Travel guides: museums, historic sites Books

Book SynopsisA visitor’s guide to Midsomer, pinpointing the most popular real-world locations used for filming the series. ‘Midsomer Murders’ was an immediate success from its very first episode ‘The Killing at Badger's Drift’, aired in 1997. With this guide, fans of the show can pinpoint the most popular locations used for filming the series, including familiar pubs, churches, villages and countryside that are open for visits. The guide features: ·Famous pubs such as The Lions at Bledlow, which has been five different pubs in its Midsomer lifetime, and The Crown in Sydenham, which can claim at least three. ·Villages clustered around the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border – Turville, Hambleden, Fingest, Haddenham and Long Crendon, all favourite backdrops in the show. ·Grand country houses including the Mapledurham Estate, Chenies Manor House and Dorney Court, all open to the public. ·Ancient churches to admire, quite often the scene of grisly goings on in the vestry. ·Short profiles on the two DCI Barnabys, John Nettles and Neil Dudegon, along with the five Detective Sergeants and Sykes the dog. With all episodes available on BritBox, fans of the show can watch old episodes with the Midsomer Murders Location Guide in hand and spot exactly where Inspector Barnaby brings the sometimes unlikely villains to book.

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Book SynopsisCapturing the world of Tommy Shelby and his racketeering gang in over 20 locations. ‘Peaky Blinders’ is set in the heartland of Britain's industrial revolution, the West Midlands. But to perfectly capture the world of Tommy Shelby and his gang, the producers have used locations right across Britain. This illustrated guide reveals over 20 locations, along with episode references, so viewers can check out exactly which stations, mills, factories and grand house were featured on screen. Locations include: • The Black Country Living Museum: Situated on the canal in Dudley and open all year round to the public, this museum shows West Midlands’ industrial heritage. • Manchester’s impressive 1877 town hall: Used when Sam Neill’s character meets Churchill; while the city’s Grade II-listed Edwardian swimming pool, the Victoria Baths, was mocked up for a horse fair. • Port Sunlight: A model industrial village on the Wirral that has been preserved thanks to its single ownership and strict leaseholds, which sets the backdrop for Aunt Polly’s Sutton Coldfield House. • Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire, which once served mills and villages in the Worth valley is used as one of the locations for the Blinder’s many train station scenes.

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Book SynopsisFor popular-culture vultures, there really is no better guide to Britain’s best TV and film locations than On Location. With their historical charm, scenic beauty and diverse cities, the United Kingdom and Ireland have proved to be popular backdrops for film and TV directors over the decades. Whether it be the period piece Bridgerton, the gritty drama Game of Thrones, the adrenaline-fuelled Mission: Impossible series or the sci-fi trailblazer Doctor Who, the UK and Ireland have been on hand to lend buildings, countryside and natural features to some of the most gripping on-screen moments. On Location presents some of the finest destinations around the British Isles to appear in cinema and on TV, and details exactly how you can go about visiting them. Attractions range from London’s bustling city centre, home to many James Bond movies, to secluded stately homes that have hosted elaborate productions of Pride and Prejudice, and offbeat urban buildings featured in well-loved shows such as Only Fools and Horses and The Young Ones. Featuring over 100 TV shows and blockbuster films, this guidebook is sure to keep even the most obsessive film buff occupied for years.Table of ContentsIntroduction SOUTH ENGLAND The Jurassic Coast Bletchley Park Tilbury Fort Chartwell Warner Bros. Studio Tour Eltham Palace Beaulieu The Friars – Aylesford Priory London: Tower Bridge London: St Paul’s Cathedral London: The Savoy London: The Royal Courts of Justice London: Natural History Museum London: The Cinema Museum London: Notting Hill London: The British Museum London: Westminster The London Underground James Bond’s London Oxford The Historic Dockyard Chatham SOUTH-WEST Cornwall’s Mining Landscape Antony Greenway Tyntesfield Bristol Bath The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum MIDLANDS Chatsworth House Sutton Scarsdale Hall Lincoln Cathedral Kedleston Hall Packwood House Lyme Park Quarry Bank Mill Cleethorpes NORTH ENGLAND Derwent Valley Liverpool Whitby Morecambe Ribblehead Viaduct Tan Hill Inn Carnforth Station North York Moors Railway Whitley Bay Alnwick Castle Sycamore Gap Cragside Timperley Durham Cathedral York The Lake District Ulverston: The Laurel and Hardy Museum Beamish: The Living Museum of the North Blackpool Sheffield WALES Bodnant Garden Portmeirion Henrhyd Falls Dyffryn Gardens Barry Dunraven Bay Freshwater Bay Cardiff SCOTLAND Tobermory Edinburgh Glenfinnan Viaduct Dumfries and Galloway Dunnottar Castle St Andrews Glasgow The Outer Hebrides Shetland Eilean Donan Castle NORTHERN IRELAND Derry The Giant’s Causeway The Dark Hedges Game of Thrones Studio Tour Castle Ward Belfast IRELAND Trinity College, Dublin Kilmainham Gaol Dublin Skellig Michael Film List by Region Image Credits Index

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Book SynopsisA guide to the 101 most fascinating, awe-inspiring, record-breaking attractions that Britain has to offer. A must-read for any thrill seeker!

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Book SynopsisSimon Jenkins has travelled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Organised by county, each church is described - often with delightful asides - and given a star-rating from one to five. All of the county sections are prefaced by a map locating each church, and lavishly illustrated with colour photos from the Country Life archive. Jenkins contends that these churches house a gallery of vernacular art without equal in the world. Here, he brings that museum to public attention.

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Book SynopsisFrom Dublin Castle to the great fortifications of Trim, from Grace O'Malley's Rockfleet to Red Hugh O'Donnell's Donegal Castle, Castles of Ireland visit over sixty intriguing and dramatic castles. Each has a fascinating and individual story to tell.

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Book SynopsisCreating the V&A tells the definitive story of the formative years of London’s world-renowned Victoria and Albert Museum and the gathering of its early collections in the decade between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the death of Prince Albert in 1861.The story of the V&A’s genesis is often centred on the first director and first curator (Henry Cole and J. C. Robinson), and their competing agendas for design reform and connoisseurship. And yet there is an untold story of how the young royal couple for whom it is named were highly instrumental in the establishment of the museum, as public supporters and large-scale lenders before a permanent collection was in place. The book is also full of fascinating and colourful stories of the strategies deployed to harvest treasures on the market as the young museum sought to fill its rapidly expanding buildings and compete with the British Museum and the Crystal Palace.For anyone interested in the history of collecting and curating, and for all fans of this legendary London museum, Creating the V&A explains how the foundational collections established parameters which still inform the museum’s collecting policies, role and identity today.Table of ContentsForeword; PART I: A Teaching Collection, 1837–51; Introduction: Aims and Claims; Somerset House: The School of Design Collection; The Crystal Palace: Shopping at the Great Exhibition in 1851; PART II: International Collections, 1852–7; Marlborough House: A ‘Museum of Ornamental Manufactures’; Royal Collectors, Lenders, Donors, and the Planning of ‘Albertopolis’; Hunting for ‘Art Treasures’; The Gherardini Collection of Italian Renaissance Sculpture; The Soulages Collection; The Bernal and the Gigli–Campana Collections; Architectural Sculpture; Furniture and Paintings; Shopping in Paris: the Soltykoff Collection; Collecting the Contemporary; A Royal Opening, 20 June 1857; PART III: Displays and Debates, 1857–61; A Visit to the ‘Omnium-Gatherum’; Exhibiting Photography; The South Kensington Museum on Trial; ‘The Royal Albert Museum’; Appendices; Select Bibliography; Notes; Acknowledgements; Index

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Book SynopsisThe transformation of museums from the 'dreary, dusty places' they used to be to places that people want to be in, alongside objects they want to be near and ideas they want to understand and then share has been extraordinary. During the last twenty-five years, millions of pounds have been poured into our national museums in the UK: as a result, they are certainly brighter and fuller. It is against this background that Dinah Casson has opened the service entrance of the museum a little. This book is not an explanation of what an exhibition designer does or how to do it. Instead, by means of a series of essays punctuated with comments from collaborators and visitors, it explores exhibition design and alerts the visitor's eye to this invisible craft. It explores questions such as: why are most paintings in carved, gilded frames, regardless of artist, period or subject matter? Why do so few contemporary art galleries have windows? If a label text irritates us, what should it say instead? Why do facsimiles make some people so uncomfortable? Why do we keep all this stuff? What is it that visitors want from our museums? In doing so, it offers enjoyable insights, which will add depth to our future visits through the front door (which is usually closed on Mondays) and will make us question what is shown, why it's shown where (and how) it is, what's written about it and how the interaction between museums and their designers has encouraged each to change.Trade Review'fascinating...this illuminating and wide-ranging book should appeal to anyone who enjoys going to museums and galleries.' - Pamela Buxton, RIBA Journal'Sometimes, though all too rarely, a book offers such clarity that you have to pinch yourself. Dinah Casson’s is one such and the happy conjunction of great experience and an acute power of observation... The book is a fascinating exercise in looking below the surface, and ‘behind the scenes’ in museums and art galleries. She leaves no stone unturned, examining the overlooked and underestimated aspects within exhibition spaces to challenge many of the shibboleths of the business.' – SPAB magazineTable of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1: Windows; Chapter 2: Frames; Chapter 3: Coat Check; Chapter 4: Facsimiles; Chapter 5: Texts; Chapter 6: Collections; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisEvery year, some 200,000 people set out on the world's most famous pilgrimage route - 'the Camino', designated a World Heritage Site in 1993. Actually a network of paths with numerous starting places in France and throughout Europe, all routes converge to lead along Spain's northern coast to Santiago de Compostela. Here the shrine of St James, the patron saint of pilgrimage, was discovered in the 9th century. Already the preferred guide for German and Spanish pilgrims, this new English edition is co-published with the Confraternity of St James, the UK's leading organisation for promoting pilgrimage to Santiago. A mix of practical information and spiritual inspiration for walkers, it offers a stage-by-stage guide pointing out places of interest along the way; practical tips for walkers; prayers, blessings and spiritual exercises to nourish the pilgrim spirit and deepen the pilgrimage experience. It is illustrated throughout with maps and photographs, and conveniently pocket sized.

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Book SynopsisPaul Reed's latest battlefield walking guide covers the site of the largest amphibious invasion of all time, the first step in the Allied liberation of France and the rest of northwest Europe. The places associated with the landings on the Normandy coast on 6 June 1944 are among the most memorable that a battlefield visitor can explore. They give a fascinating insight into the scale and complexity of the Allied undertaking and the extent of the German defences - and into the critical episodes in the fighting that determined whether the Allies would gain a foothold or be thrown back into the sea. All the most important sites are featured, from Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery, Ouistrehem and Longues Battery to Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah Beaches, Pointe du Hoc and Sainte-Mere-Eglise. There are twelve walks, and each one is prefaced by a historical section describing in vivid detail what happened in each location and what remains to be seen. Information on the many battlefield monuments and the military cemeteries is included, and there are over 120 illustrations. Walking D-Day introduces the visitor not only to the places where the Allies landed and first clashed with the Germans defenders but to the Normandy landscape over which the critical battles that decided the course of the war were fought.

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Book SynopsisOne of Scotland’s finest late-medieval strongholds, Doune Castle stands high on a promontory between the River Teith and the Ardoch Burn in Perthshire. It is a testament to the power of one nobleman, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. He was known as Scotland’s ‘uncrowned king’, and the castle was one of his main residences in the late 1300s. For a long time Albany has been credited with the complete construction of the castle, making Doune a remarkable example of a medieval fortress built as one man’s vision. However, fresh research is casting new light on Doune Castle, suggesting a much more complex history dating back to the century before Albany and beyond.

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Book SynopsisThe tiny island of Iona has been a vibrant centre of Christian worship since Columba arrived in AD 563. His monastery thrived for centuries, despite repeated Viking raids beginning in 795. Around 1200, the abbey and nunnery were founded, introducing new forms of worship and new buildings, while still welcoming pilgrims to St Columba’s shrine. Even after the Protestant Reformation of 1560 brought an end to Scotland’s monasteries, Iona served briefly as a Cathedral of the Isles. Restoration of the buildings began in 1899, and in 1938 the Iona Community was formed, revitalising the abbey’s spiritual role. This unique site bears witness to a long history of religious practice that still flourishes today.

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Book SynopsisHistoric Scotland is part of Historic Environment Scotland, the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland's historic environment.

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Book SynopsisSince its foundation in 1860, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History’s world-renowned collections have become a key centre for scientific study and its much-loved building an important icon for visitors from around the world. The museum now holds over seven million scientific specimens including five million insects, half a million fossil specimens and half a million zoological specimens. It also holds an extensive collection of archival material relating to important naturalists such as Charles Darwin, William Smith, William Jones and James Charles Dale. This lavishly illustrated book features highlights from the collections ranging from the iconic Dodo (the only soft tissue specimen of the species in existence) and the giant tuna (brought back from Madeira on a perilous sea crossing in 1846) to crabs collected by Darwin during his voyage on the Beagle, David Livingstone’s tsetse fly specimens and Mary Anning’s ichthyosaur. Also featured are the first described dinosaur bones, found in a small Oxfordshire village, the Red Lady of Paviland (who was in fact a man who lived 29,000 years ago) and a meteorite from the planet Mars. Each item tells a unique story about natural history, about the history of science, about collecting, or about the museum itself. They give a unique insight into the extraordinary wealth of information and the fascinating tales that can be gleaned from these collections, both from the past and for the future.

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Book SynopsisWhich are the oldest museums in the world? What is a cabinet of curiosities? Who haunts Hampton Court? What is on the FBI’s list of stolen art? 'A Museum Miscellany' celebrates the intriguing world of galleries and museums, from national institutions such as the Musée du Louvre, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to niche collections such as the Lawnmower Museum and the Museum of Barbed Wire. Here you will find a cornucopia of museum-related facts, statistics and lists, covering everything from museum ghosts, dangerous museum objects and conservation beetles to treasure troves, museum heists and the Museum of London’s fatberg. Bursting with quirky facts, intriguing statistics and legendary curators, this is the perfect gift for all those who love to visit museums and galleries.Trade Review'From national to niche, the museums herein will inspire the reader to discover their own favourite curiosities. Go and seek them out.' * The Field *'Written to celebrate the intriguing and fascinating world of museums (the Fitzwilliam is one of the many museums featured) … One for museum lovers, and perfectly sized for stockings…' * Cambridge Edition *

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Book SynopsisOxford Botanic Garden has occupied its central Oxford site next to the river Cherwell continuously since its foundation in 1621 and is the UK’s oldest botanic garden. The birthplace of botanical science in the UK, it has been a leading centre for research since the 1600s. Today, the garden holds a collection of over 5,000 different types of plant, some of which exist nowhere else and are of international conservation importance. This guide explores Oxford Botanic Garden’s many historic and innovative features, from the walled garden to the waterlily pool, the glasshouses, the rock garden, the water garden and ‘Lyra’s bench’. It also gives a detailed explanation of the medicinal and taxonomic beds and special plant collections. Lavishly illustrated with photographs taken throughout the seasons, this book not only provides a fascinating historical overview but also offers a practical guide to the Oxford Botanic Garden and its work today. Featuring a map of the entire site and a historical timeline, it is guaranteed to enhance any visit, and is also a beautiful souvenir to take home.

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Book SynopsisOxford’s university buildings are world-famous. Over eight centuries, starting in the twelfth century, the University – the third oldest in Europe – gradually occupied a substantial portion of the city, creating in the process a unique townscape containing the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre and the Radcliffe Camera. This book tells the story of the growth of the forum universitatis – as the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor called it – and relates it to the broader history of the University and the city. Based on up-to-date scholarship, and drawing upon the author’s own research into Oxford’s architectural history and the work of Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, James Gibbs and Giles Gilbert Scott, each of the eight chapters focuses on the gestation, creation and subsequent history of a single building, or pair of buildings, relating them to developments in the University’s intellectual and institutional life, and to broader themes in architectural and urban history. Accessible and well-illustrated with plans, archival prints and specially commissioned photography, this book will appeal to anyone who wishes to understand and enjoy Oxford’s matchless architectural heritage.Table of ContentsContents 1. THE UNIVERSITY CHURCH and the CONGREGATION HOUSE 2. THE DIVINITY SCHOOL and DUKE HUMFREY’S LIBRARY 3. THE SCHOOLS QUADRANGLE 4. THE SHELDONIAN THEATRE 5. THE OLD ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM 6. THE CLARENDON BUILDING 7. THE RADCLIFFE CAMERA AND RADCLIFFE SQUARE 8. THE NEW BODLEIAN AND THE WESTON LIBRARY Notes Further Reading Picture Credits Index

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Book SynopsisBuilt between 1855 and 1860, Oxford University Museum of Natural History is the extraordinary result of close collaboration between artists and scientists. Inspired by John Ruskin, the architect Benjamin Woodward and the Oxford scientists worked with leading Pre-Raphaelite artists on the design and decoration of the building. The decorative art was modelled on the Pre-Raphaelite principle of meticulous observation of nature, itself indebted to science, while individual artists designed architectural details and carved portrait statues of influential scientists. The entire structure was an experiment in using architecture and art to communicate natural history, modern science and natural theology. 'Temple of Science' sets out the history of the campaign to build the museum before taking the reader on a tour of art in the museum itself. It looks at the façade and the central court, with their beautiful natural history carvings and marble columns illustrating different geological strata, and at the pantheon of scientists. Together they form the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite sculpture. The story of one of the most remarkable collaborations between scientists and artists in European art is told here with lavish illustrations.Trade Review“In this beautifully illustrated volume, John Holmes, the leading authority on the Pre-Raphaelites and science, equally at home with the visual arts and the written word, uncovers, with élan, the history, artistry, and wider significance of this quite extraordinary Gesamtkunstwerk.” * Liz Prettejohn, University of York *

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Book SynopsisThis richly illustrated guide to the historical buildings of the Bodleian Library not only makes an attractive keepsake but is also packed with fascinating architectural details about one of the oldest libraries in Britain that has been in continuous use since the Middle Ages. Following a short introduction which tells the story of the founding of the Library by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1602, this book offers a succinct guide to the architectural styles, exquisite stone masonry and subsequent renovations of the renowned buildings of the Bodleian, situated in the heart of the University of Oxford. It also describes the involvement of famous architects such as Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor in designs and embellishments for these buildings. As well as giving the individual histories of Duke Humfrey’s Library, the Divinity School, Convocation House, the Schools Quadrangle, the Radcliffe Camera and the Clarendon Building, author Geoffrey Tyack also provides a guide to the intriguing statuary and carvings which adorn the buildings, and gives translations of the many Latin inscriptions which mark key moments in the library’s history. The 400-year narrative is brought up to date with a description of the development of the Weston Library, a state-of-the-art renovation of the New Bodleian Library, designed to house the Bodleian’s special collections in the twenty-first century.

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Book SynopsisThe University Archives was established in 1634. Based in the Bodleian Library, it is the institutional archive of Oxford University, holding records which span just over 800 years, documenting the University’s activities and decisions throughout that time. Fifty-two documents and objects from the University Archives are showcased here, telling a wide range of intriguing stories about the University. Arranged chronologically, they deal with the University’s relations with governments and monarchs; the effects of war; teaching and student behaviour; the University’s buildings and institutions; widening access to university education; and the impact it has had on the city of Oxford and its people. Also documented here are fascinating insights into the University’s erstwhile police force, a hidden time capsule, brewing licences, brawls and illicit steeplechasing. The items – all illustrated – also often unlock human stories to which we can relate today, opening a window on the individuals (from University, city, or even further afield) whose lives the University has touched, including people who would perhaps not be expected to feature in a history of Oxford University, but whose stories are preserved forever in its magnificent archives.Table of ContentsContents Introduction 1. The University returns to Oxford 2. The University and the book trade 3. Chancellor’s book 4. St Scholastica’s Day riot 5. Oxford and the Trojans 6. The Great Burglary of 1544 7. Langdon Hills, Essex 8. Thomas Bodley refounds the Library 9. ‘Strangers’ at the Bodleian Library 10. Beginnings of a copyright library 11. Selecting the Proctors 12. Laudian Statutes 13. ‘Mechanicall persons’ 14. The earliest honorary degrees 15. The Civil War 16. Keeping the city clean 17. Brewing 18. Ampthill Hospital 19. The brawl at the visit of Queen Anne 20. Religious uniformity 21. The Extraordinary Examination 22. Visit of the allied sovereigns 23. Daniel Robertson and the new press 24. The University Police 25. The coming of the railway 26. Horsing around 27. A cathedral of science 28. The first black student at Oxford 29. The ‘mischievous consequences’ of lodging houses 30. Oscar Wilde in the Chancellor’s Court 31. The problem of prostitutes 32. Working class education in North Staffordshire 33. Illicit goings on 34. Pioneer women in anthropology 35. War and the 1914 Vacation course for foreign students 36. Admission of women 37. Women and honorary degrees 38. Green lamps for undergraduates’ cars 39. Honorary degree for Albert Einstein 40. William Morris and the Nuffield Medical Benefaction 41. Appointment opportunities 42. Ashmolean fire-watching 43. War and Occupied Europe 44. University MPs 45. Oxford and West Africa 46. Town-gown reconciliation 47. Welcoming the new universities 48. The new Pitt Rivers Museum 49. Student protest 50. The Sheldonian time capsule 51. The New Bodleian Library remodelled 52. Admission of the first female Vice-Chancellor Further Reading Picture Credits Index

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Book SynopsisFirst opened in 1873, the Victoria and Albert Museum's Cast Courts were purpose built to house copies of architecture and sculpture from around the world. They contain some of the Museum's largest objects, including casts of Trajan's Column (shown in two halves) and the twelfth century Portico de la Gloria from the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. Among the Museum's most popular galleries, the Cast Courts are an extraordinary expression of Victorian taste, ambition and public spirit. Published to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Cast Courts at the V&A, this book presents a fresh perspective on the Museum's diverse collection of reproductions including plaster casts, electrotypes and photographs.

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Book SynopsisThe collections of twentieth-century paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, have developed largely through the generosity of individuals. Notable among these in the early decades of the century were Frank Hindley Smith and Mrs W F R Weldon, while since the Second World War the Museum's collections have been enriched through gifts and requests from Thomas Balston, R A P Bevan, Molly Freeman, Christopher Hewett and others. This book gives the reader a taste of the wide range of the collection, with its representative group of Camden Town and Euston Road School pictures, and important early works by Bonnard, Picasso and Matisse.

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Book SynopsisFounded by philanthropist Alice Walton and opened to the public in 2011, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art welcomes all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. This beautifully designed, fully illustrated volume celebrates the first major museum devoted to American artwork to open in the United States in half a century. Exquisite, newly commissioned photography depicts Moshe Safdie's striking and graceful architecture, nestled in a creek bed fed by a natural spring. The connections between art and landscape are made through breathtaking views and vistas of the grounds and architecture, and intimate experiences with the artwork. Highlights from the Colonial to Contemporary periods of American art include Charles Wilson Peale's 'George Washington', Asher B. Durand's 'Kindred Spirits', John Singer Sargent's 'Capri Girl on a Rooftop' and Nick Cave's 'Sound Suit', each accompanied by accessibly written interpretations by the museum's curators.

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Book SynopsisThis work provides a response to the explosion of creativity at the cutting edge of urban culture in 90s Britain. With leading names from photography, graphics, and fashion, the book accompanies the Barbican exhibition of the same title.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first in a new series of guides to the archaeology of Libya, from prehistoric times until the invasion of the Bani Hilal in AD 1051. It deals with a region which offers the visitor not only the classical splendours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Sabratha and Lepcis Magna, but also a hinterland which is rich in standing monuments of the Punic, Roman and early Islamic periods. All are described and explained in a comprehensive gazetteer, packed full of plans and photographs, and with GPS coordinates and directions for visiting. "THE guidebook to Libya's archaeology" - David Mattingly

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Book SynopsisWhere can you find a monument to an emasculated lion made from a mysterious ceramic or the figure of an 18th century radical thinker who was hounded from his home by an angry mob? London has over 300 monuments which are easily unnoticed but have fascinating tales to tell. The monument to Quintin Hogg commemorates one of the country's great philanthropists who dedicated much of his life to teaching street children and was nearly murdered several times for his efforts. The less worthy figure of George IV has a much grander monument - which is not surprising as he paid for the monument himself using public funds. The good, the bad, the courageous and the cowardly all have a permanent place on the streets of London. Using this book the reader can walk among the statuary of the capital and bring history to life, from Queen Boudicca's fight against the Romans to Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid.

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Book SynopsisLondon’s Markets is a new pocket size guide to the street markets, farmers’ markets, vintage fairs and car boot sales to be explored in the capital. The book contains detailed reviews of all the markets visited with hundreds of colour photographs and maps. Markets are always evolving and this new book captures the latest market trends from the street food revolution at markets like Street Food Union on Rupert Street to traditional local markets like Bethnal Green as well as the unique antique and vintage markets such as Bermondsey and Camden Passage. There is a renewed interest in markets as places for start-ups to begin trading and as a way of shopping ethically with less waste and packaging and nowhere is this more apparent than in the sudden plethora of specialist vegan markets that have now found a place in London’s market scene. This book captures these new trends while paying homage to some of London’s best traditional markets that still do a sterling job of serving their local communities.Table of ContentsMarkets by Area Week at a Glance Pop up Markets Vintage Fairs Car Boot Sales Farmers' Markets Market Map

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Book SynopsisWith more galleries and museums than any other city in the world (we include 156 of them), London has rightly been called the cultural capital, not just of the UK, but of the world. Wondering where to start? Then look no further - there isn’t a better way to get stuck into the dizzying array of culture on offer than with this pocket-sized companion. Every review has been catalogued by area, making exploring both your own backyard and uncharted territory all the easier and more enjoyable. You won’t want to miss these places on your travels, and with this book as your guide, there’s no excuse not to dive headfirst and get a little lost in the Museums & Galleries of London.

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Book SynopsisLondon's streets are full of all kinds of strange objects from buildings to street furniture that seem out of place or inexplicable. This book explores the stories behind the most interesting of these 'oddities' with colour photographs and area maps and in so doing reveals an unexpected and surprising history of the capital.

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Book SynopsisFor hundreds of years it was the custom in Lewis for man and beast to be housed together under one roof. The blackhouse at no. 42 Arnol is a unique and precious relic – the residence of a Hebridean crofting family, and their animals, preserved almost as the family left it when they moved out in 1966. When no. 42 Arnol was no longer occupied, the property was entrusted into State care. At that time there were a good number of Hebridean blackhouses still in use as homes; today there are none. When the last blackhouse was vacated, a way of life reaching far back into the past came to an end. The Arnol Blackhouse is now the last tangible link with that tradition. In this guide, Professor Alexander Fenton, an ethnologist who greatly expanded knowledge of Scotland’s rural heritage, evokes a form of living and working on Lewis that now lies beyond the memory of individuals.

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Book SynopsisAvebury is the largest stone circle on Earth! Silbury Hill is as old as the Great Pyramid! What is the secret geometry of the ancient stones? Was a lost science once practiced here? Packed with rare old engravings and great new research this timeless pocket guide to Europe's most extensive neolithic complex will leave you informed, intrigued and inspired! WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

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