Historic England

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Cambridge's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Cambridge first grew as an important trading post during the period of Viking rule in the ninth century, and its position was enhanced in the early twelfth century when Henry I granted the town its first charter, giving Cambridge a monopoly of waterborne traffic and hithe tolls. But it was the founding of the university in 1209 that would change the town's fortune and put Cambridge on the map. Historic England: Cambridge shows the city as it once was, from its streets and alleys to its famous university buildings. Today, Cambridge is home to one of the world's top universities, as well as being a major tourist destination and a world-leading centre for scientific research and development. This books helps you discover its remarkable history.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Portsmouth's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Historic England: Portsmouth shows the city as it once was, from its streets and alleys to its illustrious dockyard – the oldest Royal Navy dockyard in the country, and one which boasts one of the oldest dry docks in the world. Portsmouth has been functioning in a naval capacity since 1495 and few other places have such a prominent place in Britain's naval history. This books helps you discover this maritime city's long and distinguished past.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Plymouth's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Plymouth's location on Devon's south coast, at the natural harbour created by the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar, has shaped its history as one of England's most important ports. It was the home of the famous Elizabethan privateers Drake and Hawkins and at the heart of the developing Atlantic trade. The neighbouring town of Devonport, now merged with Plymouth, also became an important naval dockyard and shipbuilding centre and its strategic significance drew repeated aerial attacks during the Second World War so that by the end of the war much of the centre of Plymouth had been destroyed. The city was rebuilt afterwards in the post-war style of modern town planning, expanding to take over outlying towns, and today it is a major city in south-west England. This book will help you to discover Plymouth's remarkable history.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest major cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Birmingham's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Birmingham has long been an important centre in the West Midlands but during the Industrial Revolution it grew to become England's second city. The myriad of manufacturing businesses in Birmingham created a dynamic local economy and the city prospered. Although the town was heavily bombed in the Second World War and its infrastructure was badly damaged, the city was redeveloped post-war, with many areas being rebuilt from scratch. Birmingham continued to be regenerated in subsequent decades and today it is a powerful commercial city of international importance.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Liverpool's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Historic England: Liverpool shows the city as it once was, from its streets and alleyways to its vast docks. Special emphasis is given to aerial views that demonstrate the changing townscape of the city and the setting of its buildings. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries this once small fishing village was transformed into a mighty commercial powerhouse, growing rapidly into the greatest port in the entire British Empire outside London. However, the city's fortunes changed dramatically in the twentieth century. Post-war decline was particularly brutal in Liverpool and by 1980 the city's population had reduced by over half; its infrastructure and economy were decaying, and its political leaders were leading the city towards complete collapse. Liverpool is a UNESCO World Heritage City today. It boasts the fastest growing economy in Britain and has been a European Capital of Culture. Liverpool truly is one of the country's great cities and this book will help you discover its rich and colourful history.

This illustrated history portrays one of London's most fascinating areas. It provides a nostalgic look at the East End's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. This book shows London's East End as it once was, from its labyrinthine streets and alleys to its factories and warehouses. The East End was one of the poorest parts of the UK, blighted by crime and appalling living conditions. As the boundaries of London spread towards Essex, however, the picture has become very different. As transport links were improved, areas such as Bethnal Green, West Ham and Forest Gate, once small rural villages, have been swallowed up by the capital's growth. Today, the East End is a very different place, one of regeneration and vibrancy and great cultural diversity. This books will help you discover its remarkable history.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Manchester's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Historic England: Manchester shows the city as it once was, from its streets, squares and parks to its mills, factories and warehouses. It is a city of strong Victorian character, combining nineteenth-century grandeur and twenty-first-century vibrancy. In 2015 it was designated 'The Northern Powerhouse', though, being the home of the Industrial Revolution, it always was. Manchester gave the world technological innovation as well as manufacturing strength. Manchester truly is one of the world's greatest cities and this book will help you discover its remarkable history.

This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest counties. It provides a nostalgic look at Herefordshire's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Herefordshire is one of England's most rural counties where geography and history have combined to produce a land of remarkably varied appeal. Its borders are formed by a ring of hills and its centre is a saucer of rolling countryside cut by a series of rivers. This landscape has shaped the character of the county, and almost every parish has the remains of a castle, a reminder of Norman times when the area was part of the Welsh Marches. The main industry was agriculture; Hereford cattle and Ryeland sheep flourished on the pastorally perfect land, as did hops, orchards and arable crops. The buildings of the county are a testament to the periods of great wealth generated from the soil. This book will help you discover the rich history of the county and introduce you to some little-known sights.