Anderdon was an enthusiastic fisherman, and a walking tour through Dovedale, the country of Charles Cotton, one of the earliest professors of the art of angling, suggested the compilation of a volume (printed at first in 1845 for private circulation, but subsequently in 1847 for sale) on ‘The River Dove: with some quiet Thoughts on the happy Practice of Angling.' Written in the orthodox dialogue of fishing literature, it contained many anecdotes of Cotton and his country life, with hints on the best mode of following his favourite pursuit. A series of views of Cotton's seat and the river Dove were taken under Anderdon's instructions and issued with a preface by his brother-in-law, Mr. F. Manning, in 1866. His next work was a sympathetic life of Bishop Ken, which was published under the pseudonym of ‘A Layman' in 1851, and reprinted in 1854. He followed up this memoir of the saintly Ken with a selection, entitled ‘Approach to the Holy Altar' (1852), from Ken's two devotional works, and a reprint (1852) of his ‘Exposition of the Apostles' Creed.' For many years he was engaged in preparing, with copious extracts from divines of all kinds, a narrative of the life of our Lord. It was published anonymously in 1861 under the title of ‘The Messiah,' and the substance of the work was reissued in 1866 in ‘The Devout Christian's Help to Meditation on the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ.'