Formed primarily from the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, Cumbria is home to the glorious natural landscapes of the world-renowned Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall, together with the city of Carlisle and other historic towns, ancient stone circles and many more striking landmarks. The area’s history dates back more than 5000 years and with such a rich and varied past, Cumbria’s culture is steeped in an extraordinary range of myths, legends and curious real-life stories. The mysterious Dark Ages figure of King Arthur is just one of many fascinating characters associated with the county, as is Adam Bell, an audacious forest-dwelling outlaw comparable to Robin Hood. There are many more remarkable tales and characters besides including the eighteenth-century recluse Jane Roger and the villainous ‘Wicked Jimmy’, one-time resident of Lowther Castle, whose nickname became a byword for political corruption in the early nineteenth century.This hugely entertaining book is packed full of surprising, strange and spooky stories about Cumbria, accompanied by a fascinating selection of both present-day and historical illustrations of places featured in the text.
