The Draining of the Somerset Levels
The Draining of the Somerset Levels

Author: Michael Williams

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1970-04

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 052107486X

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This is a detailed study of how the Somerset Levels, originally a large tract of marsh, were drained and reclaimed to becomes one of the most agriculturally productive areas of south-west England. The story of the draining of this region brings to light significant comparisons and contrasts with other reclaimed lowlands and extends our knowledge of one of the processes by which the British landscape has changed. This is an important book, which brings together information on an area that has until now received very little attention; it also shows just how early massive reclamation began. It will be of interest to both geographers and historians.

Land Drainage and Irrigation
Land Drainage and Irrigation

Author: Salvatore Ciriacono

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1351923633

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Man’s control over the elements of land and water for the purposes of agriculture was fundamental to the development of civilisations in the past, and remains so today. This volume deals with the processes of irrigation, and land drainage and reclamation, and illustrates the variety of technological and engineering solutions in a wide chronological and geographical perspective. The sophistication of many pre-modern systems is clear, as is the impact of modern technologies. Important points that emerge are that there was no steady or linear progression in techniques across time - instances of the transfer of ideas are balanced by cases of independent development - and that the correlations between irrigation systems and social structures demand more complex explanations than often proposed.

Interpreting the Landscape
Interpreting the Landscape

Author: Michael Aston

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-09-11

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 113474630X

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Most places in Britain have had a local history written about them. Up until this century these histories have addressed more parochial issues, such as the life of the manor, rather than explaining the features and changes in the landscape in a factual manner. Much of what is visible today in Britain's landscape is the result of a chain of social and natural processes, and can be interpreted through fieldwork as well as from old maps and documents. Michael Aston uses a wide range of source material to study the complex and dynamic history of the countryside, illustrating his points with aerial photographs, maps, plans and charts. He shows how to understand the surviving remains as well as offering his own explanations for how our landscape has evolved.

The English Medieval Landscape
The English Medieval Landscape

Author: Leonard Cantor

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-12-01

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 100036867X

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First published in 1982, The English Medieval Landscape was written to recreate and analyse the development of the major elements of the medieval landscape. Illustrated with maps and photographs, the book explores the nature of the English landscape between 1066 and 1485, from farms and chases to castles, monastic settlements, villages, roads, and more. The English Medieval Landscape will appeal to those with an interest in medieval history and British social history.

Following the Water
Following the Water

Author: Kylie Carman-Brown

Publisher: ANU Press

Published: 2019-10-18

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 1760462853

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Water reflects culture. This book is a detailed analysis of hydrological change in Australia’s largest inland waterway in Australia, the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, in the first 70 years of white settlement. Following air, water is our primal need. Unlike many histories, this book looks at the entire hydrological cycle in one place, rather than focusing on one bit. Deftly weaving threads from history, hydrology and psychology into one, Following the Water explores not just what settlers did to the waterscape, but probes their motivation for doing so. By combining unlikely elements together such as swamp drainage, water proofing techniques and temperance lobbying, the book reveals a web of perceptions about how water ‘should be’. With this laid clear, we can ask how different we are from our colonial forebears.

Wessex: A Landscape History
Wessex: A Landscape History

Author: Hadrian Cook

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd

Published: 2024-04-04

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 1803275367

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Wessex is famous for its coasts, heaths, woodlands, chalk downland, limestone hills and gorges, settlements and farmed vales. This book provides an account of the physical form, development and operation of its landscape as it was shaped by our ancestors. Major themes include the development of agriculture, settlements, industry and transport.

Southern England
Southern England

Author: R. A. Otter

Publisher: Thomas Telford

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9780727719713

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This guide covers from Cornwall to Kent, including Somerset and parts of Wiltshire and Surrey. It provides an informative look at some of the internationally renowned examples of historic development and engineering skills throughout southern England, including such examples as: Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse.