Gloucestershire Folk Tales for Children

Twenty folk tales rooted in Gloucestershire’s landscapes, customs and local traditions fill this collection by Stroud storytellers Anthony Nanson and Kirsty Hartsiotis. The stories range from giants shaping the land in ‘Goram and Vincent’ to a mermaid’s curse, the immortal cat of Chipping Sodbury and the Great Sea Serpent of Coombe Hill. Seasonal traditions also appear in tales such as ‘Whitsun Revels in St Briavels’, ‘Harvest Home’ and ‘A New Year’s Blessing’.

The collection travels between forest, vale, hill, town and waterway, with stories linked to places including May Hill, Gloucester and the Cotswolds. Alongside the tales are suggestions for reading aloud, retelling, drawing and scrapbook projects, followed by a story map, glossary and sources.