My book is about a personal discovery of hiking and travel in the North of England. It recounts the journey of discovery about how to hike and how to travel with hiking as the main focus. It also describes the nature of the discoveries, both personal and cultural as I explore the four main national parks in the north of England. These parks are; The Yorkshire Dales, The Yorkshire Moors, The Lake District and The Peak District. Along with the discovery of hiking is the discovery of the cultural history of the areas described. Since National Parks in England are not only areas of beauty but of cultural significance, there is much to learn. We learn about historical figures associated with the area. We find historic sites with their own resident heroes and are able to walk in their footsteps as we hike. We also are privy to settings that are used for T.V. shows and movies which is

often a motivating factor to encourage people to visit the area.

This is an "Off the Beaten Track" area of England and not usually included on guided tours. By taking a Boots On approach to travel rather than a Car Oriented Road Trip, we are able to discover much about the history of an area and how to explore it by hiking rather than driving by. It is Slow Travel, and a chance to see the real England, not the tourist England.