‘Our National Parks are essential for our country’s health, hope, and connection.’ – From the foreword by Alastair Humphreys.

From the UNESCO-listed Lake District to the arctic plateau of the Cairngorms, the UK’s 15 National Parks are home to some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. This comprehensive guide celebrates their rich history, heritage and natural beauty, while helping you plan every visit with confidence.

Organised by Park and packed with practical advice, this book will help you make the most of your time – whether you’re seeking iconic landmarks, unforgettable walks, local food spots or memorable places to stay. You’ll also find inspirational insights from National Park champions, must-see sites and must-do activities tailored to each Park’s unique character. With accessible walking routes, family-friendly ideas for days out, plus adventures ranging from wild swimming and birdwatching to stargazing and caving, there’s something for everyone.

Complete with beautiful photography and maps, plus a foreword by Alastair Humphreys, this is the only guide you need to explore and uncover the very best parts of our National Parks, make amazing new memories and leave nothing behind but footprints.

Published by Bloomsbury on April 9, 2026.

Order here.

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Featuring more than 75 images, Celebrating The Yorkshire Dales is a personal homage to my favourite National Park, covering everything from Auction Marts and caves to Dales’ sport and village fetes.

Along the way, I interview authors, speleologists, farmers, musical legends and cheese makers.

There is something for everyone who loves this special place – food, villages, folklore, meadows and the ubiquitous pub.

You can buy your copy here.

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A huge variety of people, landscapes and wildlife can be found within its boundaries, from churches that acted as places of rest on long routes, pubs that doubled up as courthouses and Neolithic discoveries in the new extension of the park,  to the longest, deepest and oddest caves in the region and rare flora and fauna – there’s plenty to discover.

A-Z of the Yorkshire Dales reveals the history behind the area, its streets and buildings, businesses and the people connected with the region. Alongside the famous historical connections are unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well known. It is fully illustrated throughout and will appeal to all those with an interest in this spectacular corner of England.

A to Z of the Yorkshire Dales

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Size: 234mm x 165mm
• Pictures: 100, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date:  July 15 2023
• Price: £15.99

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Designated a national park in 1954, it attracts millions of visitors each year who are lured there by the spectacular scenery. Then there are historic towns such as Skipton, Settle and Hawes.

Its landscapes are famous and rewarding, whilst picturesque chocolate box villages are untouched by a bygone era and yield a life full of character. But there is more to the Dales than meets the eye. With 841 square miles of beauty and things to do, it’s full of hidden gems that show a glimpse of its lesser-known heritage.

In Secret Yorkshire Dales, author Mike Appleton takes the reader on an enlightening and entertaining journey through the park’s past, delving beneath the surface to uncover its secrets.

You’ll discover a network of passages that have shaped the landscape above it, learn why the clack of needles was to be feared and hear folk tales from years past. You’ll also find out about hidden kilns and mines, discover why a village had to drive a spike through the heart of a dead man and tread along long-forgotten routes and pathways.

Then there are the secret inns, meeting places, notable folk, the intriguing cottage industries and much more that make this area special.

Secret Yorkshire Dales is Mike Appleton’s tenth book and his most researched and varied to date.

Secret Dales – Information

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Size: 235mm x 165mm
• Pictures: More than 100, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date:  November 15 2021
• Price: £15.99

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Cheshire also boasts more than its fair share of heritage and history, from the ancient walled city of Chester to its distinctive rural villages of half-timbered buildings, as well as many ancient castles, houses and religious buildings that tell fascinating tales of the county’s rich and varied past.

The fifty gems featured in this book are places that will get under your skin and invade your mind.

Some will take your breath away, some will make you pause and think about how our ancestors shaped the landscape, while others have a fantastic tearoom or cosy pub nearby.

50 Gems of Cheshire is overflowing with awe-inspiring photographs and fascinating facts to draw you closer to the places you already know and love and to tempt you to discover new gems of your own.

50 Gems Of Cheshire – Information

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Size: 234 x 165mm
• Pictures: 120, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date:  April 15 2019
• Price: £14.99, now £13. Buy here.
• Press Spec / AI

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From the historic city of Derby to picturesque villages nestled in unspoiled countryside, this book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through bustling market towns, vast landscapes and special places of historic interest.

Spectacular upland views, castles, museums and scenes of bucolic beauty attract millions of visitors every year, and all are included here in a lovingly painted picture of Derbyshire today.

In 50 Gems of Derbyshire, author Mike Appleton explores the places that make this county special.

50 Gems Of Derbyshire – Information

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Size: 234 x 165mm
• Pictures: 100, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date:  May 15 2018
• Price: £14.99, now £13.00. Buy here.

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It’s a battle between player and opponent, whilst the demons inside your body are screaming at you that every sinew is in pain.

Show weakness and the opposition has an edge over you. You’ve already lost and you’ve also let your team-mates down. Don’t, and just maybe you can experience the best the sport has to offer and the adulation of thousands of supporters.

Danny Sculthorpe epitomised what being a tough, no-nonsense player was all about. Released by Leeds and Warrington before he’d even become a man, he revitalised his career at Rochdale. Then came the big money move to Wigan and the highs and lows of a cup final before he was unceremoniously dumped by a coach he thought had his back.

Spells at Castleford, Wakefield and Huddersfield followed until he landed at one of the most storied clubs in the world – Bradford Bulls. But agony struck. After beating countless injuries – and type one diabetes – over a long career that saw him captain his country, a simple training ground accident cost him his livelihood and almost his life.

Forced onto the scrapheap with many years ahead of him, depression followed alongside an addiction to medication and sleeping tablets. Worse was to follow as money troubles finally came home to roost, leaving one of the toughest players ever to play the game to contemplate suicide.

Highs, Lows and Hypos – The Danny Sculthorpe Story is an incredible story of being a sportsman at the top of your game to someone who came acutely close to losing everything.

It’s how one man battled his black, emotional state to become an inspiration for all.

Highs, Lows and Hypos – Information

• Hardback: 224 pages
• Size: 24.1 x 2.7 x 16.5 cm
• Pictures: More than 40, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Vertical Editions
• Publication Date:  October 14, 2017
• Price: £16.99, Now £14.50. Buy here.

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Scenic beauty, majestic views, impressive crags, towering cliffs, peaceful tarns,  extensive caves and picturesque villages that are rich with the heritage and culture of more than a thousand years are visited by millions of people every year.

And those who work within this stunning countryside ensure the Dales and its communities continue to be vibrant for future generations.

At their hub are inns that tell their own tales; cornerstones of local communities which reflect the social and economic story of a region that is evolving every day.

In this book, we chart twenty-five of the best pubs in the Yorkshire Dales and find out why they have become favourites for so many over the years.

Discover the inn that was frequented by playwright J. B. Priestley and still holds a traditional land-letting auction each year; the one that used to be the site of local trials and find the original Woolpack … that serves beer in a very special way!

Visit pubs that are tap houses, house waterfalls, display quirky signs, have impressive features, produce great food, play great music, and so much more!

25 Great Walkers’ Pubs – Information

• Paperback:  96 pages
• Size:  165mm x 235mm
• Pictures: More than 80, full colour throughout
• Publisher:  Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date: May 15, 2016
• Original Price:   £14.99. Now £13.00. Buy here.

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Limestone interlaces with sweeping and rolling fells, and dramatic peaks arise from its plains.

Within are caverns that stretch for miles under the surface, emphatic flora and fauna that thrive in this unique environment and the hardiest of local folk who eke out a living in unison with their surroundings.

This equilibrium is harnessed and interwoven by a revered heritage that not only stretches back hundreds of years but is retained, protected and celebrated today.

In this book, we explore 50 of these magical places and discover what makes the Yorkshire Dales a unique place to live, visit and be part of.

See the majestic Skipton Castle and Skipton Canal, enjoy the splendour of Bolton Abbey and the fascinating views and history from the Three Peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, then compare them to the tragedy and triumph of Ribblehead Viaduct.

Follow the underground routes overground at Clapham and Chapel Le Dale and find out the secrets of life in Dent, Malham, Settle and Gunnerside.

Discover some of this area’s secrets and treasures, and learn the fascinating history behind them with this handy guide.

The book is also available on Kindle and iBooks.

50 Gems of the Yorkshire Dales  – Information

• Paperback:  96 pages
• Size:  165 x 235 mm
• Pictures: More than 50, full colour throughout
• Publisher:  Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date: May 15, 2015
• Original Price: £14.99, Now £13. Buy here.

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They dominate the landscape, shape those who work with and around them, and together offer one of the toughest challenges England can offer.

Using the famous Three Peaks Walk as a road map, Mike Appleton takes a tour around this most popular of areas and finds the real story of the picturesque dales.

Away from the trudging boots, the farmers who have been abandoned by the EU, and are left to fight on. The tourist villages still picking up the pieces following Foot and Mouth. The locals struggling to find affordable housing.

But in a time when the countryside is facing a crisis from cuts and reduced spending, he also finds beauty in the labyrinth of passages hidden beneath the earth, how countless species continue to thrive and how those characters of the Dales carry on regardless. And he speaks to those who are charged with making sure this boundless natural wonder continues to serve its people and the rest of the country for generations to come.

The book is also available on Kindle and iBooks.

Yorkshire’s Three Peaks: The Inside Story of the Dales  – Information

• Paperback:  160 pages
• Size:  170 x 248 mm
• Pictures: 100, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Publication Date: April 15, 2014
• Original Price: £16.99.

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Here, in his own words, he charts his meteoric rise from mayhem-causing kid on the streets of St Helens around Knowsley Road to lifting the Challenge Cup at Wembley.

He talks about his debut with his boyhood club and how he was shirked in the 1997 Cup Final, his move to Warrington, why he feels he didn’t play for Great Britain, and the charge of the Wolves.

There’s affection too as he remembers the people that have helped him grow up, his brother and family, as well as the coaches, the players, the long nights out, the beers and the irrepressible skill that has kept him top of the sport for so long.

Find out why he talks to referees, how he thinks the game should develop and why the future of Rugby League is squarely in the hands of everyone who loves it. It’s a no-holds-barred look at a true sporting great.

The book is also available in Kindle format.

Off the Cuff: The Lee Briers Story  – Information

• Hardback: 240  pages
• Size: 161  x 240  mm
• Pictures: 40, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Vertical Editions
• Publication Date: November 2, 2013
• Original Price: £16.99. Now, £11.50. Buy here.

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To the fans and historians of St.Helens R.F.C., Coslett is remembered as the Club’s highest ever points scorer, one of its finest captains, and a gentleman who continues to act as an ambassador to this day.

But there is so much more to the story than that, and in ‘Welsh Saint – the Kel Coslett Story,’ the man himself tells it all to top sports journalist Mike Appleton.

From the early days of a childhood in the industrial valleys of South Wales, through his success in Rugby Union with the giants of Llanelli and Aberavon, to the night when he came home to find two men at his mother’s kitchen table with an offer that would change his life forever as a player and a coach.

But there are lows as well as highs – serious injury threatening his career, fallings out with the ‘men in suits’, and the constant pressure to perform.

It’s not all work, work, work, of course, and there are plenty of recollections – however hazy – of the lighter side of being a professional sportsman.

All this is told with the modest understatement that has made Coslett so popular within the game. It’s the no-nonsense story of a no-nonsense bloke who still can’t believe his luck.

A must-read for all sports fans.

The book is also available on Kindle.

A Welsh Saint: The Kel Coslett  Story  – Information

• Hardback: 224  pages
• Size: 166 x 240  mm
• Pictures: 40, full colour throughout
• Publisher: Vertical Editions
• Publication Date: February 20, 2010
• Original Price: £13.99. Now, £11.50. Buy here.

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In his own words, Tony takes you through his life from winning and losing at Wembley to the highs and lows with the GB national team.

Tony coached Belfast, Dundee Stars (whom he took to a league and play-off double), Edinburgh and, at the time of writing his book, Manchester Phoenix.

Find out why he didn’t take up Edmonton’s offer to stay in the NHL, what really happens on a European tour and why he was banned for taking a cold remedy.

Savvy, witty and often controversial, Tony pulls no punches in describing his time in ice hockey and outlining how the sport should move forward.

Available in hardback (sold out), paperback and Kindle.

Tony Hand MBE: A Life In British Ice Hockey  – Information

• Paperback: 240  pages
• Size: 156 x 235 mm
• Pictures: 40,  b/w
• Publisher: Tempus Publishing
• Publication Date: October 1,  2007
• Hardback Version: September 1, 2006.

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