The Anthology of English Folk Tales: Volume II

This second anthology gathers folk tales from counties across England, bringing together stories shaped by local customs, beliefs and dialects. Its contents range from Cornwall and Devonshire through the Midlands and northern counties, offering a broad regional view of English storytelling traditions.

The tales include the Cornish ‘Piskey Thresher’, Somerset’s Apple Tree Man, the fairies of Wiltshire’s Hackpen Hill and Robin Hood’s encounter with the Curtal Friar in North Yorkshire. Other stories feature wandering kings, battling dragons, churchyard figures, legendary landmarks and reports of witchcraft. Together, they present England’s folklore through a mixture of familiar legends and more localised accounts, including stories connected with Cumbria, Suffolk, London and Northumberland.