Eleanor : A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen

Alice Loxton, author of the acclaimed Eighteen and Uproar! embarks on an extraordinary historical journey through England, walking in the footsteps of a forgotten queen. ‘Joyous. The perfect walk through history‘ – Sir Tony Robinson, actor, presenter and author In 1290, England mourned the death of a queen, Eleanor of Castile, beloved wife of King Edward I, the warrior king. Her body was carried on a 200-mile journey from Lincoln to London, a solemn procession that would become immortalized in stone. To mark the places where it stopped overnight, a heartbroken Edward commissioned twelve magnificent Eleanor Crosses. More than seven centuries later, bestselling historian Alice Loxton set herself an epic challenge: following in history’s footsteps by walking the entire 200-mile funeral route on the corresponding dates. As Alice journeys in search of England’s forgotten Queen, over ancient paths and modern motorways, history comes alive in surprising ways. Lively and entertaining, Eleanor uncovers the extraordinary life and formidable character of this lesser-known royal, revealing her inspiring legacy and the hidden history of Britain. ‘Beautiful, elegiac, honest and compelling . . . a modern-day pilgrimage’ – Kate Mosse, bestselling author of The Map of Bones ‘The leading historian of her generation’ – Dan Jones, historian and author of The Templars