Gloucestershire 300 Years Ago

Description

Gloucestershire 300 Years Ago has been written to celebrate the tercentenary of the publication of Sir Robert Atkins’ The Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire, the county’s first history. From his privileged position in society as a wealthy landowner, lawyer and MP, Atkins was able to assemble much detailed information about the county, which he presented in a parish-by-p[arish survey.

Alan Pilbeam has handled this material from a geographer’s perspective by extracting the elements that relate to the appearance of Gloucestershire’s countryside in the early eighteenth century. Earlier periods that made major contributions to the landscape have been considered, as well as those developments occuring in Atkins’ day. The observations made by contemporary travellers have also been included.

Throughout this fully illustrated book, attention is drawn to features which are still visible today and OS grid references are given for all the places discussed. Pilbeam’s work is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Gloucestershire and in local history more generally.