William Atkins’s latest book, The Immeasurable World, is about deserts, but his first was The Moor. He’s returned to the damp for The New York Times to make a journey into the world of Great Expectations. I particularly like the way he makes Google Maps and Streetview redundant:

The Hoo Peninsula divides the estuary of the Thames from that of the smaller Medway 10 miles to the east. To get a sense of its shape, take a seat on the churchyard bench and rest your right foot on your left knee: the Thames follows the curve of your heel and sole; the Medway the bony top of your foot. Both rivers open to the North Sea beyond your toes. The marshes occupy most of the northwest of the peninsula, which is to say your heel.