects are proving their worth

    Around the UK, abandoned railway lines are being turned into world-class cycling and walking trails that are boosting local tourism and recreation

April 2016

  • Cyclists on the Granite Way near Okehampton

    Five of the best scenic bike rides in Devon

    These cycle routes, featuring Dartmoor and Exmoor, make the most of Devon’s dramatic countryside – plus there’s a pub stop recommended for each one, too

September 2015

  • Snowdonia’s little visited Rhinogydd range, north Wales.

    Five of the best scenic bike rides in Wales

    The back roads of Wales’ national parks make for stunning cycling routes. Jack Thurston picks five from his new book Lost Lanes Wales: 36 Glorious Bike, each with a downloadable route and GPX file

June 2014

  • Cyclists in popular tourist attraction village Lower Slaughter in The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, UK

    Cycling breaks in England
    A week-long cycling break in the Cotswolds

    Jack Thurston weaves his way through pretty villages and parks on a route that can be tailored to all

April 2014

  • Family cycling along the Lakeside Way, Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland

    Five great British bike rides

    Test your skills on demanding cycling routes in Wales and Northumberland, or wind down on easier country and city trails, says Jack Thurston

November 2008

  • CAP in hand

    Jack Thurston

    Jack Thurston: Giving up our budget rebate is a price worth paying for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

July 2008

  • Politics beats economics, again

    Jack Thurston

    Jack Thurston: Whoever's to blame for the collapse of the Doha round, one thing's for sure – we'll all have to live with the consequences

November 2007

  • A load of CAP

    Jack Thurston

    Jack Thurston: Right now, reform of the common agricultural policy could be almost painless - yet the EU Commission has once again lost its nerve

July 2007

  • Books blog
    Why re-reading is a crime

    Some people like to boast about going back to favourite books. As far as I'm concerned they should be ashamed of themselves.

July 2004

  • A very American tour of duty

    Jack Thurston

    Jack Thurston: Lance Armstrong is poised to claim a unique sixth victory in the Tour de France.

October 2002

  • Farming will suffer from French victory

    Debate: European leaders have yet again failed to reform the common agricultural policy.
Explore more on these topics