Search results for ""Author Lorna Talbott""

The north Norfolk coastal towns of Cromer and Sheringham, roughly 4 miles apart, were both small fishing villages until their development in the nineteenth century. Cromer became a fashionable resort and the arrival of the railways spurred growth in neighbouring Sheringham. Both towns are still popular with visitors to this stretch of north Norfolk, romantically nicknamed ‘Poppyland’ by the Victorians. In this book author Lorna Talbott delves into the history of Cromer and Sheringham. Part of medieval Cromer now lies under the sea and the remains of its church became a shipping hazard in later centuries. The history of both towns is intertwined with the fishing industry, particularly for crabs, but industries such as lime burning and brick making left their mark on the local landscape and other less legal trades such as smuggling were also practised. Throughout their history sea rescue was vital to Cromer and Sheringham and many in the towns served in the often perilous work of the lifeboats. The leisure industry also grew as the towns became popular with visitors and at one time were promoted as spa towns. The Victorians built grand hotels as well as starting the caravan trade. The first pier in Cromer’s history was built in the fourteenth century and today’s pier has seen a fascinating roll call of entertainers over the years. Secret Cromer & Sheringham explores all this and more, revealing the secrets of these Norfolk towns.

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Although Birmingham’s history goes back beyond the Middle Ages, there are only a few fragments of medieval Birmingham left, some of which have been moved from their original site as the city expanded. The city expanded rapidly in the industrial age and although Birmingham has many properties from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was radically transformed by the bombing raids of the Second World War and the subsequent rejuvenation by city planners. Some 1960s and 1970s buildings like the Rotunda have become icons of the city, but in recent years much of the mid-twentieth-century building, often in concrete brutalist style, has in turn been replaced by new structures like Beetham Tower and Birmingham Library. As England’s second city, Birmingham was a major centre of manufacture, and many of the buildings still stand today. It was also the home of a significant art and architecture movement, the Arts and Crafts movement, which has left its mark on the architectural legacy of Birmingham. Birmingham in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating West Midlands metropolis through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. It uncovers the earliest churches and dwellings in the city, unique pieces of industrial architecture, the amazing heritage of Victorian religious and municipal structures, art deco cinemas, modernist high-rise blocks and iconic shopping centres. This book will appeal to all those who live in Birmingham or have an interest in the city.

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In the seventh century the Anglo-Saxons built an abbey dedicated to St Peter, where the Roman Ermine Street crossed the River Nene. The town around the abbey came to be known as St Peter’s Burgh, and is dominated today by the cathedral on the site. However, there are many other fascinating buildings in Peterborough that mark the stages of its history: the remains of a Saxon church and a Norman castle, the first purpose-built prisoner-of-war camp at nearby Norman Cross, the grandeur of sixteenth-century Milton Hall and the seventeenth-century Guildhall, the Gothic Revival architecture of Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Peterscourt, through its industrial development and being the home of engine manufacturer Perkins. Designated a new town in the 1960s, Peterborough has tripled in population over the last fifty years, and it is now one of the UK’s environment cities, a green and thriving urban area with plenty of interesting historical structures to explore. Peterborough in 50 Buildings explores the history of this city through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. This book will appeal to all those who live in Peterborough or who have an interest in the area.

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