The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys - Hardcover

Simpson, Jacqueline; Westwood, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0141007117 ISBN 13: 9780141007113

Publisher: Penguin, 2005

Synopsis

Stop off at any English village or town or wander through the countryside and you will almost certainly brush up against some deep-rooted local legend - whether it's the pub that claims to have given lodgings to Dick Turpin, or the haunted stately home, or the hill that is supposed to contain buried treasure, or the grave that is said to mark the last resting place of Robin Hood. This magnificent new and lavishly illustrated survey looks at all these stories, county by county, explaining when they date from, how they arose and what basis - if any - they have in fact. If you want to know how Devil's Dyke in Sussex got its name, or why medieval stories link King Arthur with Lanercost Priory in Cumberland, or where Cornish legends about the evil Jan Tregeagle come from, then The Lore of the Land will provide the answers and show you at the same time just how deeply embedded in our culture these legends have become.

About this title

Review:

A real treasury...I'm sure I shall plunder it for years to come. -- Philip Pullman. 6th November, 2005

It appears to contain almost every myth, legend and ghost story ever told in England...a wonderful dipping book. -- Simon Hoggart, The Guardian, 12 November, 2005

From the Author:

Dear Readers,

Most people, when they read a book like this, are reminded of stories they know, about the places they live(d) in. We would love to hear these. Please send them to me*, telling me who you are, how long you lived in the place you are talking about, and who told you the tradition or where you read it. Send as much information as you can. It helps us build up background history. We can’t tell a lot from ‘our pub is haunted’ but we can from ‘my grandfather used to say ...’ especially if you put in your grandad’s dates.

And if you’ve spotted anything we’ve got wrong please tell me that too.

Jennifer Westwood

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0141007117
• ISBN 13: 9780141007113
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 928