The Domesday Book confirms that Selly Oak existed in Saxon times. The Roman Roads associated with Metchley Fort and King's Norton indicate its early significance as a centre of communications. An archaeological excavation of the lime kilns in Goodman's Yard showed the crucial and important role it played during the industrial revolution. It had a pre-Victorian chemical industry and tannery that developed alongside the construction of the canals.Either side of the Bristol Road were major me...

Located at the end of the Northfield to Sedgley ridge Cotteridge had some significant early settlements at Middleton Hall, Rowheath, Breedon Cross and Lifford. Cotteridge was in Worcestershire until the Local Authorities Order of 1911 transferred much of the ancient parish of King's Norton into Warwickshire as part of the Greater Birmingham Scheme. This fine selection of images captures these changes.Paper making, chemical works, and metal industries grew up along the canals and were serve...

The village of King's Norton began to evolve in the medieval period and is continuing to grow and change while retaining its earlier landscape of a village surrounding a green. The creation of a cemetery at Longdales Road, and a development at Parsons Hill, have produced evidence of Roman activity possibly in conjunction with the transportation of salt from Droitwich Spa to Metchley Fort along Icknield Street. The canals are now used for leisure and may become a substitute for road transpo...

This walk is one of twelve walks in John Wilks' Walks Through History - Birmingham series which contains twelve walks within the city. The whole book is available as an ebook or physical book or you could try this one out first. The book is a celebration of the beauty and poetry of the county. Each walk in this book has been chosen not only because it is a pleasant walk in its own right, but also because it goes past sites which reveal the rich and varied history of the county. Each walk i...

Stevenage Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Stevenage, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set and through the author's factual captions for every picture...

Wednesbury Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the West Midlands. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of the well-known streets and famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, a...

Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south of Widnes across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream and 8 miles to the east of Widnes is the town of Warrington, and downstream 16 miles to the west is the city of Liverpool. Historically part of Lancashire...

Hitchin Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of Hertfordshire. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of this part of the country, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set and through the author's factual captions fo...

Salford is often seen as the smaller twin of Manchester, its neighbour across the River Irwell. In fact, Salford was a borough long before Manchester achieved that status, but even in the 1530s John Leland described it as 'a large suburb to Manchester'. However, during the Industrial Revolution, Manchester grew more rapidly than Salford, although together they were the first 'shock city' of the industrial age, described in graphic detail by writers such as de Tocqueville and Engels. While ...

Langport is an ancient market town in the heart of the Somerset Levels. Set in a rural landscape of rivers, moors and hills, it owes its historical importance to its strategic position at a crossing point on the River Parrett. The town is encircled by the river on one side and the more populous parish of Huish Episcopi on the other. The medieval Hanging Chapel and the former buildings of Kelways Nurseries illustrate the area's religious and commercial roots. The area's quiet atmosphere bel...

The name Chislehurst literally means a stony place in the woods. These woods are very much apparent today. Chislehurst is surrounded by National Trust woodland, Scadbury Park and the unique central feature of the Chislehurst Commons, which is conserved as open space in perpetuity by Acts of Parliament. The Chislehurst Caves, where many thousands of Londoners sheltered during the Blitz of the Second World War, are also a key tourist attraction. The arrival of the railway in 1865 sparked the...

For centuries Uxbridge, whose origins lie in Saxon times, was a market town serving much of West Middlesex and South Buckinghamshire. At one time there were thirteen water mills in the area where corn was processed. Situated on the London - Oxford road, it was an important town in the stagecoach era. This collection of images old and new charts the history of the area, and reveals many hidden aspects of this urban sprawl. In the early twentieth century London sprawled out westward, and the...