The Little History Of Somerset

More than 400 million years ago, the oldest rocks in Somerset were formed. On those rocks, a county was built over thousands of years; from prehistoric man and Roman invasion, through a Pitchfork Rebellion and two world wars to where we are today. Revolution, wassailing, Templars and alchemists – all can be found in this friendly guide to Somerset's colourful history.

Did you know? The town of Wincanton is twinned with a place that does not exist. William Gibbs of Tyntesfield House made his fortune by importing bird droppings from Peru. A song by 'Scrumpy and Western' singer Adge Cutler was banned by the BBC for being too raunchy. Nine villages in Somerset are known as the 'Thankful Villages'. From seaside to countryside and villages to towns, Somerset is a county where it's difficult to separate history and mystery. This fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and trivia reveals all sorts of answers to questions you might have wondered about – and some you didn't. The facts, stats and anecdotes will surprise even those familiar with this beautiful and historic county.

Get out in your garden and discover the history hidden in the hedges. Did the Romans have rakes? Did the monks get muddy? Did potatoes seem really, really weird when they arrived on our shores? Drawn from Jenny Uglow's own love for plants, this lively 'potted' history of gardening in Britain takes us on a garden tour from the thorn hedges around prehistoric settlements to the rage for ornamental grasses and 'outdoor rooms' today. Tracking down the ordinary folk who worked the earth - from weeding women to florists - as well as aristocrats and grand designers and famous plant-hunters, A Little History of British Gardening is brought to life by gorgeously vivid illustrations and Uglow's insightful wisdom. Not only dealing with flowery meads, grottoes and vistas, landscapes and ha-has, parks and allotments, Uglow explains, for example, how the Tudors made their curious knots; how housewives used herbs to stop freckles; how the suburbs dug for victory in World War II. With a brief guide to particular historic or evocative gardens open to the public, this is a book to put in your pocket when planning a crisp, winter's day out - but also to read in your armchair with a well-earned glass of red, after a hard day's graft in your own garden. 'Enchanting, stirringly evocative and fascinating' Daily Mail 'This book will be a joy for any gardener' Independent

No one knows for certain when Bristol was founded. What we do know is that for more than 1,000 years it has been at the centre of national and international history. From its earliest days Bristol's prosperity was linked to its port, with the importation of wine and tobacco and its involvement with the slave trade. In those days, explorers sailed from Bristol on epic voyages and discovered new lands. In more recent times its economy has been built on creative media and the aerospace industry, including the construction of Concorde, the world's first supersonic aircraft. From the Avon Gorge's formation, Iron Age settlers and Norman castle construction, to civil war, riots and bus boycotts, The Little History of Bristol is guaranteed to enthral both residents and visitors alike.

A rich, and indeed sometimes bizarre, thread of history weaves its way through the Bristol story. Find out all manner of things, from why a 'Bristol Diamond' would never be found in a jewellery shop to why local by-laws restrict carpet beating to certain hours. Along with a fresh look at city life past and present, these and many more anecdotes will surprise even those Bristolians who thought they really knew their city.

Excerpt from The History of the Parish and Manor of Wookey: Being a Contribution Towards a Future History of the County of Somerset One remark it is necessary to make on the spelling of the names of the inhabitants. In the first of the two indices, every name is placed in its proper position according to its spelling. It must not be supposed that on this account I regard the various spellings as denoting various persons. If I had stopped at some particular time, I might have come to some decision on the spelling, and made that spelling uniform through the book. But this I found to be more difficult than I cared to undertake, and especially so since we go on from our earlier notices down to the present day. I have therefore adhered to this rule, that wherever I quoted a document I gave the exact spelling of the name in that document, and I leave to the reader the duty of deciding whether the contemporary varieties of names belong to one or to different individuals. In hardly any case will a difficulty arise. It is vain to regret that my information was not fuller and more perfect. No one would have rejoiced more than the writer had it been so and yet what is here recorded proves that even a little country village has a history which is worth knowing, and therefore worth writing. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.