Steve Ponty researched the topography of the Cotswolds and unearthed J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Shire' by comparison between the maps of Middle- and Mother-earth. Apart from the secrets of geography hidden in the epic story, there are allusions, never revealed before this brand new perspective, to personalities contemporary with Tolkien’s writings.

Steve has spent over 10 years researching the settings Professor Tolkien turned from reality in the Cotswold shires into fantasy fiction.

The Rough Guide to the Cotswolds is your definitive handbook to one of the most beautiful and diverse holiday destinations in the UK. From stately homes and wildlife parks to modern art galleries, country walks and adventure sports, there is a section that introduces all of the regions' highlights. For every town and village, there are comprehensive and opinionated reviews of all the best places to eat, drink and stay to suit every budget. It brings the Cotswolds bang up-to-date; out go musty tearooms and chintzy B&Bs and in come the best of the area's new contemporary restaurants, boutique-styled hotels and top-rated country pubs. There's plenty of practical advice and a special focus on the region's gastronomy with features on specialist farmers' markets, local farm shops, gastro-pubs and country restaurants. The guide also comes complete with easy-to-use maps for every area making sure you don't miss the unmissable.

Make the most of your time on Earth with The Rough Guide to the Cotswolds. Completely revamped for the second edition, The Rough Guide to the Cotswolds brings the Cotswolds up to date like no other guidebook does. Illustrated in color throughout, it reviews the best places to eat, drink, and stay, and explains how to get around by public transport. Food is a special focus: take in the best of the region's gastronomy with features on specialist farmers' markets and local farm shops, then sample fine dining for all budgets at rural gastropubs and new contemporary restaurants. Discover the best of the area's boutique-styled hotels and top-rated country pubs. In each chapter, highlights point to the author's favorites, while there are lively, entertaining accounts of attractions from stately homes and wildlife parks to modern art galleries and country walks. The introduction features what not to miss and itineraries that make the most of the region. This essential guide is aimed at all budgets, with easy-to-use maps that make sure you don't miss the unmissable.

A miscellany of curious local Cotswold stories accompanied by hand-drawn images.

In Victorian times, England was famously dubbed the land without music - but one of the great musical discoveries of the early twentieth century was that England had a vital heritage of folk song and music which was easily good enough to stand comparison with those of other parts of Britain and overseas. Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Percy Grainger, and a number of other enthusiasts gathered a huge harvest of songs and tunes which we can study and enjoy at our leisure. But after over a century of collection and discussion, publication and performance, there are still many things we don't know about traditional song - Where did the songs come from? Who sang them, where, when and why? What part did singing play in the lives of the communities in which the songs thrived? More importantly, have the pioneer collectors' restricted definitions and narrow focus hindered or helped our understanding? This is the first book for many years to investigate the wider social history of traditional song in England, and draws on a wide range of sources to answer these questions and many more.