In Print Backlist

Wiltshire Generally

Mr Benett of Wiltshire: the life of a county Member of Parliament, 1773-1852, by Robert Moody. The first full-length biography of John Benett, a statesman who steered a fiercely independent course through all the great issues of his day, before and after reform. More than a match for his political opponents Cobbett and Hunt, he entered Parliament after two violently fought campaigns, and was injured during the machine-breaking riots in 1830. At home in Wiltshire he pioneered agricultural reform, busying himself on his own estate, Pythouse near Tisbury, and with local organizations of every kind. This painstaking and sympathetic biography offers a long-needed reassessment of an extraordinary man – architect, writer, practical farmer and politician. 2005, 356 pages, illustrations, paperback, £14.95, ISBN 0-946418-40-3.

The Church in Wiltshire, text by John Chandler, photography and gazetteer by Derek Parker. Wherever we turn we encounter churches and other Christian buildings. We tend to take them for granted, and miss the great tapestry of social history, geography, folklore, archaeology, art and popular culture which is woven into their fabric. With its lively and stimulating text and superb photographs this book is intended as an introduction to the fascinating story behind Wiltshire’s rich legacy of churches, and as a showpiece for the remarkable architectural and artistic heritage that they embrace. When first published (under a slightly different title) in 1993 this book was warmly received, and it has now been completely redesigned, with revised text and many new images. From Salisbury Cathedral to the humblest wayside chapel, Wiltshire’s places of worship bear witness to a long and often surprising history. This book provides the ideal companion. April 2006, 216-page square format paperback, superbly illustrated, price £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-46-2

An Exceptional Woman: the writings of Heather Tanner, selected and introduced by Rosemary Devonald. Heather Tanner (1903 – 1993) is best known as the author of four exquisite books about Wiltshire and its countryside, products of the lifelong collaboration with her husband, the etcher and artist Robin Tanner. Throughout her life she wrote poems, letters, essays and dialogues, which reveal the depth of her understanding of rural life, her benign humour and her mastery of language. This selection, made and introduced by her friend Rosemary Devonald, draws on largely unpublished material which she collected after Heather’s death. To her many friends, and those to whom her published work is known and appreciated, this collection will be an irresistible memento. To those unfamiliar with the name of Heather Tanner her writing will come as a delightful discovery – the work and life of an exceptional woman. September 2006, 154-page hardback, with about 25 illustrations (mostly by Robin Tanner), price £14.50, ISBN 0-946418-47-0

A Hundred Years of Speed with Safety: Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Ltd, 1881-1981, by O S Nock. Westinghouse has been a major employer in Chippenham since 1894, and in this time has pioneered the safe and efficient operation of railways through its innovative braking and signalling systems. The late O S Nock was an outstanding and prolific railway historian, but he was also a senior executive at Westinghouse, and wrote this company’s centenary history in 1981. It was his last book, never published, which 25 years on has been revised and augmented by a comprehensive selection of images, complementing this important and authoritative text. November 2006, paperback, fully illustrated, price £12.95, ISBN 0-946418-51-9

Nadder: Tales of a Wiltshire Valley, by Rex Sawyer. The River Nadder rises in the Donheads, east of Shaftesbury, and flows through the Vale of Wardour to Wilton, where it joins the Wylye and then, at Salisbury, the Avon. This remarkable social and landscape history, beautifully illustrated, presents the story of every village and settlement in its valley, drawn from historical sources and oral reminiscence, and lovingly presented by the author of Little Imber on the Down, and Collett’s Farthing Newspaper. First published in 1995 and extensively revised in a new format and with many extra illustrations. November 2006, 240-page (approx) square-format paperback, profusely illustrated, price £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-53-4

The Definitive History of Wilts & Dorset Motor Services Ltd, 1915-1972, by Colin Morris and Andrew Waller. Salisbury based Wilts & Dorset was the principal bus operator in south Wiltshire, parts of Dorset, and much of north Hampshire around Andover and Basingstoke. This definitive company and social history, by leading authorities, describes its rise and fall, and includes its subsidiaries and acquisitions, such as Venture of Basingstoke and Silver Star of Porton. The book is profusely illustrated, drawing on the collections of David Pennels and others, and includes detailed appendices describing routes, vehicles and other aspects of the company’s operations. November 2006, 160-page (approx) hardback, illustrated, price £19.95, ISBN 0-946418-56-5

The Primrose Wood, by June Badeni. Countess Badeni is well-known in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire for two books of local and social history, which describe the villages around her home at Norton near Malmesbury. She is also a very accomplished novelist, biographer and essayist, as this delightful collection of 36 short pieces about rural life, its people and creatures, demonstrates. Most were published inter-mittently over many years in Country Life; all are beautifully crafted observations of the countryside, in Wiltshire and much further afield. The text is complemented by woodcuts by Bewick and his school. November 2006, 150-page small-format hardback, 36 illustrations, price £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-52-7

Wiltshire Water Meadows: understanding and conserving the remains of a farming and engineering revolution, by Michael Cowan. The result of many years study and observation, this important book describes the process whereby chalkland valleys were modified during the 17th century and later by ‘floating’ water meadows to increase yields. Cowan presents detailed studies of the remains of individual systems, including the famous Harnham meadows beside Salisbury and the Town Path which crosses them, as well as a more general countywide survey, explanations and historical context. 2005, 180 pages, profusely illustrated (some colour), paperback, £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-38-1.

A Tour in Search of Chalk through parts of South Wiltshire in 1807, written in a series of letters by a Pedestrian. An adventure story (!) presented in a format common to book-shelves of two centuries ago. This is an authentic attempt to recreate the genre and illuminate the period when archaeology was in its infancy, and walking – pedestrianism – simply meant that you had insufficient funds to travel properly. South Wiltshire form the backdrop for young Londoner Henry Chalk as he puts pen to paper and his own story unfolds. A remarkable book, hard to classify, hard to put down, and completely anonymous. 2005, 214 pages, subtly illustrated and ‘got up’ in Regency style, paperback, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-42-X.

Figures in a Wiltshire Scene, by Ken Watts, reveals the author’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Wiltshire’s associations with literary figures and other famous men and women, as well as his profound love of his native county. A massive work, the culmination of many years’ meticulous research, it covers every part of Wiltshire, and every period of history, from the Roman emperor Vespasian, to the 20th-century etcher Robin Tanner and his wife Heather. Ken’s perceptive and appreciative portraits of his subjects in their local setting will make you explore Wiltshire in a completely new light. A handsome 288-page hardback, copiously illustrated and fully indexed, 2002, price £20.00, ISBN 0-946418-11-X; or in paperback, 2005, £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-34-9.

Monuments and Material Culture, papers in honour of an Avebury archaeologist: Isobel Smith, edited by Rosamund Cleal and Joshua Pollard. A tribute by leading archaeologists to an eminent scholar, who lived in and worked on the Avebury region. The 17 papers consider monumentality and material culture in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of the British Isles, but also the later life of monuments. They include specific case studies and more wide-ranging considerations of causewayed enclosures, henges, stone and timber circles, and long barrows, in Wiltshire and much further afield. 2004, hardback, 256 pages, £25.00, ISBN 0-946418-19-5.
Footsteps: the cream of South Wiltshire walks, edited by John Chandler, is a collection of 17 of the very best walks in some of the most spectacular and interesting countryside in southern England. Nine well-known local authors contribute their favourite walks, and enthuse about the landscape from their own standpoints – history, literature, geology, wildlife or archaeology. Available as a pocket-size hardback, 2002, at £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-10-1 [see SPECIAL OFFERS]. Also in paperback, 2004, price £6.95, ISBN 0-946418-30-6.

Grandmother’s Recipes: the receipt-book of Mary Jane Stratton, by Katy Jordan. Katy, a well-known folklorist, comes from an old Wiltshire family, and inherited her grandmother’s recipe book, compiled when a cook in service 100 years ago. In this cookery book like no other, Katy presents all the original instructions, together with their adaptation for the modern kitchen and a wealth of family detail. An elegant hardback of 176 pages, 2003, £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-17-9. Also now available in paperback – see Recent Publications 

Wiltshire Toll Houses, by Robert Haynes and Ivor Slocombe. There may once have been around 200 toll houses in Wiltshire, but many were demolished in the 19th century or have succumbed to later road improvements. This fully illustrated book describes all Wiltshire toll houses still existing (48) or known to have existed (over 70). 2004, 110-page paperback, £6.50, ISBN 0-946418-21-7.


Wiltshire Towns and Villages

Beckhampton: time present and time past, by Pat Parslew, illustrated by Jane Brunning. Largely hidden from passers-by, but within the Avebury World Heritage Site, Beckhampton’s unusual history includes not only timeless prehistoric landscapes and famous monuments, but also distinguished racehorse training stables and a long career as a junction and coaching stop on the Bath road. 2004, 96-page paperpack, £8.95, ISBN 0-946418-28-4.

George Herbert in Bemerton, by Ronald Blythe, is taken from the acclaimed social historian and poet’s book Divine Landscapes, first published in 1986. In a beautifully written piece, full of insights and reflections, the author describes his visit to Bemerton to discover what sort of man the poet and pastor might have been. New foreword by Vikram Seth, illus-trated with modern photographs and old prints. 2005, 36 pages, square format small paperback, £4.95, ISBN 0-946418-41-1.

Collett’s Farthing Newspaper: the Bowerchalke village newspaper, 1878-1924, by Rex Sawyer. The story of a unique weekly newspaper, written and printed for over 40 years in a remote south Wiltshire village by its remarkable vicar, Edward Collett. The book, beautifully and touchingly written, and accompanied by many of Collett’s photographs, reveals the fascinating social history told in the newspaper’s pages of a community responding to the relentless changes of English rural life. 176-page hardback, 2004, £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-22-5.

Warriors for the Working Day: Codford during two world wars, by Romy Wyeth. Twice in the 20th century Codford in the Wylye valley was transformed by war. Not only did its own young people serve and in some cases die, but from all over the world men arrived at army camps to train for combat or recover from wounds. Drawing on a wide variety of sources and many years of research, Romy tells the wartime experiences of Codford itself, and of those who passed through. 2002, illustrated 224-page hardback, £15.00, ISBN 0-946418-12-8.

Devizes and Central Wiltshire, by John Chandler, illustrated by Michael Charlton. The second volume of John Chandler’s long-term project (see Marlborough and Eastern Wiltshire, below) covers Devizes and 41 parishes from Seend along Pewsey Vale to Wootton Rivers and south to Netheravon, thus completing the series’ coverage of Kennet District. Like its predecessor this is a beautifully produced 288-page hardback, published 2003, £20.00, ISBN 0-946418-16-0. Also now available in paperback – see Recent Publications.

On the Crest of the Hill: Devizes Grammar School 1906-1969, compiled and introduced by Lorna Haycock. Devizes Grammar School was established in 1906, and to celebrate the centenary of its founding Dr Lorna Haycock, a former history teacher at the school, has assembled this fascinating collection of memories and photographs from former pupils. The school, which was abolished when comprehensive education was introduced in 1969, served Devizes and surrounding villages over a wide area, and is fondly remembered by very many people in Wiltshire and far beyond. July 2006, 136pp paperback, with many illustrations, price £8.95, ISBN 0-946418-48-9

The Nature of Knoyle: East Knoyle, the people and the place, by Anthony Claydon. Hobnob’s village, in south-west Wiltshire, boasts not only a fine church and many picturesque cottages, but also an important Victorian mansion (Clouds) and many interesting connections. Sir Christopher Wren was born here, and his father was our rector. 2002, illustrated 208-page hardback, £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-13-6.

Pages from our History by the people of Fovant. An attractive and lively village in rural south Wiltshire, Fovant has a long and varied history. Interested residents in 2000 formed a local history society to compile and maintain a website about the village. From their work has grown this collaborative book to celebrate their special community. 2005, 180 pages, copiously illustrated, paperback, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-39-X.

Crosstracks to Hindon, by Richard Dewhurst. Hindon, now one of south-west Wiltshire’s most attractive villages, began life as a small town established by a 13th-century bishop of Winchester. Its urban career, with market, fair, traders and inns, continued to the 19th century, despite a disastrous fire in 1754. Until 1832 it returned two MPs, and it was a noted stopping point for the westcountry stagecoaches. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, here is the history that this distinctive community deserves. 2005, 152 pages, many illustrations, paperback, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-33-0.

Marlborough and Eastern Wiltshire, by John Chandler, illustrated by Michael Charlton. The first volume of John Chandler’s long-term project (Wiltshire: landscape and people) to write the history of every town and village in the county. Each of the seven parts will offer succinct but informative histories of a group of parishes, complemented by exquisite, specially commissioned illustrations, and facsimiles of historic maps. Volume 1 covers 34 parishes, from Aldbourne in the north to Tidworth in the south and Avebury in the west, including Marlborough, Ramsbury and Ludgershall. An elegant 288-page hardback with striking cover, published 2001, £20.00, ISBN 0-946418-07-1 [see SPECIAL OFFERS].

Beyond a Cottage Window, by Mary Roberts. The author has lived in Rockley, a small hamlet on the Marlborough Downs, for over 40 years and amassed a huge store of rural wisdom and observation about wildlife, cottage gardening and the Wiltshire countryside. This beautifully produced 96-page paperback, illustrated by Michael Charlton, is her perceptive celebration, through the year, of ‘all things wise and wonderful’. 2003, £5.95, ISBN 0-946418-18-7.

Salisbury: history around us, by John Chandler. Much of Salisbury’s unusual and fascinating past can still be savoured in its historic buildings and streets. This concise history and guide, a favourite introduction to the city since it was first published in 1992, has been completely revised with new photographs and offers the ideal starting-point for visitors and residents who wish to explore its history. 2004, paperback, £6.95, ISBN 0-946418-24-1.

Sarum Chronicle. Annual journal, published on behalf of an editorial team, which offers short, readable articles on interesting topics connected with the history of Salisbury and its district. Each issue is a 64-page paperback and costs £4.50 (ISSN 1475-1844). All back issues are still available, as follows: 1, 2001 (ISBN 0-946418-08-X); 2, 2002 (ISBN 0-946418-09-8); 3, 2003 (ISBN 0-946418-15-2); 4, 2004 (ISBN 0-946418-27-6); 5 (with cumulative index to issues 1-5), 2005 (ISBN 0-946418-43-8); 6, 2006 (ISBN 0-946418-54-3).

The Chronicles of a Courtier: a History of Stanton Court, Wiltshire, by Fiona Gilroy Baskett. What do P G Wodehouse, a descendant of Horatio Nelson, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and certain members of the Royal family all have in common? The answer is that, along with many others, all have historical links with Stanton Court, the former Georgian rectory in the little Wiltshire village of Stanton St. Quintin. As a present day Courtier, Fiona Gilroy Baskett chronicles the history of this substantial house and grounds, built as a rectory in 1780. Perhaps more importantly, she also interweaves vignettes of local history with the vitality of the characters who have lived there throughout the ages. This book provides an engaging account of life, past and present, in the little Wiltshire village which was settled first by the Romans almost two thousand years ago. April 2006, 104-page illustrated hardback, price £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-44-5

Swindon Decoded: the Curious History around us, by John Chandler. Often maligned, or dismissed as merely a product of Victorian industry and post-war overspill, Swindon in fact has a remarkably long and diverse history, much of which remains to be recognized. An extensive revision of a popular history first published in 1992, it offers a fascinating and sympathetic interpretation of a vibrant and rapidly expanding town poised to become a city. 2005, 108 pages, profusely illustrated, paperback, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-37-3.

Wiltshire Reformatory for Boys, Warminster, 1856-1924, by Ivor Slocombe. Victorian reformatories tackled a growing problem of juvenile crime by bringing offenders into the education system. Wiltshire’s, established in 1856, became a model for such provision nationally. This important study chronicles its life and history, of great significance for Wiltshire and for Warminster (on whose outskirts it was built), and more generally on Victorian penal reform. 2005, 42 pages, illustrated booklet, £3.95, ISBN 0-946418-45-4.

Westbury and Westbury Leigh, edited by Kenneth Wood. Reissue of copiously illustrated (some in colour) and ingeniously arranged history and description of this busy west Wiltshire town, first produced in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. 2004, 210-page large-format hardback, £12.50, ISBN 0-946418-31-4.

Further Afield

The Basingstoke Admiral: a life of James Lancaster, by Michael Franks. Historical biography of Sir James Lancaster, a ‘forgotten’ Elizabethan international merchant and naval commander who was celebrated in his own day but has been neglected by historians. Best remembered as the commander of the first fleet of the East India Company (1601-3) Lancaster had a varied career, touching many aspects of Elizabethan life, in rural north Hampshire, in London and overseas. Using new material based on archive research and re-working of the published sources, Franks argues the case for recognising Lancaster as one of the earliest ‘global traders’. Foreword by Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at King’s College, London. November 2006, 230-page paperback, 55 illustrations, price £14.95, ISBN 0-946418-59-5

Bath Buns and Chocolate Olivers: A Bath childhood, by Rosamund Willoughby. Born in Bath in 1912, the author spent her childhood and adolescence there, in the comfortable homes of her grandparents. Her absorbing memories wartime and the 1920s depict a city and society vastly different from today, yet played out within street scenes and buildings which are still instantly familiar. 2004, 80 pages, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-26-8.

A Round Dorset Walk: long distance footpath, the illustrated guide, by Steven Crockford, is a long-distance route of 181 miles, on ancient paths and trackways, around Dorset’s perimeter. From the stunning Poole Harbour beneath the Purbeck Hills, the walker sets out towards the peaceful downs of Cranborne Chase, across the rolling hills of Blackmore Vale and Marshwood Vale, finally to return to the dramatic coastal path from which the walk began, completing a journey through 250 million years of history. Whether achieved in one challenging effort, or in a series of stages, this very special journey around a beautiful and often unexplored part of Britain will live long in the memory of anyone who completes it. July 2006, 112pp paperback with detailed maps and exquisite line drawings by the author, price £8.95, ISBN 0-946418-49-7

To Partake of Tea: the last ladies of Kingston Lacy, by Geoffrey Brown. The story of life in a great country house, Kingston Lacy near Wimborne in Dorset, during the last 84 years that it remained in private ownership, 1897 to 1981. Times of glamour, bereavement, sadness and benevolence are recalled through the eyes of Henrietta Bankes and her daughter-in-law Hilary, the estate’s last influential chatelaines. The author, a National Trust volunteer at Kingston Lacy, describes life in the house and on the estate, which extended to the Isle of Purbeck, with great sympathy and understanding, as its owners responded to the social changes of the twentieth century. A delightful book for anyone who has enjoyed visiting Kingston Lacy since the National Trust acquired it in 1983, or who is interested in the predicament faced by estate owners as their role has changed or even disappeared. July 2006, 100-page illustrated paperback, price £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-50-0

Coming of Age in Anna Valley, by Mary Pierce. As a small child (7 in 1938) in a small Hampshire village (near Andover) Mary Pierce grew up in a big world through a big war. Sensitive-ly told and delicately illustrated, this is her account of coming of age in wartime and coming to terms with a grown-up world. 2004, 157-page paperback, £6.95, ISBN 0-946418-23-3.

The Floss on the Mill: the re-awakening of a watermill, by Desna Greenhow. Otterton Mill, in rural East Devon, was derelict and neglected when the author moved into the Mill House next door. This book celebrates a 25-year plus adventure of restoring it to working order and creating in its buildings an extraordinary centre for arts and crafts, natural foods, education and entertainment. 2004, 144-page illustrated (by Jed Falby) paperback, £8.95, ISBN 0-946418-20-9.

A Higher Reality: The history of Shaftesbury’s royal nunnery, by John Chandler, tells the story of England’s largest and (arguably) most important nunnery, and of the town that grew up alongside it. Shaftesbury in Dorset enjoys a striking and beautiful setting, and the site of its abbey church – its foundations exposed within a peaceful garden – has become a popular attraction for visitors and residents. This absorbing and wide-ranging history of the abbey has much too about the origins and development of the town, including a guided walk in search of its history. Although intended for a popular readership and profusely illustrated, the text is fully referenced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index. 2003, 176-page hardback, price £9.95, ISBN 0-946418-14-4; or in paperback, 2005, £7.95, ISBN 0-946418-35-7.

For 2007 and 2008 publications please see the relevant pages elsewhere on this website.