A book that covers how Christmas has been celebrated in Cumbria over the years is now available to purchase.

‘A Lake District Christmas – Tales and Traditions of Cumbrian Yuletides Past’ contains nostalgic tales of the festive traditions that have taken place in the county.

The stories in the book were compiled by Alan Cleaver, a well-known author who won the Lakeland Book of the Year 2019 award for his piece 'Corpse Roads of Cumbria'.

Readers will enjoy stories from William Wordsworth to Hardwicke Rawnsley, Robert Anderson to Sara Hutchinson. The book discusses the carol singers of Wasdale, the Thirlmere ‘merry neet’, Windermere’s frost fairs and states what happens if you were to take a seat at the Keswick ‘old folks’ do’.

Other stories include a postman’s winter round, Carlisle workhouse workers, Victorian ghost-hunters, letters from the Christmas 1914 truce and how there astonishingly 40 different words for ‘snew’.

The book has been published by Inspired by Lakeland, who urge readers to ‘Pour a mulled wine, stoke the fire and open A Lake District Christmas for a nostalgic journey into Cumbrian yuletides past.’

‘A Lake District Christmas’ costs £10 and is available on the Inspired by Lakeland website.