Christine Delves and Mary Atkinson don't expect to ride into the bestseller lists with their first book. But they reckon their guide to the ancient highways of the South Pennines fulfils a real need. The long-time friends say there is no similar book on the market for horse riders such as themselves. And they believe mountain bikers and ramblers will gain equal inspiration from Over the Hills and Back for Tea. Mary says: "There is now a big influx of riders and they all want to know where to ride. Sometimes you don't know whether a route is blocked, and there are no other books around with details of rides."

Christine, from Oxenhope, and Wilsden woman Mary have been riding the hills around the Worth Valley for several decades. For the past ten years they have ridden together, travelling further afield since buying a horsebox. During this time they have supported the work of the South Pennines Packhorse Trails Trust in reopening several moorland tracks. As a result many miles of bridleways -- sometimes marked on maps only as footpaths -- are legally accessible to riders and mountains bikers.

This work forms the basis of the 30-plus routes, all within 30 miles of Haworth or Hebden Bridge, featured in the new book. There are several rides around Oxenhope, plus Riddlesden, Bolton Abbey, Bingley, Hardcastle Crags and Cullingworth. Christine and Mary also look at a handful of riding routes in the Yorkshire Dales, and add poetry inspired by their journeys.

Christine says the rides each last up to three hours, and some join with one another. Christine adds: "There's such a lovely network of rides around here. you can swap around, do a long one or a short one, coming back another way."

Over the Hills and Back for Tea costs £4.99 from Oxenhope Post Office or the Hobby Horse, 53 Mill Hey, Haworth. It costs £5.99 (including postage) from Christine Delves, Ashdene, Yate Lane, Oxenhope, Keighley, BD22 9HL.