Greenery; peace; nature; farming; rolling hills: these and many other cosy concepts are what many of us think of when we consider the countryside. All very true, yet there are so many amazing stories, anecdotes, facts and truths behind the chocolate box image, as this book reveals. From dry stone walling to wet-my-lips, from milking stools to crofters tools, 'The Countryside Companion' opens the lid on the entire rural scene, past and present.

'The Countryside Companion' doesn't just contain fascinating snippets of information; it also offers extracts from some of the finest writing on the subject, from Richard Mabey to 'Richard III', Thomas Hardy to Laurie Lee. And like all other books in the Companion series, there's a great piece of statistical trivia to match each page number.