From Castle Dangerous in South Lanarkshire to Defiance Platform in Cornwall, from the City of Three Waters in Leicestershire and Llanthony in Monmouthshire, McKie’s Gazetteer brings together the intriguing and fascinating, the enigmatic and downright bizarre from every corner of the country.

McKie tells the story of the submerged medieval village of Shipden, leads the way to the only legal Knockin Shop in Britain and introduces us to Sir William, the Kent Messiah, who, armed with two pistols, a sword and a bugle, claimed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ before murdering the local plumber who was wielding a warrant for his arrest.

The result is a book of discoveries, a pleasure to read and to dip into - to use as a basis for exploring the secrets and scandals, the characters and crimes that make Britain its own unique self. David McKie’s search for Britain’s best-kept secrets will entertain and enthral in equal measure.