Clouds Over Bowland: New Historical Fiction
Childhood Stories Inspire New Forest of Bowland Novel
A new historical novel set in the Forest of Bowland draws on a story the author heard growing up – that the area’s drystone walls were built by French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic era. There were definitely French Prisoners of War at Lancaster Castle, who were probably used as free labour on the land.
Clouds Over Bowland by Rosemary Sturge (Cadence Timepiece) is set in 1814 and follows Hugh Armstrong, who arrives in a remote Lancashire valley in search of a settled life. Instead, he finds a community shaped by Quaker beliefs and quietly affected by the realities of war.
Inspired by local tradition, the novel imagines the tenants coming into contact with prisoners at a time of growing Quaker awareness of the need for prison reform.
“Stories like these are part of the fabric of Bowland,” the publisher says. “This novel takes that sense of place and history and builds a human story around it.”
Rich in atmosphere and grounded in regional history, Clouds Over Bowland offers a fresh perspective on how global events were felt in rural Lancashire. Clouds Over Bowland is in bookshops from April 2nd.