A Hack in the Borders

This book is an account of the 200-mile trip by one man and two horses through the English/Welsh border country. Buying a pregnant packhorse, setting fire to his tent and getting stuck in a bog are only three of the author's mistakes during the trip. With never-failing humour the author deals with the obstacles and diversions, both human and otherwise, which litter his route. He encounters cheerfully pessimistic Franciscan friars, off-beat archaeologists and sentimental hill farmers on a path that leads to ancient hill forts, gothic Victorian mansions and the occasional public house. The book ties in with the BBC Radio 4 series of the same name.