DERBYSHIRE has long been a popular tourist destination. For centuries the crowds have flocked to fashionable towns like Buxton, and a large swathe of the county was incorporated into the UK's first National Park in 1951. But below these surface level attractions lie stranger aspects of county life, which tourists don't get to see.

In The A-Z of Curious Derbyshire you will learn about local traditions from hen racing to well dressing, meet local eccentrics like the Matlock Amazon and the Wild Man of Bakewell, and discover sites mystifyingly absent from the local tourist board brochures, including the Devil's Shovel Full and the Buxton Shoe Tree.

RICHARD BRADLEY researches, attends and documents Derbyshire's folklore and calendar customs. He writes a monthly article on local folklore for Derbyshire Life magazine and his the author of three local history books: Secret Chesterfield, Secret Matlock & Matlock Bath and Chesterfield in 50 Buildings. He lives in Sheffield.