Radnorshire from Civil War to Restoration A study of the county & its environs 1640-60 in a regional setting by Keith Parker Paperback, 288 pages, illustrated ISBN 978 1 873827 86 4 £12.95 Whilst this book is a record of the social, political, religious and military state of affairs in Radnorshire from before the Civil War to the Restoration, by its nature much reference is made to events in neighbouring counties and further afield. Keith Parker has made much use of primary sources to confound the generally held view that Radnorshire was both a poor county and essentially Royalist in outlook. This is a story of Radnorshire gentry, farmers and clergymen caught up in an age of danger and vibrant political and religious debate, when many had a rare chance to shape the future. The Pubs of Radnorshire by Tony Hobbs Paperback, 368 pages, over 450 photographs and illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 62 8 £12.95 This books deals with all the pubs that have existed in Radnorshire about which there is some information. The county is covered by town and groups of villages, looking at the stories of the pubs and of local characters and events. There are tales of the unexpected, and not just of ghosts though these appear plentiful in Radnorshire’s pubs. There is the wayward lioness that temporarily cured one guest’s rheumatism; the pub described as the scruffiest in Britain; the two pints that cost £350 apiece; the mynah bird that squawked ‘Whoa there’ to passing horses and then ordered a drink for the bemused rider; duelling; cock-fighting; visiting royalty and celebrities ... The Book of Hay by Kate Clarke Paperback, 120 pages, illustrated ISBN 978 1 873827 61 1 £6.95 This is a second, largely revised edition of The Book of Hay. Kate Clarke, renowned crime-writer and diarist, moved from London to Hay in 1982. This book provides the visitor to Hay with a feel for the town and surrounding area by giving a brief outline of the historical events and people (both Welsh and English) that have helped to shape it. With the coming of the railways, competition from further afield caused many businesses to falter, whilst more recently a ‘new’ trade of second hand books and associated literary festivals has brought new vigour to the town. The Pubs of Hay-on-Wye and the Golden Valley by John Eisel and Frank Bennett Paperback, 264 pages, many b/w illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 46 8 £ 9.95 This book includes the pubs from the past 100 years in Hay, the Golden Valley and the valley that runs from the Gospel Pass past Llanthony Priory to Llanfihangel Crucorney, together with the pubs along the southern edge of the mountains. John Eisel is a leading authority on bell-frames, but spares some time for local pubs; Frank Bennett’s specialisation is postal history, but he also gets side-tracked into the social history of public houses. Prehistoric Sites of Montgomeryshire by Beth McCormack Paperback, 176 pages, 80 b/w illns ISBN 978 1 904396 32 1 £7.95 The area that became Montgomeryshire would have been rarely visited in the Palaeolithic, and used essentially as a hunting ground. By the time of the Mesolithic (10,000 to 4000BC) there are indications of a degree of permanency, which developed during the Neolithic. However, it is for the Bronze Age that Montgomeryshire deserves renown, with cairns, standing stones and stone circles, plus aerial and excavational evidence for timber structures including henges and a cursus. Many of these sites are detailed in the gazetteer, with information as to access. Next |