The Writers of Wales Database

BARBER, CHRIS

Website: http://www.blorenge-books.co.uk/

Chris Barber has published thirty books to date. He has spent all his life in the Newport and Abergavenny areas and in 1994 he took early retirement from his post as Chief Countryside Warden with Gwent County Council. He is now working full time as a writer, publisher, photographer and lecturer, having established Blorenge Books in 1985.

He lives in Llanfoist near Abergavenny and has taken a particular interest in the industrial history of the area, having published a number of titles about the writer Alexander Cordell as well as the guidebook for World Heritage Site Blaenavon (which was honoured with a 2003 ‘Award for Excellence’ from the Outdoor Writers’ Guild). Chris has also written about Owain Glyndwr, and explored myths and legends in other titles.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has had many photographs published in books and periodicals. He is also an enthusiastic and experienced walker, mountaineer and caver and has spent a lifetime exploring, photographing and writing about a wide range of interesting places, with a particular emphasis on Wales. He was the founder of the popular Three Peaks Trial and for many years organiser of the annual South Wales Seven Peaks 47 mile Marathon Walk.

Chris is currently Secretary of the Llanfoist Local History Society and a Committee Member of the Brecon Beacons Park Society. He was awarded the MBE for ‘Services to the Community and Tourism' in the 2008 New Year’s Honours List.

Selected Publications:
Arthur of Albion: An Introduction to the Arthurian Literature and Legends of England (Boydell Press, 1971)
King Arthur in Legend and History (Boydell Press, 1973)
Walks in the Brecon Beacons (T. Pridgeon, 1976)
Ghosts of Wales (John Jones, 1979)
Exploring The Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains And Waterfall Country A Walker's Guide Volume 1 (Regional Publications, 1980)
Mysterious Wales (David & Charles, 1982)
Exploring Gwent: Walkers' Guide to Gwent, Land of History and Legend (Regional Publications, 1984)
Cordell Country (Blorenge Books, 1985)
More Mysterious Wales (David & Charles, 1986)
King Arthur: Hero and Legend (The Boydell Press, 1986)
The Seven Hills of Abergavenny: Walks, History and Legends (Blorenge Books, 1992)
Abergavenny in Old Picture Postcards (Europese Bibliotheek B.V., 1995)
Arthurian Caerleon: In Literature and Legend (Blorenge Books, 1996)
Classic Walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park (Blorenge Books, 1997)
In Search of Owain Glyndwr (Blorenge Books, 1998)
Walks in Cordell Country (Blorenge Books, 1998)
Eastern Valley: The Story Of Torfaen (Blorenge Books, 1999)
Exploring Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site (Blorenge Books, 2002)
Exploring Kilvert Country (Blorenge Books, 2003)
Llanover Country (Blorenge Books, 2003)
In the Footsteps of Alexander Cordell (Blorenge Books, 2007)
40 Classic Walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park (Blorenge Books, 2009)

Contributed to:
The Romance of the Welsh Mountains: An Anthology of Climber's Tales and Walker's Ways (editor) (Blorenge Books, 1986)
Hando's Gwent: v. 1 (editor) (Blorenge Books, 1987)
The Ancient Stones of Wales (co-writer) (Blorenge Books, 1989)
Hando's Gwent: v. 2 (editor) (Blorenge Books, 1989)
Journey to Avalon: Final Discovery of King Arthur (co-writer) (Blorenge Books, 1993)
Portraits of the Past: Industrial Heritage of Old Monmouthshire (co-writer) (Blorenge Books, 1996)
The Legacy of King Arthur (co-writer) (Blorenge Books, 2005)