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

The Lore of the Land surveys England’s legends county by county, bringing together stories attached to villages, towns, landmarks and historic buildings. Its subjects include hauntings, highwaymen, family curses, lovers’ leaps, buried treasure and graves associated with legendary figures such as Robin Hood. Spring-Heeled Jack, King Arthur and the witches of Warboys also feature in this wide-ranging account of English tradition.

Jacqueline Simpson and Jennifer Westwood consider how individual stories developed, when they were first recorded and what evidence may lie behind them. The book moves between local ghost stories, tales of the Devil, dragons, fairies, giants, saints and notorious characters, showing how history, place-names, oral tradition and later invention can shape the legends associated with the English landscape.