ENGLAND is rich in legend, myth and superstition. Many such stories are hundreds of years old, told so many times down the generations that origins are lost.

Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson offer a county-by-county guide, explaining where the stories and legends come from and what - if any - historical truth lies beneath. This is a fascinating treasure trove of folklore, myth and legend.

You will find here the legends of the hobs or hobmen of Hob Hill and Hob Hole; the dragon-slaying knight whose tomb is to be found at Nunnington church, and the curious legend of the rich Yorkshire woman and her son Os, drowned by a spring which rose from the ground on the North York Moors. They gave their name, according to local legend, to the moors village of Osmotherley (the place where Os-by-his-mother-lay).The book is scholarly, cool-headed and beautifully bound.

Updated: 16:41 Friday, December 09, 2005