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 The Rabbit

The rabbit was not originally a wild animal in Britain. It was introduced by the Normans and for nine hundred years was a very  important commodity which was farmed in warrens. For centuries the meat and fur were highly valued and warrens were carefully managed and protected to maximise production.

Every aspect of the rabbit’s behaviour, the contribution it made to Britain’s economy and the impact it has had on our eco-system have been comprehensively covered and the book is liberally illustrated with photographs taken by wildlife photographer David Mason. A reference section identifies the sites and history of former commercial rabbit warrens that were once in existence across Britain.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Book Cover

 

'The Hare' is a lively and readable account of the natural history of the hare, covering its behaviour throughout the seasons, its breeding, its habitat, its survival techniques, its predators and its hunters. The myths and folkore surrounding the hare are also explored, and all presented clearly. The book also covers the hare in Europe, the USA and Africa and contains many photographs by professional wildlife photographer David Mason.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Rural England

 

 

Who says nothing goes on in the countryside? Rural England is an informative and entertaining celebration of the diversity of the English countryside today. Each month of the year, Jill Mason brings aspects of rural England to life for her readers: a fascinating insight into a mammal, a wild flower, a rural worker, a countryside festival, a seasonal landscape, a native bird, a traditional monthly farming practice... Stunning and unusual images by renowned countryside photographer David Mason accompany each topic. This book will delight everyone who appreciates the richness and vibrancy of all corners of rural England throughout its seasons. Get out and enjoy it!  

 

 

 

Away my lads away

The History of Hunting in and around the Lakeland Fells.

This book spans more than two hundred years offering an insight into the pride and traditions which go hand in hand with hunting in what is now Cumbria. Until 1974 this area embodied the counties of Westmorland, Cumberland and the north of Lancashire. Hunting contributed much to both the sporting and social lives of the many rural communities scattered along the dales which are flanked by steep and often hazardous fells.  The text, peppered with anecdotes, outline the facts and 250 illustrations provide a pictorial record from early photographs of the nineteenth century right up to the present day.

The original intention was to write about the history of the six fell packs, Blencathra, Coniston, Eskdale and Ennerdale, Lunesdale, Melbreak and Ullswater but one thing led to another and the beagle, harrier, otterhound and stag hound packs somehow found their way in.  To record it all within one book has been a mammoth task but three years later the vision turned into reality and hopefully it will prove to be a useful reference book for generations yet to come in which they can discover what ‘the good old days’ were really like.

 

Marey Caney

 
 
 
 
Mary Caney was born to an agricultural labourer living in a small, rural village in West Norfolk. She showed great resilience and strength throughout a lifetime of deprivation and hardship. Mary died in 1878 and the story plots the ups and downs, of which there were many, during her long life.
While based on a skeleton of fact it is wrapped up in a liberal amount of fiction.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marey Caney

 

 

 

 

This book was written for people living in urban areas, or who have moved out of towns to live in rural villages, with the aim of helping them better understand what is happening all around them,  It encompasses a factual, wide-ranging look at the modern British countryside involving Brexit, Covid, food security, animal welfare and the environment as part of a state-of-the-nation wide tour of everything from animals to arable, horticulture to heritage and genetic modification to renewable energy.
Each topic is liberally illustrated with images by countryside photographer David Mason.