Based on an enormous amount of original work, this meticulously researched book opens a window onto medieval Hertfordshire and illuminates a significant aspect of the county's landscape history. All the data for each park is presented in a valuable gazetteer, together with the cartographic and field evidence.
Welcome to the Black Pits Daughter to a country noble and betrothed to a decrepit King, Lady Petunia Thule spends her days despairing her lot. Her father, a greedy social climber in charge of the King's penal iron mine under the Crooked Spears, a hopeless place called the Black Pits, is eager to see his daughter married and his family's position secured. Getting Petunia to the Thrain capital of Isha is of utmost importance. What neither of them expects is the strange intervention of John Tisdale, a man unfairly imprisoned by Lord Thule for his kindliness with his daughter. On the long road from Kalingshire to Isha, it is said that anything at all can happen. John and the Lady are about to find out just how true that old adage speaks.
Society and Landscape in the Eighteenth Century
The book explores a 1766 map of Hertfordshire created by Andrew Dury and John Andrews, marking a significant advancement in British cartography. It highlights the map's superior quality and detail compared to earlier versions, allowing residents to visualize their local environment. The text examines the historical context of the map's creation and introduces a digital version accessible online, along with methods to analyze Hertfordshire's landscape and society. An accompanying DVD features additional maps that enhance the discussion on landscape history and geography.