The trees which line many of the streets in our towns and cities can often be regarded as part of a heritage landscape. Despite the difficult conditions of an urban environment, these trees may live for 100 years or more and represent ‘living history’ in the midst of our modern streetscapes. This is the first book on the history of Britain’s street trees and it gives a highly readable, authoritative and often amusing account of their story, from the tree-lined promenades of the seventeenth century to the majestic boulevards that grace some of our modern city centres. The impact of the Victorian street tree movement is examined, not only in the major cities but also in the rapidly developing suburbs that continued to expand through the twentieth century. There are fascinating descriptions of how street trees have helped to improve urban conditions in spa towns and seaside resorts and also in visionary initiatives such as the model villages, garden cities, garden suburbs and new towns. While much of the book focuses on the social and cultural history of our street trees, the last three chapters look at the practicalities of how these trees have been engineered into concrete landscapes. This includes the many threats to street trees over the years, such as pollution, conflict with urban infrastructure, pests and diseases and what is probably the greatest threat in recent times – the dramatic growth in car ownership. Street Trees in Britain will have particular appeal to those interested in heritage landscapes, urban history and the natural and built environment. Some of its themes were introduced in the author’s previous work, the widely acclaimed Trees in Towns and Cities: A History of British Urban Arboriculture.

Yorkshire is by far the largest county in England, taking up most of the land area from Sheffield in the south to Cleveland in the north. Covering such a large area between the North Sea and the Pennine watershed, the variety of landscapes is astonishing, and in this book you will get a taste of much of it. Our tour starts in the rolling, highly urbanised south, then climbs into the Pennines where high heather-clad moorland is bisected by valleys full of industrial heritage. Heading north, the landscape transforms into the limestone pavements and glacial valleys of the Dales where sheep graze peacefully on high grassland. The central Plain of York is the next area with its ancient castles and fertile farmland under a huge sky. To the east rises the scarp of the North Yorkshire Moors where high moorland and remote valleys stretch all the way to the gull-strewn North Sea cliffs. Turning south, we explore the gentle countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds. The final destination is the banks of the River Humber from the industrial plain to Yorkshire's furthest outpost at Spurn Head. Doug Kennedy has roamed Yorkshire's lanes, byways and footpaths, seeking out what makes each place special and applying his photographer’s eye to capture the scene perfectly in sumptuous photographic images. These are complemented by informative text that gets underneath the surface of why things look like they do. It is a book for everyone who loves the Yorkshire to treasure, and a splendid introduction to its landscape for those less familiar with 'God's Own County'.

The open hilly terrain of much of Derbyshire has long been a challenge to gardeners and landscapers, but has produced some spectacular walled and terraced gardens. Wealthy aristocrats created important and unusual pleasure gardens including the famous Bess of Hardwick, the Earl of Newcastle and his Venus garden at Bolsover, the Whig Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth and their Tory rivals Lords Scarsdale of Kedleston and the Earl of Harrington with his extravagant and secret Elysium garden at Elvaston Castle. Mineral wealth, including ore and coal, produced wealthy manufacturers and businessmen who created their own fashionable and expensive gardens to compete with established county wealth. These included the fabulously wealthy Arkwright family of Willesley Castle and Joseph Whitworth at Stancliffe. In this lavishly illustrated and lively new study Dianne Barre looks not just at such beautifully restored and accessible gardens as Haddon, Melbourne and Renishaw but also lost gardens and parks at Swarkeston, Knowle Hill, Sutton Scarsdale, Wingerworth and Drakelow and considers the importance of gardens at Derbyshire Spa towns. There are many surprises as the author re-examines the fashionable, the quirky, the accessible and the lost and little known.

Gardom's Edge is an area of gritstone upland situated on the Eastern Moors of the Derbyshire Peak District. Like other parts of the Eastern Moors, Gardom's Edge has long been renowned for the wealth of prehistoric field systems, cairns and other structures which can still be traced across the surface. Drawing on the results of original survey and excavation, An Upland Biography documents prehistoric activity across this area, exploring the changing character of occupation from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age. It also tacks back and forth between local detail and regional patterns, to better understand the broader social worlds in which Gardom's Edge was set.

The gnarled, immutable yew tree is one of the most evocative sights in the British and Irish language, an evergreen impression of immortality, the tree that provides a living botanical link between our own landscapes and those of the distant past. This book tells the extraordinary story of the yew’s role in the landscape through the millennia, and makes a convincing case for the origins of many of the oldest trees, as markers of the holy places founded by Celtic saints in the early medieval ‘Dark Ages’.With wonderful photographic portraits of ancient yews and a gazetteer (with locations) of the oldest yew trees in Britain, the book brings together for the first time all the evidence about the dating, history, archaeology and cultural connections of the yew. Robert Bevan-Jones discusses its history, biology, the origins of its name, the yew berry and its toxicity, its distribution across Britain, means of dating examples, and their association with folklore, with churchyards, abbeys, springs, pre-Reformation wells and as landscape markers. This third edition has an updated introduction with new photographs and corrections to the main text.

Sitka spruce has contributed to the Pacific Coast landscapes of North America for over ten millennia. For the Tlingit First Nationit is the most important tree in terms of spiritual relationships, art, and products in daily use such as canoes, containers, fish-traps and sweet cakes. Since the late nineteenth century it has also been the most important tree to the timber industry of west coast North America. This book takes a fresh look at Sitka spruce in Britain and Ireland, explaining the reasons it was introduced and why it became ubiquitous in the archipelagos of north-west Europe.The historical background to the modern use of Sitka spruce is explored. The lack of cultural reference may explain negative public response when tree-less uplands in the UK and reland were afforested with introduced conifer species, particularly Sitka spruce, following two World Wars. The multi-purpose forestry of today recognises that Sitka spruce is the most important tree to the timber industry and to a public which uses its many products but fails to recognise the link between growing trees and bought goods.The apparently featureless and wildlife-less Sitka spruce plantations in UK uplands are gradually developing recognisable ecological features. Sitka spruce has the potential to form temperate rainforests this century as well as to produce much-needed goods for society. The major contribution of Sitka spruce to landscapes and livelihoods in western North America is, by contrast, widely accepted. But conserving natural, old-growth forests, sustaining the needs of First Nations, and producing materials for the modern timber industry will be an intricate task.

We live in an age of unprecedented environmental change: global, interconnected and universal. Yet though our lives are inextricably connected to global processes, and increasingly mobile, we still live in particular places. Our perceptions of change, and what kind of change might be for good or ill, are shaped by the interaction of localised experience and the wider forces of transformation. Local Places, Global Processes examines how these relationships have been shaped in Britain over time in three ways. First, through essays addressing influential ways of understanding and debating questions of ‘the state of nature’. These are complemented by case studies on conservation, landscape change and management, and how perceptions of environmental change have emerged or been discarded over time. Chapters also draw on a series of site-based workshops that brought together historians, landscape managers and artists to discuss and reflect on particular sites: Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, owned by the National Trust and the first British nature reserve; the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Somerset, England’s first AONB and a landscape enriched by Romantic association; and the landscape of Kielder Water and Forest, a land of superlatives in Northumberland in north-eastern England – the largest planted forest and artificial lake in northern Europe. The multi-disciplinary approach draws together the exchanges, artworks and writing assembled at these workshops and afterwards. This opens up how being in a place, and engaging with ideas attached to it, shape perceptions of the environment. It provides resources with which landscape managers can think about their tasks and engage various publics in discussion about future environments in light of these histories of place. Rather than a history of these three places, this is history written from them.

Norfolk is a very distinctive county, the most easterly in the British Isles. With the North Sea and The Wash to the east and north it is relatively close to the Netherlands, but Norwich is only a couple of hours by train from London. It has been a centre of great political power, but is on no major transport routes, so has no motorways and has been largely bypassed by the Industrial Revolution. As a result, many of its towns and villages are relatively unspoiled, so have kept their old buildings and character and are a delight to visit. Although known for its wide open landscapes, of which there are many, Norfolk has an abundance of delightful corners and beautiful gardens where it is the miniature that charms and tranquillity reigns.This beautiful photo book captures the essence of Norfolk's varied landscapes in sumptuous images and an informative text that gets underneath the surface of why things look like they do. The Norfolk Broads, Breckland, The Waverley Valley, The Fens and the coastlines are explored in turn along with the wildlife you can encounter on the way. In addition, Norfolk's lovely churches that punctuate every view, and the distinctive traditional buildings that give each area its special flavour are featured. Doug Kennedy has roamed the County on foot and by boat, seeking out what makes each place special and applying his photographer's eye to capture the scene perfectly. It is a book for everyone who loves the Norfolk to treasure, and a splendid introduction to its landscape for those less familiar with a classic corner of England.

This book is about the map of an English county – Hertfordshire – which was published in 1766 by two London map-makers, Andrew Dury and John Andrews.For well over two centuries, from the time of Elizabeth I to the late 18th century, the county was the basic unit for mapping in Britain and the period witnessed several espisodes of comprehensive map making. The map which forms the subject of this book followed on from a large number of previous maps of the county but was greatly superior to them in terms of quality and detail. It was published in a variety of forms, in nine sheets with an additional index map, over a period of 60 years. No other maps of Hertfordshire were produced during the rest of the century, but the Board of Ordnance, later the Ordnance Survey, established in the 1790s, began to survey the Hertfordshire area in 1799, publishing the first maps covering the county between 1805 and 1834. The OS came to dominate map making in Britain but, of all the maps of Hertfordshire, that produced by Dury and Andrews was the first to be surveyed at a sufficiently large scale to really allow those dwelling in the county to visualise their own parish, local topography and even their own house, and its place in the wider landscape. The first section examines the context of the map’s production and its place in cartographic history, and describes the creation of a new, digital version of the map which can be accessed online . The second part describes various ways in which this electronic version can be interrogated, in order to throw important new light on Hertfordshire’s landscape and society, both in the middle decades of the eighteenth century when it was produced, and in more remote periods. The attached DVD contains over a dozen maps which have been derived from the digital version, and which illustrate many of the issues discussed in the text, as well as related material which should likewise be useful to students of landscape history, historical geography and local history.

This book is about Arcadia and the pastoral tradition; what it has meant for successive generations and their vision of the landscape, as well as the implications this has had for its design and management. Today the concept of Arcadia, and way it has shaped our landscape, is dimly perceived and little understood by landscape architects and those responsible for the management of land. This is in marked contrast to previous centuries when the vision of Arcadia and the pastoral was implanted by education among the more privileged in society. Young men spent many hours translating and learning by rote the words of Virgil and other classical authors and on the Grand Tour they would be introduced to work of painters like Poussin and Claude and their interpretations of the Ideal pastoral landscape. Today Arcadia holds as powerful an influence as at any time in the past and it is important that we plan our urban environment in ways that harmonise with the natural world.Arcadian Visions provides an alternative landscape history for all those involved with the landscape - either through its design, management, use or enjoyment. It begins by examining the origins of Arcadia and the pastoral in the classical poetry of Theocritus and Virgil, and the effects of, and on, Christianity before outlining its development in renaissance Italy and subsequently in the Netherlands, America and England. It concludes by looking at how arcadian ecology is bringing about a re-appraisal of the pastoral in the 21st century.

This is the first book on the history of trees in Britain’s towns and cities and the people who have planted and cared for them. It is a highly readable and authoritative account of the trees in our urban landscapes from the Romans to the present day, including public parks, private gardens, streets, cemeteries and many other open spaces. It charts how our appreciation of urban trees and woodland has evolved into our modern understanding of the many environmental, economic and social benefits of our urban forests. A description is also given of the various threats to these trees over the centuries, such as pollution damage during the Industrial Revolution and the recent ravages of Dutch elm disease. Central and local government initiatives are examined together with the contribution of civic and amenity societies. However, this historical account is not just a catalogue of significant events but gives a deeper analysis by exploring fundamental issues such as who owned those treed landscapes, why they were created and who had access to them. The book concludes with the fascinating story of how trees have contributed to efforts to improve urban conditions through various ‘visions of urban green’ such as the model villages, garden cities, garden suburbs and the new towns. Studies in garden and landscape history have often been preoccupied with those belonging to the rich and powerful. This book focuses particularly on working people and the extent to which they have been able to enjoy urban trees and greenspace. It will appeal to a general readership, especially those with an interest in garden history, heritage landscapes and the natural and built environment. Its meticulous referencing will also ensure it is much appreciated by students and academics pursuing further reading and research. It is written by an internationally renowned arboriculturist who combines a passion for trees with a sound understanding of British social and cultural history.

The North Downs are a range of hills that run east-west from the south-east tip of England, at Dover in Kent, to Farnham in Surrey. They skirt the southern edge of London, so for a long time have offered Londoners beautiful countryside to escape to, or for a home to commute to work from. A hundred years ago, they were still quite remote, but London has grown, spreading onto Downland, and rail and road links have ensured that the many towns across the hills have also grown substantially in size. Despite development there is still a lot of unspoilt landscape, from farmland, to deep woods, to open grassland ridges with fantastic views across the weald of Surrey and Kent; and it is these places that are the focus of this book. North Downs Landscapes takes the reader on a journey from the White Cliffs of Dover, through the rolling Kentish farm land with its open vistas and small villages, across the River Medway at Rochester, with its’ castle and cathedral, on to the wooded ridges past Sevenoaks, into Surrey and across the River Mole to explore Leith Hill, then to Guildford and the River Wey, and over the Hogs Back to Farnham.The core of this book are beautiful full-page colour photographs illustrating the beauty and distinctive landscapes of the Downs. The text explores the history, geography, geology and ecology of the countryside and some of its towns and villages. Together photographs and text capture the character and atmosphere of a special part of the British Isles.

The Archaeological sites of Orkney give us an unparalleled glimpse into prehistory. Inscribed as the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' World Heritage Site in 1999, four great monuments - the village of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and the burial mound of Maeshowe - are also at the centre of the archipelago's story. This book looks at what makes these monuments so special. Caroline Wickham-Jones explores the Neolithic world in which they were built, how they caome to be a focus through the ages, and what they mean today. Picts, saints, Vikings, antiquarians and tourists populate Orkney's past: a history which is channelled through these 'dances of stones'.

Deer have been central to human cultures throughout time and space: whether as staples to hunter-gatherers, icons of Empire, or the focus of sport. Their social and economic importance has seen some species transported across continents, transforming landscape as they went with the establishment of menageries and park. The fortunes of other species have been less auspicious, some becoming extirpated, or being in threat of extinction, due to pressures of over-hunting and/or human-instigated environmental change. In spite of their diverse, deep-rooted and long standing relations with human societies, no multi-disciplinary volume of research on cervids has until now been produced. This volume draws together research on deer from wide-ranging disciplines and in so doing substantially advances our broader understanding of human-deer relationships in the past and the present. Themes include species dispersal, exploitation patterns, symbolic significance, material culture and art, effects on the landscape and management. The temporal span of research ranges from the Pleistocene to the modern day and covers Europe, North America and Asia. Papers derived from international conferences held at the University of Lincoln and in Paris.

In August 1937 a small group of Edith Wharton’s intimate friends gathered to pay their last respects at her funeral in France. Among that small group of people was her friend for many years, Lawrence ‘Johnnie’ Johnston, the creator of two famous gardens, at Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire, in England and Serre de la Madone, Menton, on the Côte d’Azur in the south of France. Wharton and Johnston shared not only a love of nature and gardens but also a shared experience of life. Both were private people who had had very similar childhoods, experiencing the loss of their fathers at an early age. Yet there was one aspect of their lives in which they were very different. Wharton, the writer, chose to expose her innermost thoughts and feelings and was continually in the public eye. Johnston, however, wrote nothing about his gardens, hardly permitted photographs of himself or his gardens and, though he kept an engagement diary, these, with two exceptions, have not survived. As a result Johnston remains a shadowy figure upon whom light occasionally falls from within the diaries kept by Edith Wharton. Her diaries also provide an illuminating insight into both her gardens at St-Brice, and at Hyères, in the south of France. Wharton was a passionate gardener – an aspect not yet fully explored in previous biographies - early in her life after she had made her first garden at The Mount, at Lenox, Massachusetts in the United States, she claimed she was a better landscape designer than novelist. As fellow gardeners, Edith and Johnnie spent many hours together visiting each other’s gardens, staying as house guests, plant-collecting in the Haute Massif and travelling by car to nurseries and gardens throughout England and France.In this major new critical biography Alan Ruff has brought the two together, calling upon his lifetime’s knowledge of landscape and garden design to assess the influences and techniques employed in the gardens of these two remarkable people, all set against a long-vanished, high-society background.

Cipières, in the Alpes-Maritimes, is a French upland landscape rich in archaeology and distinctive in its topography. Cipières: Community and Landscape in the Alpes-Maritimes is a unique exploration which brings together a wealth of documentary sources retained in the village with material evidence in the landscape to produce an interdisciplinary and holistic account of the development of one community and its lands. Beginning with a history of the Project, the volume examines the village’s morphology and archaeology, including a landscape survey and investigation of the agrarian systems of the Plâteau de Calern, before moving on to examine settlement patterns, population, politics, social structure and the local economy from the fifth century through to 1900. After a period of decline, the area is now undergoing regeneration, and history is bought up-to-date and placed in its modern context through reflections of the modern day region.