All is not as it seems in the bucolic Sussex countryside. Throw another log on the fire and listen as the mysterious Uncle Franklin tells his tales of ghosts, strange beasts, murderous Morris dancers and other bizarre characters.

This entrancingly dark collection of stories set in the forests of the Weald, the lonely marshes of the Pevensey levels and the South Downs of a hundred years ago conjures up a vivid description of the Sussex countryside on the cusp of the modern age.

With references to real villages and local folklore, these linked stories are interspersed with authentic Sussex recipes. Open the pages and be transported to the top of the Downs on Midsummer’s Eve, a snug cowshed in the early hours of Christmas morning, or to a Maypole dance in a beautiful village... but what will happen next?

Michael Harding was raised on a small farm in the heart of the Sussex countryside and grew to love the landscapes, history and traditions of his native county. After seeing much of the world during his service with the Royal Marines, he has now returned to his farming roots. Marsh, Weald and Downs is his first collection of short stories.