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

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.