LAKELAND author Arthur Ransome is famed for creating a carefree world of camping, sailing and country adventures for children.

Many of the real places he disguised in books like Swallows and Amazons are visited by Bill Mitchell in his book Arthur Ransome Afloat in Lakeland.

This behind-the-scenes book also shows many of the Lake District buildings Ransome knew, stayed at, or worked in and pays respects at the Rusland Valley churchyard where he is buried.

It was the fishing passion of his father Cyril Ransome which introduced young Arthur to the Lakes on a three-month summer vacation at High Nibthwaite, near Coniston.

Mr Mitchell writes: “As a boy Arthur Ransome venerated the lake.

“On each visit, he went through a ‘special rite’.

“Running across a field, he would crouch on a stone quay in order to dip a hand in the water.

“The swirling water marked what he considered his homecoming.”

Swallows and Amazons was published in 1930 and the fictional crew of Swallow was based on people he knew – the children of Dr Ernest Altounyan who spent their summers at Lanehead, Coniston.

The new book has some excellent photographic studies of Ransome and views of the Lakeland which would have been familiar to the author.

Also featured is the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, Coniston station, the steam yacht Gondola and places well-known to Ransome readers – such as Wild Cat Island (really Peel Island, Coniston Water) and Rio (better known as Bowness).

He writes: “During the inter-war years, the Ransomes swam, rowed, fished and also camped on Peel Island, though it is neither large nor sufficiently varied to have been the sole inspiration for the fictional Wild Cat Island.”

Some of the attractions which Ransome knew well from Bowness trips have changed through the years.

He writes: “Alas, the old-time boatyards that gave it a Rio-look were to be replaced by ultra-smart buildings.”

Ransome became a regular visitor to both Bowness and Windermere from his writing base at Low Ludderburn.

In later life he enjoyed summers at Spark Bridge, Haverthwaite and the Rusland Valley.

Arthur Ransome Afloat in Lakeland by W.R. Mitchell is published by Great Northern at £9.99 and is available from bookshops.