 Usk Castle, Priory and Town edited by Jeremy K. Knight & Andy Johnson 216 pages, with over 120 black and white and 20 colour illustrations ISBN: 978 1906663 01 8 (hardback) £17.50 978 1906663 02 5 (paperback) £12.95 The Norman borough (or town) of Usk was established around its castle and priory and these are at the heart of this book. Through a series of chapters, the contributors explore the life of the town through the history of its inhabitants, and what can be learned about them from the buildings which still make up the town, as well as the archaeology of former times. Whilst it was the Normans who founded the castle, priory and borough, the Romans preceded them, although the evidence of their presence is now largely below ground. Before them, prehistoric people and then the Celts lived in the surrounding area, and the first chapters of this book book at these phases of Usk’s history, the period under Roman rule in some detail. Subsequent chapters then look at the development of the Norman town and its hospitals and almshouses; the building and life of the priory, with its community of nuns and its shrine to St Radegund; the long history of the construction of the castle and its gradual expansion and strengthening; relations between the Norman incomers and the Welsh over the centuries, and the effect on the region of Owain Glyndŵr’s uprising, seen through the eyes of one of Usk’s most famous sons, Adam Usk, first from a distance and then at firsthand, as he became embroiled in the events that surrounded him. Later chapters reflect on life in Usk during the period of religious upheaval in the 16th and 17th centuries, telling the story of the town’s own martyr, St David Lewis; and chart the development of the medieval town through the Georgian period, as well as the more recent transformation of the castle wards into a remarkable garden. Coming to more recent times, a chapter is devoted to Usk’s secret Auxiliary Unit and its operational base, established in preparation for a German invasion in the early 1940s; whilst a final chapter considers current problems and highlights issues on which decisions need to be made to help ensure that Usk has a thriving future. This book forms a mini series with other Logaston Press publications: Ludlow Castle: its History and Buildings; Tewkesbury Abbey: History, Art and Architecture; and Chepstow Castle: its History and Buildings. Haunted Gloucestershire by Rupert Matthews Paperback, 112 pages, 65 photographs ISBN 978 1 904396 56 7 £7.95 The county has more than its share of hauntings. Whilst there are some Gloucestershire ghosts that have their counterparts elsewhere — white ladies, black dogs and men in grey as there are across all England — some of the county’s ghosts are unique. The unearthly screams that tear the night apart at Berkeley cannot be matched elsewhere, and the ancient shadow men who lurk around the prehistoric burial mound near Bibury may be the oldest phantoms in the country. The frankly bizarre Mickleton Hooter lends credence to the niggling thought that there is no knowing what supernatural phantom may lurk around the next corner. Tewkesbury Abbey: History, Art and Architecture edited by Richard Morris & Ron Shoesmith Paperback, 270 pages, 150 b/w and 20 colour illns ISBN 978 1 904396 03 1 £17.50 This is the first major book to appear on Tewkesbury Abbey for over a century. The book is intended to be attractive to a general readership, while also presenting new research in sufficient depth to be of interest to specialists. It brings together 18 acknowledged experts in their respective fields and in their acquaintance with the abbey. They shed new light on many aspects of the abbey’s history, life and art, the Clarence bones, the Founders Book, the archaeological excavations in Abbey Meadow, the incumbencies of 20th-century vicars, to name just a few examples. Holy Wells of Bath & Bristol Region by Phil Quinn Paperback, 246 pages, with maps and illustrations ISBN 978 1 873827 90 1 £9.95 This book covers the cities of Bristol and Bath and the adjoining areas of south Gloucestershire and north Somerset. The initial chapters describe the offerings made in prehistoric times, the life of Roman Bath, the early Christian days when saints were often associated with wells and springs, and the medieval and monastic connections. The tale leads on to the conduits which once supplied Bath and Bristol with water. The spas, so important to this area, are also covered. The gazetteer describes the springs and wells in each parish and the associated cures, ghosts and customs. The Pubs of Monmouth, Chepstow and the Wye Valley by Heather Hurley Paperback, 256 pages, over 300 b/w illustrations ISBN 978 1904396 87 1 £12.95 Continuing the Logaston Press series ‘The Pubs of ...’, this volume covers the social history of all the pubs that have existed from Monmouth to Chepstow along the Wye valley. As usual, it includes tales of the inns themselves, of landlords and customers, and of strange events that have occurred at the licensed premises. Chepstow Castle: its History & Buildings Rick Turner & Andy Johnson (eds.) Paperback, 328 pages, 200b/w & 15 colour illns ISBN 978 1 904396 52 9 £17.50 With 24 chapters by a variety of expert authors, this books looks at Chepstow Castle from its inception to the present day. Chapters deal with its history from Norman origins (under William fitz Osbern and the Conqueror) to its substantial enlargement and refurbishing under both the Marshal and the Bigod families, its hunting preserves, the Civil War period, its time as an artillery fort, its relationship with the town, the Picturesque, a base for pageants and recent conservation efforts. Rick Turner studied archaeology at Cambridge University and is an inspector of ancient monuments for Cadw. Famous for his discovery of Lindow Man, his research interests now centre on the study of medieval and later buildings in Wales. Andy Johnson is proprietor of Logaston Press and has written and edited many books about the history of the area. Next |