Nottinghamshire County Records

Generation after generation has come up with new forms of punishment to inflict on those guilty (and sometimes innocent) of crimes against property and person. From the stocks and pillory, to flogging, ducking and transportation to foreign lands, this volume brings to life those turbulent times of long ago. Even after suffering the ultimate in punishments — death — the bodies of the convicted could still be punished. Stories of dissection, when the body of the deceased criminal was publicly carved up, or gibbeting, when the corpse would be coated in tar and canvass and displayed in an iron frame on a pole 30ft high, are gruesome in the extreme. Pity poor John Spencer, whose rotting remains were gibbeted for over sixty years until the cage was finally blown down in a storm. Richly illustrated, this book provides a fascinating glimpse into the dark world of punishments through the centuries and will appeal to all those wishing to discover more about Nottinghamshire's intriguing past.

The last comprehensive review of Nottinghamshire's birds was produced more than four decades ago. Much has changed since then, and a new avifauna is long overdue. This book draws together historic reports from the nineteenth century, records from the files of the county bird club (Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers), and data from national and regional surveys and monitoring programmes. The resulting account presents an overview of the present state of the county's birdlife, set against a context of environmental and climatic change. The gravel pits in the Trent and Idle Valleys form major corridors for birds moving across Britain and Nottinghamshire has attracted more than its share of national rarities. These include Britain's first Egyptian Nightjar and Lesser Yellowlegs in the nineteenth century, Bufflehead, Redhead, Cedar Waxwing and breeding Black-winged Stilts in the twentieth century, and a memorable nesting attempt by European Bee-eaters in 2017. The woods and heaths of Sherwood lying in the middle of the county also provide a haven for an array of iconic species including European Nightjar, Eurasian Woodcock, Honeybuzzard and Hawfinch. This book describes the past and present status of the 334 species that have been recorded in Nottinghamshire up to 2018. Lavishly illustrated with photographs taken within the county, and sketches from the internationally recognised artist Michael Warren, it is intended to be an authoritative reference to the birds of Nottinghamshire.