England, with its rich and lengthy history, turbulent past and misty atmosphere, offers the perfect backdrop for mysterious folktales, that may or may not be true. Accounts of giants, witches, ghosts, aliens and fairies thrill kids and keep them up at night and make adults scratch their heads in wonder. Handed down through written and oral traditions, English folklore has survived the ages and is available for study, once you know where to look.

Join the Folklore Society, located in Colchester, England. Extensive folklore information is available online for members. American memberships are available and American checks are accepted. The American membership fee as of April 2011 was $81. Members receive the "Folklore" magazine, published three times per year. Student and household memberships are available as well.

Visit websites such as Mysterious Britain & Ireland, the Fortean Times and Internet Sacred Text Archive. Each site offers a wealth of British folklore stories and traditions that you can study at your leisure for free.

Purchase or borrow books on English folklore. "English Fairy Tales and Legends," "A Dictionary of English Folklore," "The Sutton Companion to British Folklore, Myths & Legends" and "Green Men & White Swans: The Folklore of British Pub Names," are just a few of the published works on English folklore.

Travel to England and visit historic sites such as Alderley Edge, said to be an important site regarding the King Arthur legends; the Arbor Low Stone Circle in Derbyshire, a site similar to Stonehenge; and the Treasurer's House in York, the home to sightings of the ghosts of Roman soldiers. Stately homes, haunted castles and mysterious natural sites dot the English countryside and provide a wealth of English folklore for you to study.