County eccentric finds place in book

A Shropshire man who built a replica medieval catapult has been named in a new book as one of England's most colourful eccentrics.

Author Henry Hemming embarked on a quest to find, describe and categorise Great British eccentrics for his book 'In Search Of The English Eccentric reaps rich rewards'.

He spent a year rounding up colourful characters who live as they please rather than as convention dictates.

These include a gnome enthusiast, a pensioner-hermit tattooed in leopard spots and Shropshire landowner Hew Kennedy who built a medieval trebuchet that he used to hurl dead cattle across his estate.

Celebrity eccentrics include Vivienne Westwood and Pete Doherty.

Mr Kennedy, of Acton Round Hall, in Acton Round, near Bridgnorth, spent years building the monstrous siege engine. It was a 30 tonne, 60ft tall replica of a medieval trebuchet.

The siege engine cost about £10,000 to put together with the help of his friend, Richard Barr.

Today, he said: "The trebuchet has gone now. I had it for about 17 years, but it rotted about two years ago.

"I did use it for getting rid of dead animals. I can't see that building it makes me eccentric but I certainly haven't got any more ideas on the go."

In Search Of The English Eccentric reaps rich rewards by Henry Hemming is out now through publisher John Murray priced at £16.99.