THE prolific Yorkshire Dales writer W R (Bill) Mitchell has died at the age of 87.

Mr Mitchell, who passed away peacefully last night in Airedale Hospital, was a former editor of the Dalesman magazine. In a writing career spanning six decades, he published more than 170 books and wrote many hundreds of articles.

He maintained an eclectic interest in people, places and natural history, writing on subjects as diverse as the Settle-Carlisle Railway, Arthur Ransome, William Wordsworth, the Lancashire witches, the Brontes and the composer Edward Elgar.

Mr Mitchell, who started his journalistic career at the Gazette's sister newspaper, the Craven Herald, edited the Dalesman from 1968 to his retirement in 1986.

In latter years he wrote a regular column in the Craven Herald.

Mr Mitchell was awarded the MBE and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Bradford University.

In a Twitter tribute, his son David described him as an 'inspiration'.

A full obituary and tributes will appear in next week's Westmorland Gazette.

  • If you knew Bill Mitchell or enjoyed his books and would like to pay a tribute, please do so using the comment facility connected to this story or email allan.tunningley@nqnw.co.uk