Festival insight into walking legend

The Richmond Walking and Book Festival will start later this month and will feature new walks in the Yorkshire Dales countryside as well as an impressive list of authors for the literary events.

The festival will be opened by the TV broadcaster and author, Eric Robson, who is also chairman of the Wainwright Society.

During the 1980s, he filmed a series with the reclusive father of fell walking and will talk about the development of the popular Coast to Coast walk crafted by Mr Wainwright.

The festival, which will run until October 3, will feature 35 longer walks, including the new Wensleydale chain, as well as 16 shorter themed walks including ghost walks, health walks and nature walks around Richmond and the nearby countryside.

Local author David Nobbs, who created the successful 1970s sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, and military historian Sir Max Hastings will also be at the festival .

Tickets can be bought online at www.booksandboots.org or by calling Castle Hill Bookshop on 01748 824243.