The Illustrated History of the Countryside

by Rackham, Oliver; Mackie, Tom

• ISBN13: 9780297843351
• ISBN10: 0297843354
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-07-01
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd

Summary

THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE tells the many-layered story of the British landscape. Oliver Rackham shows, with passion and humour, how to read our surroundings; the past - even the medieval past - lives around us.Adapted from his classic work THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE this illustrated edition combines Dr Rackham's wisdom and eloquence with the finest landscape photography, vividly exposing the splendour and secrets of our countryside. At the heart of the book are eight of the author's walks within areas of natural beauty; Dr Rackham proves an engaging and informative guide to some of Britain's best loved places, as well as offering practical advice on landscape detection techniques. With over 100 colour illustrations THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE contains a wealth of knowledge invaluable to our appreciation of our greatest asset - our natural heritage.

Table of Contents

Introduction	6	(4)
Rural Detection	10	(8)
Animals and Plants	18	(12)
Woodland	30	(30)
Wood-Pasture	60	(14)
Boundaries and Fields	74	(16)
Trees of Hedgerow and Farmland	90	(12)
Highways	102	(16)
Grassland and Health	118	(24)
Moorland	142	(14)
Ponds, Dells and Pits	156	(18)
Marshes, Fens, Rivers and the Sea	174	(16)
Conservation	190	(14)
WALKS	204	(36)
I Hayley Wood, Cambridgeshire	206	(4)
II Glen Tanar, Aberdeen	210	(4)
III Hatfield Forest, Essex	214	(6)
IV Upper Swaledale, N.W. Yorkshire	220	(4)
V The Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall	224	(4)
VI Abergavenny to Blaenavon, S.E. Wales	228	(4)
VII North Downs between Guildford and Dorking, Surrey	232	(4)
VIII Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk	236	(4)
Bibliography	240	(2)
Acknowledgements	242	(1)
Index and Glossary	243	(13)
Picture Credits	256