The Drovers (Shire Library)

In a bygone age when few people travelled far from their homes and almost any journey was an adventure the drovers regularly made the long and perilous trip from the Scottish highlands and islands or from the Welsh mountains to the south-east of England. They brought vast herds of cattle from the hill farms of the north and west to the markets of London and other towns. Sheep, pigs, geese and turkeys were also driven to the towns. In this book Shirley Toulson tells of these hardworking and resourceful men and of the dangers and hardships they faced. She describes the animals they drove and the way they conducted their business, and she outlines some of the routes they followed, as well as indicating features of the countryside which may reveal the passage of drovers through an area in times past. ABOUTH THE AUTHORShirley Toulson has been writing books on the social history of the countryside since 1974 and is a leading authority on ancient tracks and drove roads.