 Watership Down is a classic adventure novel , written by English author Richard Adams , published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972 . Set in southern England , the story features a small group of rabbits . Although they live in their natural environment , they are anthropomorphised , possessing their own culture , language , proverbs , poetry , and mythology . Evoking epic themes , the novel follows the rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home , encountering perils and temptations along the way . 
