THE shelves of Cumbrian bookshops have long creaked under the weight of tomes chronicling the mountains, lakes and poets that have become synonymous with the Lake District.

At a time when the Cumbrian farmers' grip on the land is at its most tenuous, Cumbria: True to the Land, is a study of traditional hill farming in the county, which celebrates the men, women, animals and industry that are as important to the Lake District as the lakes themselves.

Tony Hopkins's book combines uplifting photographs of hardy farmers at work in the Cumbrian landscape with bleak imagery of an industry under siege. When looking at a portrait of a farming family from Patterdale, one cannot help but wonder if the two young boys in the photograph will have an industry to carry on, when they become old enough.

The book also focuses on the various countryside industries and events that are interwoven with farming, including striking images of legendary coppicer Bill Hogarth at work in his Greenodd workshop, and the colourful characters that are a feature of Appleby Horse Fair.

In years to come, this book could well be used by historians as a social document, telling the story of an industry that has been the lifeblood of the county for centuries.

Cumbria: True to the Land is for anyone who believes that people and industry are an intrinsic part of the landscape, and who wants to explore the character of a Cumbria beyond the scenery and William Wordsworth.

CUMBRIA: True to the Land, by Tony Hopkins. Halsgrove, £24.95. ISBN 1841143944.