Leicestershire Folk Tales for Children

Tom Phillips retells folk tales rooted in Leicestershire, drawing on stories attached to its towns, roads, buildings, forests and fields. The collection asks how a goddess became a witch, why the nine o’clock horses roam Leicester’s streets, where a bleeding gravestone can be found and whether the shag-dog deserves fear.

These are traditional accounts, passed down through generations and presented for younger listeners and readers. Their subjects range from witches and uncanny creatures to local hauntings and curious legends, giving familiar places a deeper layer of story. Written by a professional storyteller born and raised in Leicestershire, the book is suited to solitary reading, shared sessions or reading aloud.