A FORMER businessman is helping to boost the global profile of Britain’s rich heritage from his home near Ingleton.

Through his increasingly popular website ‘A Bit About Britain’, Mike Biles shares with a worldwide audience his passion for his home country’s history, historical sites and eccentricities.

Now the success of Mr Biles’ website, which receives about 11,000 visits each month from more than 180 countries, has encouraged the publication of a book about Britain’s amazing story, appropriately titled, ‘A Bit About Britain’s History’.

Mr Biles moved to Kendal in 2003 and now lives at Burton-in-Lonsdale.

His interest in the past began as a child and he went on to study medieval and modern British and European history at university.

“I was inspired to create the website after travelling around the country talking to people who feigned interest in my enthusiasm for heritage attractions and quirky stories,” he said.

“One week we’ll feature something mainstream, like the Lakeland Motor Museum; next week we’ll go off piste and bang on about the importance of Eamont Bridge.”

Mr Biles' new book pulls all the website articles into a single volume, covering key events or themes, organised chronologically into nine periods with detailed timelines at the end.

“It’s ideal for anyone who wants a light reminder of what they might have learned at school, or for anyone who wants an introduction to how we got where we are, how it all joins up," he said.

"The timelines provide useful reference, but also make fascinating reading in their own right.”

'A Bit About Britain’s History’ is available in paperback or as an e-book from Amazon.

The paperback is currently being offered to local independent bookshops and so far can be purchased from ‘The Book Lounge’ in Kirkby Lonsdale, ‘Limestone Books’ in Settle and Burton in Lonsdale’s Village Shop.

Mike’s website is https://bitaboutbritain.com/.