The beautiful county of Cheshire is one of the most visited of English counties and also one of the oldest. However, beneath its rural idyll lies a county that is surprising and often shocking. In Illustrated Tales of Cheshire, author and historian David Paul brings us some of the county’s strange and mythical tales, from its hills and lakes and rural landscape to its ancient and more modern towns, villages and cities. Stories featured in the text include the tale of King Richard II’s hidden treasure at Beeston Castle, the tale of a white rabbit that was said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the legend of the muzzled bear at Brereton Hall. These strange and spooky stories, and many more, are featured in this hugely entertaining book.

David Paul is a well-known local historian and author, who has written a number of books for Amberley on places in the North West and West Midlands and elsewhere. He lives in Widnes.