The mythology of the Cotswolds is explored in a new book out this week.

Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain, by Amy Jeffs, breathes new life into the medieval tales of Britain.

One such story involves the curse of Winchcombe Abbey, a site close to the author’s heart.

She said: “I grew up near Winchcombe and became interested in its importance as the site of St Kenelm’s shrine once I started training as a medievalist.

“His story is compelling for its fairy-tale qualities; the evil, jealous sister, eager for her younger brother's crown, her seduction of his tutor, who lures the royal child into the forests of the Clent Hills, Kenelm’s prophetic dreams of trees filled with lanterns.”

She added: “It’s wonderful to have been able to write about the familiar places where I spent my childhood and adolescence.

“Returning to them with the insights provided by the manuscripts, buildings and art of the Middle Ages transforms them into a foreign country. A healthy and enchanting exercise, I find!”

Dr Jeffs is an art historian who specialises in the Middle Ages, graduating from Cambridge in 2019 with a PhD in Art History.

A regular contributor to Country Life Magazine, this is her first book, but she is already planning her next.

She said: “I will be sharing more information about that very soon! For now, I can promise more stories (in word and image) about strange and mysterious characters that were once household names and widely beloved, at least until they were consigned to obscurity by a despotic king...”

She added that each story in Storyland has been thoroughly researched.

She said: “I began making linocut prints of Britain’s medieval origin myth, the Brut, because my PhD focused heavily on illustrated manuscripts containing that text and I was looking for a new artistic project.

“This led to illustrations of other medieval texts set in the British landscape and the idea that they could be accompanied by words to form a book.”

Storyland comes out on Thursday September 2 with a hardback copy costing £25.