The Lost Villages of England by Leigh Driver

Description

Britain is full of deserted, abandoned and lost villages. There are over 3,000 in England alone. Many were deserted in medieval times, for reasons ranging from death by plague to the depletion of the area's natural resources, whilst others were deserted more recently for reasons of national security. Villages such as Tyneham in Dorset, and Imber in Wiltshire, were taken over by the military in wartime, yet were never returned to their original inhabitants. Today, the desolate remains of show more these once-populated villages are all that remain to tell the stories of the inhabitants that once lived and worked there. Author Leigh Driver examines the historical writings, documents and archaeological remains that bear witness to the past, and tells the story of the demise of each lost village. Illustrated with stunning contemporary colour photographs alongside old aerial views, maps, and historical documents, these lost villages are brought back to life in this outstanding book. show less

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imyril 480 reviews

A selective survey of the traces of former habitations across the country, with fine photos and detailed notes on each one. Mixing history and archaeology, Driver sheds some light on when each site was inhabited and possibilities for why it was deserted. Sadly remains relatively dry - even as someone who studied archaeology and has dug a DMV, I found this was at best something I could dip in and out of rather than read through as there is no over-arching narrative. Inevitably a bit repetitive if read cover to cover. Makes an unusual coffee table book though.

Dec 8, 2014

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mlfhlibrarian 309 reviews