Beyond the Medieval Village: The Diversification of Landscape Character in Southern Britain

Description

The varied character of Britain's countryside provides communities with a strong sense of local identity. One of the most significant features of the landscape in Southern Britain is the way that its character differs from region to region, with compact villages in the Midlands contrasting with the sprawling hamlets of East Anglia and isolated farmsteads of Devon. Even more remarkable is the very 'English' feel of the landscape in southern Pembrokeshire, in the far south west of Wales. Hoskins described the English landscape as 'the richest historical record we possess', and in this volume Stephen Rippon explores the origins of regional variations in landscape character, arguing that while some landscapes date back to the centuries either side of the Norman Conquest, other areas across southern Britain underwent a profound change around the 8th century AD. Contents List of Illustrations List of Tables 1. Introduction: Beyond Villages and Common Fields 2. At the Margins of the Champion Countryside: The Emergence of Villages and Common Fields in Somerset 3. Abbots, Bishops, Thegns, or Communities: Who was Responsible for Somerset’s Champion Countryside? 4. Across the Watershed: The Development of Landscapes Characterized by Dispersed Settlement in the South-West 5. Champion and Woodland? Landscape Evolution beyond the Central Zone in Greater East Anglia 6. Marching On? The Development of Villages and Common Fields in South Wales 7. Discussion and Conclusions References Index A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z