The author’s interest in Tom Cobley began in 1995 when he happened upon an unknown version of the song and he realised then that those lyrics were much earlier than those which Sabine Baring-Gould had made famous in 1889.

This book tells the long and fascinating history of the song and includes some surprises from the thorough research undertaken by Todd Gray. It is both informative and entertaining and will have a broad appeal. The song has an enduring popularity with modern audiences and continues to delight them when local figures are substituted for the mare’s companions. In the late 1800s `Widdicombe Fair’ became Devon’s anthem but the full history of this popular ballad has never been told. Until now. In word and song, 57 variants, most of them long forgotten are included.

For more than a century `Widdicombe Fair’ has been an iconic part of Devon’s heritage; it has established itself amongst the rich diversity of the county’s identity and this can now be fully appreciated by those with an interest in history, Devon, Dartmoor, music and of course by Uncle Tom Cobley and all.