 by Paul R. Davis 144 pages with 125 black and white illustrations ISBN: 978 1906663 08 7 Price: £10.00 Hearth & Home traces the development of the house in Wales, from huts in the Neolithic and Iron Age through to individual houses in the local or vernacular style in the 1800s. It is copiously illustrated with quality photographs and drawings. The book explains how lifestyles and attitudes changed over time and how these were reflected in architectural design and in materials used. Thus the change from a central fire to fireplaces and chimneys; from essentially an open hall with a few private rooms, to a series of rooms with a central lobby or passage; from quality houses for a few to gradually improving accommodation for the many; to the provision of privies where none previously existed — these and many other alterations in ‘fashion’ and comfort and therefore design are recounted. It is divided into three sections covering the main historical periods of traditional architecture. The first section deals with prehistoric and Roman houses that still exist in the form of archaeological sites, the second section surveys the domestic buildings surviving from the Middle Ages, and the third part covers houses built after the Reformation, when the old medieval halls were adapted or abandoned in favour of new plans and ideas. One of the primary aims of the book is essentially to refer to and use as examples buildings that can be visited, and details of these and their opening arrangements are given. Paul R. Davis was born and bred in the Rhondda Valley and educated at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen and attended Dyfed College of Art in Carmarthen. He worked as an illustrator with the Dyfed Archaeological Trust and is currently working as a surveyor in Cardiff. He has spent many years studying and surveying the architectural heritage of Wales, particularly the traditional architecture of the south Wales valleys, and has contributed articles to journals such as The Carmarthenshire Antiquary and Archaeology in Wales. Other publications include Historic Rhondda (1987), Historic Inns of Wales and the Marches (1993), Historic Gower (1997), A Company of Forts (2000), Sacred Springs (2003) and Castles of the Welsh Princes (2007). Around & About South-West Wales by Graham Roberts Paperback, 288 pages with 300 b/w photographs ISBN 978 1904396 74 1 £12.95 Ten road-based tours cover Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, parts of Glamorgan and a large part of Powys. Starting from seven different localities the tours cover a range of spectacular scenery, many well and less well known historically or architecturally interesting buildings, several towns, a good handful of villages, many beaches, a clutch of prehistoric sites, gardens open to the public, nature reserves and much besides. Ranging from 25 to 100 miles in distance, the tours are on a mixture of A and B roads and country lanes. Each tour starts with a flavour of what is included, followed by detailed route information as the tour unfolds, with information given on the notable sights that can be either seen from the road as you pass, or where you can stop to enjoy what is on offer. Graham Roberts was the City Surveyor for Hereford for many years, but his and his wife’s origins lie in Wales and it is their knowledge of south-west Wales that has been used to compile this book. Romanesque Architecture and Sculpture in Wales by Malcolm Thurlby Paperback, 400 pages, 500 b/w & 15 colour illns ISBN 978 1 904396 50 5 £17.50 This is the first comprehensive study of Romanesque architecture and sculpture in Wales. Unsurprisingly, some of the most lavish survivals of this work are found in the cathedral of Llandaff and in the abbeys and priories of southern Wales where the Normans penetrated early on. Yet much survives in north Wales too, largely thanks to the patronage of Gruffudd ap Cynan and his aspirations on the European stage. Malcolm Thurlby brings his deep knowledge of the Romanesque to draw out the wider story, making comparisons with work across Europe in terms of overall design, and more locally and in the detail of the work to ascertain from where the masons and sculptors were drawn. Malcolm Thurlby was born in England and is now Professor of Visual Art at York University in Toronto and the author of many articles in a variety of journals. He has a passion for the Romanesque. The Glaciations of Wales and Adjacent Areas Colin A. Lewis & Andrew E. Richards (editors) Paperback, 240 pages, 100 b/w photos, drawings, plans & tables ISBN 978 1 904396 36 9 £25 Fifteen leading geographers and quaternary scientists present the latest information on the quaternary development of Wales, the Cheshire-Shropshire lowlands, Severn valley, South West Peninsula, the east coast of Ireland and the Irish Sea and adjoining Celtic Sea basins. Intended for both the general reader who is interested in the physical environment and specialists, the book should enable university and senior school students, especially of geography, environmental science, and geology, to gain a sound appreciation of the evolution of the glaciated landscapes of Wales and surrounding areas. Colin A. Lewis, B.A., Ph.D. is Professor of Geography at Rhodes University in South Africa, and formerly lectured at University College Dublin. Andrew E. Richards, B.Sc., Ph.D., submitted his Ph.D. thesis on the Pleistocene stratigraphy of Herefordshire. He has lectured at the Universities of London, Limerick and at University College Worcester. Neolithic Sites of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire by George Children and George Nash Paperback, 148 pages, 84 b/w photos, plans & maps ISBN 1823827 99 7 £7.95 From chambered tombs the authors extrapolate to create a picture of Neolithic society. Dividing the 37 remaining sites into five groups which they believe may have formed Neolithic territories, the authors give a description of each site and what has been found there; access to the sites is also described. This book is a useful guide for anyone interested in exploring the area, and an intriguing read for anyone interested in the origins of mankind in south-west Wales. The Architecture of Death - Neolithic Chambered Tombs in Wales by George Nash Paperback, 256 pages, 250 b/w illns, plans & maps ISBN 1 904396 33 X £17.50 An introductory chapter provides an overview of human migration and settlement in Wales leading to the creation of megalithic tombs. The 100 tombs with significant remains are grouped in eight core areas: around the Black Mountains; South-East Wales around Newport; the Gower Peninsula; South-West Wales; Harlech; the Lleyn Peninsula; Anglesey; and North Wales. A brief overview is given to each group as to similarities of style and approach to construction and/or use, and each site is described and what is known through excavation etc. set out. George Nash is a part-time lecturer at the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol and a Principal Archaeologist at Giffords. |