3 minute read
Read all about it – book reviews plus
Curl up with a good book...
From archaeology to railways, farming heritage to the birth of the industrial revolution – our region boasts a rich and varied history. Could you learn more by winning one of these fascinating new books?
Reading the Peak District Landscape
by John Barnatt
Historic England/ Liverpool University Press, £30, www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
Archaeologist John Barnatt explores how generations of people have shaped Peak District landscapes from prehistory to postindustrial times. He describes many of the area’s archaeological sites and landscapes – illustrated with colour photographs, maps, plans and drawings – to help explain how places in the Peak District look the way they do today. John says: “Wherever you look in the Peak District landscape, you will find that it has been influenced in some way by people. Whether you’re looking at the pattern of walls around a village that preserve Mediaeval strip fields or at stone guide stoops and hollow ways on the moors that show ancient transport routes, these are cultural landscapes which allow us to feel a connection with our past.”
Railways in the Peak District – A History
by Christopher Nicholson and Peter Barnes
Amberley Publishing, £14.99, www.amberley-books.com
Inspired by Peak District railway closures in the late 1960s, the first edition of this book was published in 1971. But the National Park’s railway story continued to evolve. With its challenging terrain, the Peak District spawned some ‘quirky and unique’ railways, including a narrow gauge light railway for tourists, cable-hauled inclines to export limestone, seven of the UK’s longest railway tunnels and Britain’s first all-electric main line. Today, some of the tracks have been reborn as popular trails, enjoyed on foot, bike or horseback in what the authors describe as “a fascinating story of rise, decline and rebirth in one of England’s most scenic regions”.
by Alan and Christine Piper
Bannister Publications, £12.99, www.bannisterpublications.com
Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the Lumsdale Valley near Matlock was a microcosm of the industrial revolution. Its fascinating story encompasses lead smelting, corn milling and wool fulling, cotton spinning and bleaching – and some of the mill owners led colourful lives! Profits from sales of this book, which can be bought at Cromford Mill and via Amazon, go to the Arkwright Society to benefit the Lumsdale Project.
Edited by Christine Gregory and Sheila Hine
Vertebrate Publishing, £16.99, https://shop.peakdistrict.gov.uk
Stories of 80 years of farming in the South West Peak are told by people who have lived and worked there for generations. Recollections range from descriptions of harsh winters in difficult terrain to memories of close communities and adapting to change. The book was produced in partnership with local charity The Farming Life Centre, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Proceeds from sales are reinvested into projects which support farmers in the South West Peak.
Book giveaways
We have three copies of Reading the Peak District Landscape to give away. For a chance to win, please answer the question: Q: What is the term used to describe Medieval farming land? WIN!
We have three copies of Railways in the Peak District – A History to give away. For a chance to win, please answer the question: Q: When was the first edition of the book published? WIN!
We have a signed copy of Lumsdale: The Industrial Revolution in a Derbyshire Valley to give away. For a chance to win, please answer the question: Q: Where is the Lumsdale Valley? WIN!
We have a copy of The Land That Made Us: The Peak District Farmer’s Story to give away. For a chance to win, please answer the question: Q: Which charity is involved with the book? WIN!
• Please email your answers – with your name, address and telephone number – to: parklife@peakdistrict.gov.uk • Write either Reading the Peak District Landscape, Railways in the Peak District – A History, Lumsdale: The Industrial Revolution in a Derbyshire Valley or The Land That Made Us: The Peak District Farmer’s Story in the subject line. • The closing date for entries is Friday 28th August, 2020. Winners will be selected at random after this date. The competition is open to everyone except PDNPA paid staff.
