From the tiny island that shaped the entire English language, to the island that terrified Dylan Thomas, there's more to Britain's tiny islands than you might think! Have your own tiny adventure by visiting any of the 60 remarkable little islands around Britain featured here. Although Britain boasts hundreds of tiny islands, Dixe Wills has selected only the very best of them for this book. Found around the coast, in lakes, in lochs, and on rivers, these little worlds are waiting for you to discover them—whether you swim to them, walk to them at low tide, row to them, or catch a dinky little ferry.

Tiny Islands

Travel

Wills, Dixe

Europe

AA Publishing

An eccentric look at lost Britain through 40 of its most intriguing railway request stops, each with is own fact-is-stranger-than-fiction storyPerhaps the oddest quirk of Britain’s railway network is also one of its least well known: around 150 of the nation’s stations are request stops. Take an unassuming station like Shippea Hill in Cambridgeshire—the scene of a fatal accident involving thousands of carrots. Or Talsarnau in Wales, which experienced a tsunami. This is the story of the author’s journey from the far west of Cornwall to the far north of Scotland, visiting around 40 of the most interesting of these little used and ill-regarded stations. Often a pen-stroke away from closure—kept alive by political expediency, labyrinthine bureaucracy, or sheer luck—these half-abandoned stops afford a fascinating glimpse of a Britain that has all but disappeared from view. There are stations built to serve once thriving industries—copper mines, smelting works, cotton mills, and quarries where the first trains were pulled by horses; stations erected for the sole convenience of stately home and castle owners; stations created for Victorian day-tripping attractions; and many more.

Tiny Stations: An Uncommon Odyssey Around Britain's Railway Request Stops

History

A quirky, amusing exploration of Britain after dark—includes tips on finding your way by the moon and the stars, and discussions of wildlife and natural history The night is a period of rest and relaxation when we recharge our bodies for the travails of the following day. It is also the time when deeds that are best hidden by a cloak of darkness are carried out—and yet that same darkness can protect the innocent from the predator. It’s a period of calm and tranquility but also a time of disorientation when familiar surroundings become foreign. This is a narrative account of a journey around Britain tasting all that the night has to offer—the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people, the animals. It’s also a reflection on our relationship with the hours of darkness. Ten chapters discover the dark secrets of Cornwall, Devon, Skomer, Snowdonia, Cumbria, Scotland, London, and much more in an illuminating and inspiring tour of Britain by night.

At Night: A Journey Round Britain from Dusk to Dawn

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

Take an eccentric look at lost Britain through its railway request stops. Perhaps the oddest quirk of Britain’s railway network is also one of its least well known: around 150 of the nation’s stations are request stops. Take an unassuming station like Shippea Hill in Cambridgeshire—the scene of a fatal accident involving thousands of carrots. Or Talsarnau in Wales, which experienced a tsunami. Tiny Stations is the story of the author’s journey from the far west of Cornwall to the far north of Scotland, visiting around 40 of the most interesting of these little used and ill-regarded stations. Often a pen-stroke away from closure—kept alive by political expediency, labyrinthine bureaucracy, or sheer whimsy—these half-abandoned stops afford a fascinating glimpse of a Britain that has all but disappeared from view. There are stations built to serve once thriving industries—copper mines, smelting works, cotton mills, and china clay quarries where the first trains were pulled by horses; stations erected for the sole convenience of stately home and castle owners through whose land the new iron road cut an unwelcome swathe; stations created for Victorian day-tripping attractions; a station built for a cavalry barracks whose last horse has long since bolted; and many more. Dixe Wills will leave you in no doubt that there’s more to tiny stations than you might think.

Tiny Stations

Travel Writing

Tiny Churches

Specialty Travel

The very first compendium of Britain’s most interesting diminutive attractions, written in an amusing, accessible style. • Puts the spotlight on Britain’s tiniest treasures for the first time and uncovers fascinating facts and anecdotes about all 60.  • Includes up-to-date practical information on getting to each tiny place via public transport • Highlights special features to look out for. Praised by BBC Countryfile Magazine for writing ‘intelligently and amusingly, with evident excitement and imagination’, Dixe Wills unleashes his trademark style on the tiniest attractions in Britain. Beautifully presented in full colour throughout, the book uncovers 60 of the country’s loveliest and most diminutive places to visit. Be it a castle, cathedral, cinema or pub, a museum, theatre, wood or stately home, these little gems are all united in their lack of size, making many of them so easily overlooked they are known only to locals. Often representing a microcosm of British local history and attitudes, many of these tiny places date from a time when big and brash was frowned upon and small was definitely beautiful. Each entry features information on how to get there using public transport, when best to visit the attraction, a concise round-up of its history and any must-see features. 

Tiny Britain: 60 of the Nation's Overlooked Little Treasures

The very first compendium of Britain’s most interesting diminutive castles, written in an amusing, accessible style. Praised by BBC Countryfile Magazine for writing "intelligently and amusingly, with evident excitement and imagination," Dixe Wills unleashes his trademark style on the tiniest castles in Britain. Beautifully presented in full color throughout, the book uncovers more than 60 of the country’s loveliest and most compelling castles. No crumbling ruins are included here—only only relatively complete castles with enough features intact to explore and enjoy are listed, although all are delightfully diminutive. From Henry VIII’s beautifully preserved St Mawes Castle in Cornwall to Scalloway Castle in Shetland, where it is said the blood and hair of the cruel Earl Patrick’s tenants were used in the mortar, many of these tiny fortresses occupy a unique place in history.

Tiny Castles

50 buckets that have witnessed great moments in history.

The Ultimate Bucket List: 50 Buckets You Must See Before You Die

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

Icon Books

In 1831, 26-year-old Captain Robert FitzRoy advertised for a companion to accompany him on a voyage to South America. The ship was the HMS Beagle; the successful applicant the young Charles Darwin; the result of the voyage the theory of natural selection. This entertaining compendium of 40 historical anecdotes, whose topics include science, politics, food and literature, illustrates how seemingly insignificant events can alter the course of history.

Tiny Histories: Trivial events and trifling decisions that changed British history

Quadrille Publishing Ltd.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wills, Dixe. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wills, Dixe

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wills, Dixe. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Tiny Islands

Tiny Stations: An Uncommon Odyssey Around Britain's Railway Request Stops

At Night: A Journey Round Britain from Dusk to Dawn

Tiny Stations

Tiny Churches

Tiny Britain: 60 of the Nation's Overlooked Little Treasures

Tiny Churches

Tiny Castles

The Ultimate Bucket List: 50 Buckets You Must See Before You Die

Tiny Histories: Trivial events and trifling decisions that changed British history