TV presenter John Grundy explores Northumberland's history in new book

In this follow up to the author’s hugely popular History of Newcastle, he turns his attention to the vast and beguiling history of England's most northern county.

He will be signing copies of his book at Waterstones in Morpeth on Saturday. The session starts at 1pm.

Drawing on his experience as a listed buildings field worker, John traces the county’s turbulent history with particular focus on the castles, mansions, houses and streets where people lived their lives and fought for survival.

He is well-known in the North East region for writing and presenting a variety of architectural and history programmes for both radio and television.

The information about the book from publisher Tyne Bridge Publishing includes the following: “Whether it be civil wars, invading armies, plague or poverty, the people of Northumberland have toughed it out throughout the centuries against all kind of challenges.

“However, one thing that has remained constant is the wild beauty of the place. From its glorious coastline to the splendid market towns with their monuments, grand houses and fortifications, this vast county has the ability to both evoke the past while bringing pleasure to its current inhabitants, as well as millions of tourists every year.

“Featuring new attractive colour photographs, John’s journey to get to the heart of what it means to experience Northumberland has taken decades and, in this book, he wants to share his very personal take on why the county means so much to him.”

The book, priced £30, is available from Waterstones and other good bookshops.