The National Trust Book of the English Country Town by Russell Chamberlin hits the £1 shelf in my shop.
Webb & Bower, 1983, Hardback in dust wrapper.
Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs; Maps to the endpapers and blanks;
From the cover: The English country town is unique. It is instantly recognizable but hard to define. The movement of population from the countryside to the town, and population and industrial expansion, together with town centre development and catering for the needs of modern traffic have all conspired to submerge many of the country towns characteristics.
Yet, as Russell Chamberlins book shows, the essentials are still there, sometimes remarkably well preserved, in towns scattered all over England Alnwick, Ludlow, Guildford, Durham, Norwich, Chester, Kings Lynn, Marlborough, Totnes, Bath, Lincoln, Colchester, Wroxeter, Cirencester, Bradford-upon-Avon, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Richmond and others.
Country towns have been almost absent-mindedly created over the centuries, their growth and character formed by influences as diverse as the Roman occupation, the Church, the Norman castles, mediaeval guilds, marketplaces and municipal buildingsand of course the physical settings.
All these aspects are examined and a picture emerges of the extraordinary accretion of circumstances which have created the country town as we know it.
The author provides an Appendix presenting brief impressionistic studies of fifty different towns. The text is added to and illuminated by the illustrations and descriptive map and by Charlie Waites splendid photographs in colour.
Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Price Clipped. Previous owners’ inscription to the first blank.
Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine.
208 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10″ x 7¾”.
This book will be listed, sooner or later, for £6.50 on my delightful website… but get 50% off buying from my blog… below…
BookLovers of Bath 