BOOK REVIEW | PEAK DISTRICT
Elusive Folktales Of The Peak District
I could never have resisted this one!
I am lucky enough to have been brought up within reach of the Peak District National Park and to have spent many happy hours roaming the moors. So I was delighted by the appearance of this new book.
Elusive Folktales of the Peak District is written by Mark P Henderson, who is already known for his work on the area’s folklore. This is not his first book of Peak District folklore but in my view, it is his best.
Setting aside the tales themselves for a moment, Henderson’s writing is a tribute to the robust constitution of Peak District dwellers. No easy retirement filled with gentle pursuits for this retired physician and academic — he has traveled the length and breadth of the Peak District, not only collecting folklore but also taking the photographs that illustrate his book. Given the areas in which his tales are set, this hasn’t been a leisurely road trip. Many areas of the Peak District are only accessible on foot and often after a demanding hike.
The Peak District itself spreads beyond the boundaries of the National Park. Its landscapes are majestic and often forbidding, its isolation suggests a dark seam to its history and folklore, and indeed this is apparent in…
