Extraordinary Villages

England and Wales are brimming with them. Not the traditional honeypots we’ve all seen before, but extraordinary places with bizarre tales to tell. In his fascinating new book, Tony Francis, presenter and producer of ITV’s much-loved series, Heart of the Country, gathers photographs and stories of 50 extraordinary villages he’s visited.

England and Wales are brimming with them. Not the traditional honeypots we’ve all seen before, but extraordinary places with bizarre tales to tell. In this fascinating collection, Tony Francis, presenter and producer of ITV’s much-loved series, Heart of the Country, gathers together photographs and stories of 50 extraordinary villages he has visited on his travels around the country. Some of them look innocent enough, but appearances can be deceptive. What are the secrets behind the windows of Woburn, the manor house of Badby, the quintessentially English village of Turville? What problems simmer between neighbouring communities Trefor and Froncycsyllte, Hallerton and Medbourne and West and East Purton? What challenges face the inhabitants of Jackfield, Aldbrough,  Stilton and Arnside? And what really attracts the visitors to picturesque Cerne Abbas?