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Taunton’s history goes back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it was an important burh and the site of a monastery. The manor was owned by the bishops of Winchester and in the thirteenth century the borough of Taunton became the county town of Somerset. The town and its castle were fought over in the Civil War, changing hands several times, and it was also in Taunton that the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself king in his rebellion in 1685. Judge Jeffreys held a session of the Bloody Assizes in Taunton Castle following the crushing of the rebellion. Taunton entered a period of prosperity in the Georgian era, boosted in the next century by the arrival of the canal system and the railways. Industry came into the town, mainly along the river. Housing increased, and so did the need for infrastructure and the Shire Hall, courts, churches, hospitals, schools and leisure facilities were built, including today’s Brewhouse Theatre and County Cricket Ground. Taunton was granted the status of a Garden Town in 2017 and plans are evolving to extend its housing and develop its spaces into a town fit for the twenty-first century.
Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Taunton has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.
Taunton is the county town of Somerset. It has its origins in the Saxon period and was a prime location in the Civil War and during the Monmouth Rebellion. Much development took place in the Georgian era when many of the ancient buildings were refaced in the new style, reflecting a time of prosperity. With the development of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, and the arrival of the railways, industry came into the town. As housing increased, so did the need for the infrastructure associated with a county town, and the Shire Hall, courts, hospitals, churches, schools and leisure buildings such as the Brewhouse Theatre and County Cricket Ground were developed. In 2017 Taunton was granted the status of a Garden Town by the government, with plans to develop new housing areas and spaces fit for a twenty-first-century town.
Taunton in 50 Buildings explores the history of the county town of Somerset 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 Taunton or who have an interest in the area.
£15.99
Tetbury Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Tetbury, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this town throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of this town's history. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of this beautiful town, as Lynne Cleaver guides us through the streets of Tetbury. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in the area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting this town for the first time. Tetbury Through Time also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.
£7.50
The development of the Tetbury that we are so familiar with today was closely associated with the wool trade, which enabled many of the buildings to be rebuilt in the most modern styles, to reflect the fortunes of the tradesmen. The outlying areas, on the other hand, were predominantly agricultural, and the work of the labourers was dependent on the seasons just as the Tetbury men were dependent on the woollen trade.In addition to Tetbury, the parishes of Ashley, Long Newnton, Beverston, Kingscote, Newington Bagpath, Ozleworth, Didmarton, Oldbury on the Hill, Lasborough, Westonbirt, Boxwell, Shipton Moyne, Cherington and Avening are all looked at in turn. Take a tour of Tetbury and District through this collection of photographs, old and new, and discover some beautiful and remote areas in this quintessential Cotswold location.
£7.50
In Cheltenham Through Time, authors Roger Beacham and Lynne Cleaver show some of the different sides of this Spa town, where along with the Regency splendour is a much poorer side often hidden in other volumes. The historical photographs are mainly taken from a newspaper publication, the Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic, published weekly between 1901 and April 1942 when the wartime shortage of paper forced it to cease. The stories behind the images bring to life some of the everyday places and scenes we take for granted as we go about the town. Through the pages of this book the reader is invited to observe Cheltenham as it is today and using old photographs marvel at the many changes that have transformed the area through time, making it essential reading for anyone who is familiar with this jewel of the Cotswolds.
£14.99
Cheltenham History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this Regency spa town. Local authors Roger Beacham and Lynne Cleaver guide us through the streets and alleyways, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they’ve changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Cheltenham.
£7.99
The coastal Somerset town of Minehead is situated on the Bristol Channel and on the edge of Exmoor National Park. Originally an important port in the Middle Ages, trade gradually moved to larger ports, but from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it developed as a coastal resort, including a Butlin’s holiday camp in 1962. Its attractions for visitors today also include the South West Coastal Path National Trail, which starts in the town, and the West Somerset Railway, a heritage steam railway that has its terminus on the seafront.
A–Z of Minehead & Dunster delves into the history of this Somerset town. It highlights well-known landmarks, famous residents and digs beneath the surface to uncover some of the lesser-known facts about Minehead and Dunster and their hidden gems. Significant moments in its history are covered as well as its notable buildings, many of which are listed, and other features associated with the towns throughout their history, not least the hobby horse tradition that takes to the streets at the beginning of every May.
This fascinating A–Z tour of Minehead and Dunster’s history is fully illustrated throughout and will appeal to all those with an interest in this part of Somerset.
£15.99
The Somerset town of Bridgwater was an important port on the River Parrett in the Middle Ages, linked inland during the Industrial Revolution with the construction of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. Bridgwater became the main manufacturing town in Somerset, including shipbuilding, iron foundries and the manufacture of clay tiles and bricks and cellophane. Although these industries have declined in the later twentieth century, it is still a major industrial centre with a diverse cultural life, including an arts centre, music festivals, its Guy Fawkes Carnival and the second biggest fair in the country.
In A–Z of Bridgwater author Lynne Cleaver delves into the history of the town, highlighting well-known landmarks, events and famous residents, such as Admiral Robert Blake’s birthplace, the Somerset Brick and Tile Museum and the historic port and quayside and the Battle of Sedgemoor fought on the Somerset Levels outside the town, as well as digging beneath the surface to uncover some of the lesser-known facts about Bridgwater and its hidden places of interest. This fascinating A–Z tour of Bridgwater’s history is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this Somerset town.
£15.99
