Benji Barkley
banner
benjibarkley.bsky.social
Benji Barkley
@benjibarkley.bsky.social
9 followers 14 following 180 posts
Local children's author in Wiltshire. https://benjibarkley.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Only one sleep till the Devizes launch. I included a couple of easter-eggs that only long-time residents will notice.
Devizes Castle looks like a fairy tale from the road. In the new book, the children spot a page in a tree by the gate.
Clocks go back today, which means an extra hour in bed or an extra story before breakfast. I know which one I’m choosing.
A slow Saturday morning, mug of tea, and a local story to share. The Lost Pages books are basically Wiltshire and Somerset in rhyme form.
Catherine Hill in Frome is beautiful but steep! I recommend Moo-and-Two is for coffee if you need a rest halfway up.
Roundway White Horse, cut in 1845, watches over Devizes. You can see it from miles away - and in the book, Ollie catches a page right on it.
Did you know the Clifton Suspension Bridge opened in 1864, years after Brunel died? It’s one of Bristol’s proudest landmarks - and a windy spot for lost pages.
Caen Hill Locks in Devizes have 29 in a row (16 in the main flight) - a proper workout for anyone passing through. Patch loved that bit of the new book.
Bristol and Frome have been keeping Patch busy lately! Next up is Devizes on 28 Oct.
Frome’s Valentine Lamp and Independent Market make their way into the series. Salisbury readers – why not collect both adventures this week?
Release day! The Lost Pages of Frome is out now. Salisbury remains available on Amazon, but today we celebrate Frome’s cobbled hills.

benjibarkley.com/frome/
Looking ahead: Frome launches tomorrow (23rd Sept). Expect Catherine Hill, Cheap Street’s leat and even Nunney Castle.
Monday motivation: Salisbury Cathedral took 38 years to build – quicker than most medieval cathedrals. Still soaring in the story today.
Stonehenge makes an appearance in The Lost Pages of Salisbury as pages get caught between its stones.
World Cleanup Day – a chance to tidy up, just like Rosie and Ollie gather lost pages. Reading + real-world care = a great family lesson.
Weekend plan: a walk to Salisbury’s Churchill Park. In the story, Patch barks with delight when he finds not one but two pages there.
Arrr, Talk Like a Pirate Day be upon us! What be Patch’s seafarin’ name, matey? Captain Barkbeard, perhaps? Share yer young buccaneer’s best idea while readin’ The Lost Pages of Salisbury!
Castle Street is one of Salisbury’s historic thoroughfares. In the book, a page blows down it with Patch in pursuit.
The King’s House, now Salisbury Museum, appears in the story. The building itself dates back to the 13th century.
Arundells, former home of Prime Minister Edward Heath, sits in Cathedral Close. Rosie finds a page resting in its garden.
Mompesson House on Cathedral Close is an elegant 18th-century building. My dog is better behaved than Patch, but this shot still took a few attempts!