The location of the Anglo-Saxon burial ground at Sutton Hoo, on a ridge overlooking the estuary of the river Deben, has always appeared strange and challenging. This is not so much because the site is today an isolated and lonely one, but rather because it lies on the very periphery of the early medieval kingdom of East Anglia, whose rulers - the Wuffingas - were buried there. In this extended meditation on the geography of a very special and evocative place, Tom Williamson explores the meaning of the cemetery's location. To understand the location of ancient monuments we need to examine not only the character of past landscapes, but also the ways that contemporaries may have experienced and felt about them: we need to reconstruct aspects of their mental world. Williamson argues that the cemetery was placed where it was not in order to display power and dominance over territory, but because the river, and its brooding estuary, had long held a special and central place in the lives and perceptions of a local society. As King Raedwald and his family rose to dominance over this river-people, they chose to be buried at the heart of their territory. Such approaches may help us to understand why the cemetery was established where it was within the territory of the Wuffingas : but they cannot explain why that group came to dominate the whole of East Anglia. For this, Williamson argues, we need to examine wider geographical contexts - patterns of movement, contact, and social allegiance which were engendered and shaped by landforms and topography at a regional and national level. It is only by joining aspects of the new 'phenomenological' approaches to the archaeology of landscape, to more traditional geographical interpretations, that we can appreciate the full significance of this important site. Combining a keen understanding of local and regional geography, Anglo-Saxon history, and current debates about approaches to past landscapes, this book is a masterly exploration of the context and meaning of an iconic set of monuments.

Oxbow says: For many years hedges have been the most common field boundary in rural Britain, providing a stock-proof barrier, a field boundary and a haven for wildlife. Despite this, they are rarely studied in any detail in landscape archaeology. The authors of Hedgerow History rightly argue that hedges, as an essential feature of the landscape, their origins and development, are as worthy of study as any other part of the landscape. Their book focuses on the species content and diversity of hedges, how these came about and how they changed over time. The introduction provides the background to hedges in Britain, the development of field boundaries, changes in fields and farming, especially the impact of enclosure, hedgerow management, and methods of dating hedges. In an attempt to evaluate the pioneering work of Hooper and Pollard in the 1960s and 1970s, and gain insights into the diversity of hedges and the possible human and animal reasons for it, Barnes and Williamson carried out a detailed survey of hedgerows in Norfolk. Finding 61 shrub species among the Norfolk hedgerows, they attempt to tie this data in with evidence on geology, soils, climate, woodland, enclosure, farming practices and historical factors, as an indicator of the processes of continuity and change that have taken place in the wider landscape.

The formation of the landscape archaeological record is primarily a product of the post-medieval period' (Tom Williamson). This book reflects some of the most recent work in landscape studies of the period since 1500. It builds upon ideas and techniques pioneered by Hoskins in fields such as Anglo-Saxon topography and vernacular architecture, and also demonstrates how scholars are developing the subject conceptually, to examine landscapes as cultural artefacts, perceived differently by different groups within society.

Extensively illustrated with colour and black and white images, this book tells Clarendon's story, from the Neolithic through to the present day. It focuses in particular on the palace and deer park's medieval heyday. Soon after the Norman conquest, Clarendon in Wiltshire became the country retreat of the kings and queens of England. Clarendon was large enough to host up to 2000 people, but it also had intimate suites for private life: royalty could govern and relax, whilst indulging their passion for hunting. Here in 1164 Henry II confronted Thomas Becket, and it was here that the Plantagenets sustained their grandest palace outside London and the largest deer park in the kingdom. The visitor to the park today will find this medieval landscape still recognisable and more or less intact. Yet until comparatively recently, it remained secret and undiscovered. This impecably-researched and very readable history draws on multiple sources to bring the past of this great royal landscape to life. The park is rich in Prehistoric remains, but it is the historic period which excites archaeological attention. The authors explore Saxon Clarendon and chart the Norman creation of the deer park and the building of the palace. They also cover the centuries since the Restoration: in 1660 Clarendon became a private country estate that came to express Protestant, Tory and military values.

This book brings to public attention some of the most evocative and threatened features of the landscape of southern England. Water meadows work with nature to improve agricultural productivity, whilst providing rich habitats for wildlife such as water voles, waders and grass snakes. They are areas of low-lying grassland which are regularly 'drowned' - artificially irrigated - at certain times of the year, to stimulate the early growth of grass in the spring. Only a few remain in operation today, though they played a crucial role in Britains past farming economy. Their archaeological remains can be found all over southern England, with Hampshire and Wiltshire having perhaps the best surviving examples. In this book leading archaeologists and scientists - together with one of the last practising 'drowners' - explore the ecology and history of water meadows. They ask when and where the art of floating originated, and explain its hydrology. They also investigate water meadows conservation status and potential for the future.

Kelmscott Manor is forever linked with the name of William Morris, pioneer conservationist and utopian socialist, designer and father of the Arts and Crafts tradition. The manor played a crucial role in shaping his thought: at the climactic moment of his futuristic novel, News from Nowhere, Morris lifts the latch of the Manor's garden gate and finds his personal holy grail. Morris was drawn by the organic relationship between Kelmscott and its landscape: the linkage of stone walls and roof tiles to the geology and the soil, and the honest toil of the people to the agricultural cycle. The fruits of the Kelmscott Landscape Project established in 1996 by the Society of Antiquaries of London, the owners of Kelmscott Manor today, this book is a multi-faceted examination of Kelmscott's history. Archaeology, from prehistory to the present day, the architectural development of the Manor before and after Morris knew it, and the art that the village and Manor have inspired all receive rich, illustrated coverage. The result is a vivid portrait of a Thames-side village transformed by its association with Morris, a book which demonstrates the rich connections between culture and landscape in a particular place.

The countryside of Devon and Cornwall preserves an unusually rich legacy from its medieval past. This book explores the different elements which go to make up this historic landscape - the chapels, crosses, castles and mines; the tinworks and strip fields; and above all, the intricately worked counterpane of hedgebanks and winding lanes. Between AD 500 and 1700, a series of revolutions transformed the structure of the South West Peninsula's rural landscape. The book tells the story of these changes, and also explores how people experienced the landscape in which they lived: how they came to imbue places with symbolic and cultural meaning. Contributors include: Ralph Fyfe on the pollen evidence of landscape change; Sam Turner on the Christian landscape; Peter Herring on both strip fields and Brown Willy, Bodmin Moor; O. H. Creighton and J. P. Freeman on castles; Phil Newman on tin working; and Lucy Franklin on folklore and imagined landscapes.

Castle studies have been transformed in recent years with a movement away from the traditional interpretation of castles as static military structures towards a wider view of castles as aesthetic symbols of power, with a more complicated relationship with the landscape. Supported by numerous colour photographs of the most `tangible' remains of the Middle Ages, this clearly written and very accessible study makes the most current ideas about the role of the castle available to a wider and more general readership. Robert Liddiard discusses the history of castle building before and after the Norman Conquest, considering the Norman and medieval definition of the castle, and he reassesses the military defensive capabilities of castles, demolishing the idea that they were built in response to military policy. Instead, they proved a very effective means for aristocrats to display their status. Liddiard evaluates the role of the castle in warfare and the extent to which sieges played a part in conflicts before turning his attention to the varied role of the castle in the landscape (and in the lives of those who lived in and around it) and its relationship to its environment, arguing that the aesthetic setting of many castles was not a happy accident. Throughout, the study is supported by numerous case studies which examine the archaeological, architectural and historical evidence for numerous castles.

Forty miles out into the Atlantic from the western isles of Scotland lies the archipelago of St Kilda. Home to human populations for more than 4000 years, the islands inhabitants were evacuated from the main island in 1930 leaving it as a haven for wildlife, a tourist destination and workplace for those studying and monitoring the islands ecology and its radar station built in the 1950s. Many of those writing about St Kilda have emphasised the remoteness and insularity of its environment, describing its population as having endured a wretched and isolated existence marooned on an archipelago miles from civilisation. In this book Andrew Fleming challenges such interpretations. His history of the islands reviews the archaeological evidence for the first inhabitants before 2000 BC, how they lived and survived, and how they became integrated into the wider world. Much of the book focuses on more recent times where documentary sources relay in great detail the lives of St Kildans over the past few centuries; how they farmed, administered justice, took on communal responsibilities, their religious, and other, beliefs, the impact of visitors to the islands, and how events outside of the islands had an impact on their lives. Described as a historical drama queen, this is an excellent story of a remote island community which has been mythologised by many commentators. Superb photographs do much of the work of description.

North west England has largely been neglected in studies of medieval landscapes in favour of the Midlands and East Anglia although it has much to offer. Described here as a `frontier landscape' encompassing the modern regions of Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, the author discusses changes to the medieval landscape and why these occurred. He outlines and characterises the major period of expansion and economic boom that took place in the north west from 1086 to 1349 and asks why political and military matters seen to have had such an important role in landscape change. Issues of perceived marginality are also discussed as Higham looks in turn at the local population and their environment, land use and agrarian practices, woodland, forest and pasture, buildings, farms and estates, markets and fairs and the Church and the landscape. A great addition to the series.

Walking through the British countryside often leaves you with numerous questions and no means of finding the answers in one, readily accessible place. This new encyclopedia by Richard Muir contains almost 1,000 entries which provide explanations of terms, features and concepts connected with the history and archaeology of the landscape. Short definitions and descriptions are joined by longer discussions of themes, concepts and approaches such as the origins of the village green, the parish, milestones, and the meaning of words Dalloch, souterrain and watergate. A useful aid for those investigating the landscape and a handy reference for those who seek a more informed landscape experience.

Since 1972 UNESCO has been compiling a list of World Heritage sites, worthy of protection and conservation for the long-term. Written by someone who has been involved with the selection of sites for UNESCO, this book presents a personal insight into the process and what inspires and guides the decision-making of its members. Peter Fowler examines the idea of a `cultural landscape', how it is defined and why some landscapes are important and others less so. Guiding the reader through some of the cultural landscapes designated as a World Heritage Site, he also reveals some of the politics involved, the rivalry between areas seeking protection and the contentious issues that arise. Including Mount Athos in Greece, Tikal National Park in Guatemala, Kakadu National Park in Australia, the Isles of Scilly and Hadrian's Wall, it will be a thoroughly interesting and engaging book for anyone interested in the preservation of our cultural heritage worldwide.

Funded by English Heritage, the Humber Wetlands Project (1992-2000) sought to identify, survey and study the archaeology of an extensive wetland area of the Humber basin lowlands. This book draws on the findings of that project, placing them within the context of other research carried out in the area and evidence from other regions. The well-preserved archaeological remains document the occupation and exploitation of the area over thousands of years and, in this book, Robert Van de Noort traces how human use and perceptions of the wetlands has changed over the last 10,000 years. What he reveals is that the area has been exploited as a locale for settlement, for its natural resources, its waterways and its role as a spiritual place associated with ancestor cults, since prehistory. The archaeological evidence pointed to profound changes in the use and perception of the wetlands with the arrival of the Romans and with perhaps a retreat to higher ground during the medieval period in response to sea-level changes.

The Peak District has been inhabited by humans for tens of thousands of years, beginning the process that irreperably changed the shape of the landscape. This volume focuses on this relationship between human settlers and farmers and the landscape showing how both have been affected by the other. Following a brief examination of the earliest evidence for hunter-gatherers, principally stone artefacts and cave sites, the authors focus on the activity that, more than anything else, has shaped the landscape that we see today, agriculture. The study searches for evidence of the earliest farmers in the remains of fields, structures, sacred monuments and burials, including over 500 barrows. The authors trace fluctuations in farmers' fortunes, especially during the Iron Age when the climate changed for the worse. Supported by maps, photographs and illustrations, the book discusses the impact of hillforts and the Romans, the increase in mining, Christian monuments, the creation of villages, the uses of woodland, common ground and enclosed areas, the introduction of turnpike roads and the industrial monuments of the 18th and 19th centuries. This is more of a chronological survey than an in-depth study of the Peak District although the narrative is informative if rather impersonal.

The oak tree has long provided people in Britain with a wonderful natural resource. In this book the authors reclaim the disappearing forestry and carpentry skills of our ancestors and show how, in an era of climate change, oak can continue to enrich our future as a key element in an ecologically rich countryside'. This book explores how people managed and exploited oakwoods since Neolithic times, and the skills required in the use of timbers for ship-building, furniture and constructing houses. The appendix contains a list of historic and named oak trees in Britain compiled from 18th and 19th century sources and drawing on the work of N D G James.

During the Agricultural Revolution, the landowners of Britain constructed an enormous range of picturesque or classical buildings on their farms, inspired by Enlightenment ideals. These model farms, a phenomenan unique to Britain, are a significant yet largely undiscovered aspect of our heritage. This book is richly illustrated with interior and exterior photographs, most of them specially commissioned, as well as plans, paintings and historic photographs. It examines the architecture and landscape context of the farmsteads themselves and considers the motives of the people who built them, drawing on the first comprehensive national survey of model farms, recently completed by English Heritage.