An illustrated city walking guide like no other. Whether you’re a city-dweller who wants to explore your home turf, or a keen country walker who likes the idea of trying something different, or a discerning weekend breaker who wants to get under the skin of a city in a day or two, Urban Rambles is the book to inspire you to get out and explore your nearest city on foot. Each of these 20 walks includes: a GPS enabled map configured for your mobile device specially commissioned illustrations of the route and walk data inspiring photographs of the things you will see along the way information on green spaces and architectural gems recommended cafes, pubs and independent shops England's cities have become much more walkable places in the last decade, with huge investments in green spaces, redevelopment of old industrial areas and a complete urban planning re-think in favour of pedestrians. Walking in a city is the healthy lifestyle choice, offering you the chance to exercise and the calming powers of green spaces. Choose from cathedral cities like York and Lincoln, seats of learning like Cambridge and Oxford, trading ports like Bristol and Liverpool, cities designed for pleasure like Brighton and Bath. Choose to visit Victorian industrial cities Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham, and of course the nation’s capital, where a new 25-mile circular route takes you from urban regeneration through the Olympic Park and past rivers, parks and palaces.

Including 16 basic routes which can be varied to give around 100 fabulous walks, this work covers areas such as the South Pennines, the Ribble Valley, West Lancashire, Delamere Forest, North Staffordshire, and the Peak District. The walks are illustrated with photographs from the camera of Reg Timms, a prize-winning Northern photographer.

Presents a selection of 30 gentle walks which map out ecological improvements, industrial archaeology, tourist attractions and geographical features of the River Mersey. This book is illustrated with photographs and is suitable both for family outings and for enthusiasts of local history and ecology.

A "lively and engaging" history of the Middle Ages (Dallas Morning News) from the acclaimed historian William Manchester, author of The Last Lion. From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose, and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth: the dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, painters, adventurers, and reformers, as well as some of its most spectacular villains. "Manchester provides easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born." --Chicago Tribune

Walking has long been a favourite way for Mancunians to escape the stresses of their city and to enjoy the tranquillity of the nearby countryside. In the latest of Mainstream's acclaimed walk books, David Frith explores little-known beauty spots, accessible by public transport from the city centre, and guides visitor and local alike into the nearby Pennine uplands, as well as on walks along canals and former railway lines. He not only reveals some of the most beautiful British countryside, but also offers a deeper insight into the past and the traditions of the land the walker treads.

The last century has seen a dramatic increase in ramblers, mountaineers, cyclists and hill walkers enjoying the British countryside. This remarkable book charts the history of the outdoor movement from its late Victorian origins to its present status. Harvey Taylor describes how the active participants in the movement combined to create a loosely constructed entity, held together by common areas of interest and shared campaigning concerns. From the formation of Footpath Protection Societies and the development of a Countryside Access campaign in the inter-war years, he emphasises that the movement was very much more than just a 'craze' or a reaction against creeping industrialisation and urbanisation as was portrayed at the time. This is a fascinating introduction to a particularly British recreational phenomenon.