Hartlands

In September 2021 a lone white fallow deer was shot, having spent hours, stray and in distress, running through the streets of Bootle in Merseyside.

Reading of this killing, Jade Fitton's interest was aroused by the image of the white deer - the white hart in particular. The white hart - a mature white red deer - holds deep resonance in Britain. It is there in the story of our countryside past and present; it appears as a symbol throughout our history, from the emblem of King Richard II to the myths and folklore in which it appears again and again.

Jade embarked on a journey through the British Isles to learn all there is to know about the deer. From the Royal Park of Richmond to the snow-clad hills of Wales; from the ancient site of Sutton Hoo on the Suffolk coast to the rich pine forests of the Highlands, Jade was there - waiting, watching, listening - often sleeping in her car.

Beyond the cultural romanticism of this beast, deer are now an environmental problem. In parallel with her journey across Britain, Jade undertakes to sit the Deer Stalking Certificate (DSC1), allowing her to legally participate in culling.

Moving and insightful, Hartlands follows Jade over a full year on her quest - a hunt that develops into something akin to obsession - to discover the truth behind one of the country's most magnificent mammals.