Northumberland has a great many attractive sites that are well-recorded, and are frequently visited and written about. However, in this new book Dr Stan Beckensall focuses upon places that are off the beaten track, not so well known, but all of enormous interest for their stunning locations and stories. They are scattered across the county in the hills, valleys, scarplands and on the coast. Sites featured include locations off the 'Alemouth Road' from Hexham to Rothbury; hidden valleys and waterfalls at Linhope Spout, Roughting Linn and Hareshaw Linn; seascapes; abandoned settlements and industry centres; pilgrimage routes; graveyards, and the remarkable rock formations that make up much of the landscape. Northumberland hides some of its history in names, and these too are revealed. Throughout are the author's reflections on the significance of what is seen and known.

We all must die, and how society deals with the disposal is fascinating in the way it reflects the beliefs of the people of the time and ways in which they honour or do not honour the dead. Having excavated prehistoric burials, the author weighs carefully the evidence of what people might have thought of the dead through the way they buried them and what was put into the graves. These excavations were done mainly with the help of young people, and the way that this has been organised in order to get the maximum information has been an essential part of the task. The author provides much detail of this that makes it more interesting and personal. Burial customs change, so the book includes a section on events such as the Black Death and cholera to show how such catastrophes change people's minds and customs. The present problem of burial has been highlighted as it was then by the horror of an invisible disease, the effects of which we have to cope with. In the past the causes of the disease, when discovered, led to Public health inquiries into the causes, and to improvements in some burial grounds. The traditional burial in God's little Acre' around a church provides with much information about people through their headstones and other monuments - something accessible to all who visit our churches today, and examples from Northumberland give a typical range of what we find there.

The importance of the attractive town of Hexham began when St Wifrid built his great monastery there in the 7th Century, of which only the unique crypt remains beneath the Priory church. It was bounded by a wall that separated it from the Market Place and the civil administration, which includes the Moothall and Old Gaol. These areas still form the nucleus of the town, which lay in the turbulent Border country between England and Scotland. The vital industry of tanning and glove-making has now gone, but there are smaller industries in its place. The town is a focus of music, the arts and sport. The Queen's Hall houses library, cafe, galleries and theatre. It is linked by roads and by the early Carlisle-Newcastle railway which bring in tourists and local people for many activities such as the Hexham Gathering and the Abbey Arts Festival. Much has changed, but the historic centre remains intact. The author has lived here for over 30 years and is an Honorary Steward and Bailiff of the town.

Northumberland is the most prolific, varied and important area of rock-art in Britain. This book, which includes every known site, relates the art to its landscape and monumental setting. This work follows naturally from the author's general work on rock art, British Prehistoric Rock Art and his recent widely acclaimed book Northumberland: Power of Place.

This comprehensive work takes a broad view of what rock art entails, covering the history of rock art research and the discovery of many new sites. The author illustrates the different symbols and motifs that are found throughout the British Isles, and shows where they occur in landscapes and monuments. It is a book that captures the excitement of discovery and examines the various theories about the origin, use and meaning of rock art. Stan Beckensall also explains the problems of accurate conservation, recording, and display.

Cumbria, with the Lake District at its heart, is one of the richest counties for prehistoric rock art. Sites like Long Meg and her Daughters and Castlerigg stone circle are nationally famous and feature prominently in Stan Beckensall's new book. But the real value of the work is that it records every known rock art site in the county and also covers 'portable' panels that are now to be found in the museums of Tullie House, Carlisle and Penrith. Most of the recent research has been carried out by the author himself, who not only records all these mysterious prehistoric carvings but seeks to explain their significance and emphasises the natural beauty of their settings. Two important and very recently discovered panels, at Patterdale and at Chapel Stile, will be published in detail for the first time in this book. Written from the heart as well as being firmly rooted in original research, this book gives a deep and exciting insight into the county's ancient past.

This text offers the reader an insight into rock-art, allowing people to discover a whole new way of looking at landscape and the countryside. Such discoveries can bring joy and companionship in the search, something that has always been a vital part of archaeology.

Situated in the picturesque Tyne Valley in a landscape marked by Hadrian's Wall, Hexham is a town steeped in ancient history. This illustrated guide contains 130 archive images accompanied by captions that explore the heritage of the medieval market town of Hexham.