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Over 100 of the 160 buildings in the care of the Landmark Trust to be photo- graphed by one of the most celebrated leading photographers. Each is a gem, delicately restored and furnished to retain the aura of age and in many cases the eccentricity of its origins. ... Read more

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This is the updated standard history of one of the greatest royal palaces. Founded as a formidable fortress beside the River Thames in 1070, the centuries have brought memories as varied as enriching. In 1110 King Henry I holds his court 'for the first time at the New Windsor'. In 1348 King Edward III founds the Order of the Garter. Here, in what before long is to become 'Shakespeare's Windsor' of ditch and mead and midnight bell, Queen Elizabeth I celebrates the first Christmas of her reign. With Cromwell's troops ousted, King Charles II's nephew, Prince Rupert Count Palatine, returns to take possession of the castle that Pepys finds 'the most romantique in the world'. Queen Anne receives the news of the victory of Blenheim in 1704 as she sits in her oriel, 'the Blenheim Tower'. In 1778 George III begins the restoration and conversion. Workmen find the embalmed body and severed head of King Charles I as they excavate the new royal vault in St George's Chapel. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spend their honeymoon here.Queen Elizabeth II holds her first installation service in St George's Chapel in 1954, and in the splendid procession walks the newly invested Knight of the Garter, Sir Winston Churchill. So the story goes on to the present day. ... Read more

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King John's Castle, Limerick, survives today as an impressive Anglo-Norman fortress in a commanding position along the eastern edge of the river Shannon. In the early months of 1642, when the Munster army of the Irish rebellion was admitted to Limerick, the Protestant and Anglo-Irish citizenry fled to the king's castle for protection, and were immediately besieged. To breach the masonry the besiegers used miners to make tunnels for the placing of timber props, ready for firing, underneath the foundations. The castle's defenders reacted by opening countermines to intercept the encroaching mines, hoping to save the walls from ruin. Substantial evidence for this 'military mining,' unusually, has survived to yield their secrets to today's archaeologists and military historians, providing a fascinating record of the exceptional events of the siege. Kenneth Wiggins brings together detailed documentary sources and unique archaeological discoveries in an expert assessment of the siege, embracing the drama central to the story while highlighting technology and strategies characteristic of 'underground' siege warfare'.KENNETH WIGGINS is an archaeologist based in Limerick; his master's thesis, undertaken at University College, Cork, was on the subject of military mining. ... Read more

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Almost like being there
Based on extensive excavations in the 1980s and 1990s, this is a vivid reconstruction of a medieval siege. More than that, it relates the special problems involved when siege warfare involves the digging of mines underneath castle walls in an attempt to bring them down.In this example, the Irish rebels sought (eventually with success) to undermine the castle walls while the English defenders dug numerous counter-mines in an attempt to stop the besieging miners.Wiggins demonstrates with photos, clear diagrams, and vivid text what the excavation record today tells us of these military methods of more than four centuries ago. We learn that even a siege of mere weeks, such as this one, usually cost many lives. He shows how military engineers relied on the available technology of the time (siege miners were often miners in real life and used the same techniques) as each side sought to bring the siege to a successful conclusion---naturally differing on what that meant!

When I last visited Ireland in 1990, none of this excavation work had been done. You could only see the outside walls of the castle by the river, and could not get inside.The work described here was done as part of a long process of clearing modern buildings to make the Limerick castle an educational tourist site. Based on this volume, I very much want to go back and see the remains of the siege mines and counter-mines which only rarely survive into modern times. After reading this interesting study, you will want to go see the site as well. ... Read more

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A survey of the castles of Britain. ... Read more

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This revised edition of an established reference work aims to bring to life every aspect of castles and castle life - why and how they were built, the weapons that were used in them, their social life in ordinary and extraordinary times, their provisioning, their maintenance and their changing role in a changing political climate. The 17 thematic chapters are followed by a gazetteer which describes in detail over a thousand castles. The illustrations comprise plans, photographs, vignettes and drawings of sieges, weaponry, architectural details and complete buildings. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1885 in a limited edition of 200 copies, for the purpose of presenting, in an accessible and attractive form, views of the numerous beautiful inhabited Castles and Mansions which adorn Ayrshire. The Plates were prepared specially for the Work by Messrs ANNAN, Glasgow. The Letterpress was drawn up under the editorial care of A. H. MILLAR, F.S.A.Scot., and embraces much interesting historical information. In most instances the descriptions have been revised by the Owners of the Mansions, and a few of them have been entirely written by them. Some changes have been made in this edition. The overall page size is now considerably smaller. The complete text has been re-set. In the original, the text was sometimes spread over two pages. In this edition, the print has been reduced in size, where necessary, to allow all the text to be read without turning the page, on the left-hand page, facing the photograph. The photographs are reproduced in the original size. In the original, the photographs were arranged to view at right-angles to the page. In this edition, the photographs are turned to a normal position. Two photographs were used for Woodside.Both are included in this edition. ... Read more

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Lost Ayrshire, Present Ayrshire
A reprint of a book over 100 years old.Shows photos ofAyrshirein the most comprehensive treatment I have seen.Architectural emphasis with history of each place.Many gone with time.The rest allow you to plan a great historical tour of Ayrshire.This is beyond the average tourist and is most useful to those seeking family roots and locals interested in a day trip.If you or your family is from Ayrshire, I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

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This volume presents the results of a systematic study of the ruins of the large Roman courtyard villa at Castle Copse, located near the village of Great Bedwyn, in southwest England. These efforts have shed light not only on the history of the villa itself, but also on the shifting focus of power over the course of a millennium at the sites associated with Castle Copse in the immediate region -- the Iron Age hillfort of Chisbury, a post-Roman settlement, and a Saxon village destined to become an urban center.

In addition to a complete survey of the site, its topography, geology, hydrology, and stratigraphy, this book includes studies of the architecture, mosaics, wall painting, and numerous artifacts and animal remains found at the site. There are also overviews of the history and geography of the region around the site, twelve technical appendixes, and hundreds of detailed illustrations.

Customer Reviews (1)

The romana britishvilla at castle copsegreat bedwyn
A great book, but a little to heavy reading for me, Would suit a budding archeologist, which is exactly what i did with it once i read it.
I passed it over to a friend who is studying archeology at uni.He was over the moon with it.

Iknow this villa quite well, so that is why i bought it, A good read..if you are studying archeology. ... Read more

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From their earliest inception as places to withstand attack, to their heyday as grim reminders of an occupying power, castles and strongholds attest both to our insecurities and to our rapacious need for conquest. The author examines their development - as homes and at war, their building and their demolition - from neolithic strongholds to the "folie de grandeurs" of the last century. In between comes a voyage from Iron Age hill-forts and Roman defences, Saxon strongholds and the Norman invasion to the perfection of castle design in the Middle Ages. ... Read more