The period covered by this book, first published in 1987, was an important one for the rural landscape in England. The author describes and analyses the evolution of the countryside during the years which witnessed the gradual disappearance of the medieval landscape and the introduction of new farming methods and industrial techniques, thus laying the foundation for the radical changes that were to transform the English countryside in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The main features of the countryside are dealt with fully and examples are given of their remains which can still be identified in the landscape today.
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. The English Countryside in 1400 2. Sheep or Men? The Cultivated Landscape in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries 3. Agricultural Improvement: The Cultivated Landscape in the Seventeenth Century 4. Settlements and Buildings in the Countryside 5. Woodland: Forests, Chases, Parks and Gardens 6. Industries in the Countryside 7. Roads and Rivers: Movement in the Landscape 8. The English Countryside in 1700; Further Reading and References; Index
Biography
Leonard Cantor
