A stunning collection of images showcasing the county of Yorkshire in all its glory.

This unique collection of photographs immediately shows why Yorkshire is one of Britain’s best-loved destinations.

The result of over a year's work photographing and interviewing a wide range of people who live, work and play in the Yorkshire Dales, Dalesfolk is a unique and authentic depiction of Dales life in the early 21st century.

Yorkshire is by far the largest county in England, taking up most of the land area from Sheffield in the south to Cleveland in the north. Covering such a large area between the North Sea and the Pennine watershed, the variety of landscapes is astonishing, and in this book you will get a taste of much of it. Our tour starts in the rolling, highly urbanised south, then climbs into the Pennines where high heather-clad moorland is bisected by valleys full of industrial heritage. Heading north, the landscape transforms into the limestone pavements and glacial valleys of the Dales where sheep graze peacefully on high grassland. The central Plain of York is the next area with its ancient castles and fertile farmland under a huge sky. To the east rises the scarp of the North Yorkshire Moors where high moorland and remote valleys stretch all the way to the gull-strewn North Sea cliffs. Turning south, we explore the gentle countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds. The final destination is the banks of the River Humber from the industrial plain to Yorkshire's furthest outpost at Spurn Head. Doug Kennedy has roamed Yorkshire's lanes, byways and footpaths, seeking out what makes each place special and applying his photographer’s eye to capture the scene perfectly in sumptuous photographic images. These are complemented by informative text that gets underneath the surface of why things look like they do. It is a book for everyone who loves the Yorkshire to treasure, and a splendid introduction to its landscape for those less familiar with 'God's Own County'.

Winter 2000