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.
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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
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
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Wordy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Lore of the Land does exactly what it claims - it is a comprehensive A-Z of folklore, legends and ghost / paranormal tales organised by County. It's not in the right format to read in bulk, but is absolutely fascinating for local interest and research purposes.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Harri
Format:Paperback
The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys
I chose this book for my prizegiving and I was certainly not disappointed. It is really interesting and logically laid out and the beautiful photos and the sheer amount of information contained within it are astounding. It is quite thick with small print in order to fit as much as possible in it. Great stuff x
I chose this book for my prizegiving and I was certainly not disappointed. It is really interesting and logically laid out and the beautiful photos and the sheer amount of information contained within it are astounding. It is quite thick with small print in order to fit as much as possible in it. Great stuff x
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This book is not only perfectly designed for browsing, but clearly very well researched.
It works on various levels too. If you are touring or visiting England, or if you live here and want to delve into the legendary and curious aspects of England then just buy this book. It is also thorough enough to be an important source for researchers.
It's also dedicated to the wonderful Katharine Briggs.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting book
The sheer volume of information in this book can be a bit daunting, but of course it is not meant to be read in one go - this is a book to browse and return to at leisure. Read more
Published 2 months ago by kaahaa
5.0 out of 5 stars
magic
lore of the land by westwood and spencer is not as detailed as the readers digest 1975 myth legends of britain -lore of the land is mainly a legends gazeeteer
it is... Read more
it is... Read more
Published 11 months ago by mark1000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book for research and pleasure
Although I only got this book from my Uni library i feel it is that good that it is worth a review on here for others too see. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Peter T. Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Treasuretrove of information
This was an invaluable research tool for me in getting ideas for travel articles or for new stories to write. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Wayne Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last, a treasury of local and historical legends to stand beside...
My copy is the first printing paperback. It has a sewn binding, and the same high-quality paper as the hardback, and all the original colour photographs, too. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Simon Esposito
5.0 out of 5 stars
A huge treasury of folklore
This massive book - even in paperback - gives the reader a county-by-county reference to every folktale, legend and story the authors can track down. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2011 by Peasant
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and informative
This book contains a wealth of fascinating folklore and legends, with illustrations. Despite the 'England' of the title, it also includes Cornwall, and the material is divided on a... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2010 by Lizzy Marsh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating!
I return to this book time and again. There are some amazingly unique stories, and as you flick through, there are some stories which have themes that are echoed around the... Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2010 by Have Credit Will Shop
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and fascinating!
I bought this as a birthday present for my mum but I'm going to have to get her another copy as I can't bring myself to part with it! Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2005 by Matryd
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