Blood In the Barley: The Hidden Story of the Vale Royal Rebellion
The Vale Royal Rebellion is a medieval tale of murder, manipulation and struggle set amidst one of the most turbulent periods in all of English history. Yet it is only when we bring the contributing political factors, key players and major events of the story together as one, that we can really appreciate just what a remarkable piece of Cheshire history the story truly is.
The Phantom Rebel: In Search of the Headless Horseman of the Staffordshire Moorlands
The Headless Horseman of the Staffordshire Moorlands is one of the best-known pieces of folklore in the region, but where did it come from? Tracing the story of the horseman back through 650 years of local history, we uncover the shocking true story of medieval murder that may lie at the heart of the spectre's inspiration.
The Magic Hatters: Understanding the Story of the Bakewell Witches
The story of the Bakewell witches is unique within the annals of English witchcraft and a tale thought by some to be so fantastical that it may not even be true. Yet research cannot only place the event firmly in the context of the times, but it can also help create a picture of the events that originally brought the story into being.
Relics of the Cornfield: Ritual Symbolism and the Moulton Crow Dance
The Crow Dance is a unique British folk tradition, performed each summer in the Cheshire village of Moulton. Whilst its local folklore extends back to the early twentieth century, could the wealth of agrarian, ritualistic symbolism contained within it suggest a far earlier origin?
God Bless the Brine: The Folklore of Cheshire's Historic Ballads
During the heyday of nineteenth century folklore collection, the premier title published regarding Cheshire was Ballads and Legends of Cheshire (1867) by Egerton Leigh. It is a wonderful historical work, but its format - as a series of rhymes and songs - can make the tales within its pages somewhat elusive to modern readers. Here, those stories have been carefully transposed from their original lyrical form into accessible narrative prose for the first time.