A new book featuring Cardigan Bay calls for Britons to “fall back in love with British coastlines” again.

The Restless Coast by army veteran turned author Roger Morgan-Grenville is a “call to action” for those who have fallen out of love with the islands’ shores.

The book follows Roger’s journey across over 2,000 miles of UK shores, exploring topography, issues plaguing its constantly changing coastline, and the people doing something about them.

The 65-year-old took up hitchhiking again after a 40-year hiatus to go on this journey, which included understanding the incredible animals that live along Cardigan Bay and delving into the 20,000 saints of Bardsey Island.

Roger, from West Sussex, wants Britons to redefine themselves as the islanders we are, in the hope of saving the nature that lines our shores: “One day on Poppit Sands beach whilst writing this heavy book about issues like sea level rise, erosion, wildlife disturbance, I spotted this ice cream van shimmering in the distance.

“It was a really hot day and all I could think about was mint choc chip - it made me really happy.

“It brought me back to childhood memories of buying cigarettes for my parents' friends whilst on holiday on the Isle of Wight in exchange for ice cream.

“It reminded me that the seaside should be about pleasure - if we go back to enjoying the seaside, then we’ll look after it.

“Since the 1960s the standard British holiday decision has been to go get skin cancer on a foreign beach 50 yards from an Irish bar when we’ve got some of the most stunning coastlines in the world on our doorstep.

“Lots of things have caused that like cheap airfares and crap British weather.

“But what it’s done is hollow out our coastal communities, like you can see in Blackpool and Scarborough.

“The wealth has migrated inland - we’re the only coastal country in Europe where that’s happened.

“The book is saying - your coast is wonderful, try loving it.”

This revelation near Cardigan added an entire book chapter dedicated to ice cream.

Roger argues that the British may see ourselves as land creatures, but we are utterly reliant on the waves around us.

Britain has over 10,000 miles of coastline and because of the shape, no one can be more than 45 miles from tidal water.

He writes, “our status as islanders can be defined by the thin line that surrounds us, whose geology and shape we have imprinted ourselves upon”.

The book which is released on 5 June this year is described as a “hopeful and passionate travelogue - at once informative, angry and uplifting”.

Meet the author yourself, hear an extract from the book and from one of the “heroes” of Ceredigion’s coastline, Joe Wilkins, at an Aberystwyth book launch event on 11 July at 6pm at Aberystwyth bandstand, a Bookshop by the Sea event.

Pre-order a copy of The Restless Coast: A Journey around the Edge of Britain now from your nearest independent bookshop.