In the Middle Ages Watford was a small Hertfordshire market town, well placed on trade routes near London. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the arrival of the canal system and the railways brought industries to the town. New housing was built and the town expanded to accommodate the rising population. Beneath the surface of today’s Watford, evidence can be found of the town’s past, from the importance of religion and churches in the town’s history and how crime was dealt with, t...

The county of Berkshire has a rich and varied past which is reflected in its historic churches. In Churches of Berkshire, author Robert Bard explores a selection of the most interesting churches across the whole of the county. The buildings range from churches in the county town of Reading and Windsor with its historical connections to royalty, to market towns, villages and remote locations, and represent the many different architectural eras and styles to be found in Berkshire. The book c...

The town of Barnet grew up in the twelfth century to the north of London. The town’s alternative names of Chipping Barnet or High Barnet are recognition of the market that was established there at the same time and the town’s elevation. Today the town and the integral area of Hadley adjoining Barnet are part of Greater London. This was the site of the Battle of Barnet in 1471, which was one of the key battles of the Wars of the Roses. Barnet’s position along the old Great North Road brough...

In this book author Robert Bard takes readers on a spine-tingling journey around Kent to some of its most haunted locations. He discovers tales of ghostly apparitions, unexplained events and paranormal phenomena. Among the places investigated is Pluckley, which was named in the Guinness Book of Records as England’s most haunted village. Its twelve spirits include a screaming man who fell to his death and a spectral highwayman who haunts a spot named Fright Corner.Other haunted site...

During its 600-year history 50,000 souls were executed on the gallows at Tyburn somewhere near where Oxford Street meets the Edgware Road. Many thousands of victims remain buried nearby in anonymous graves. Many of the condemned made their final journey from Newgate Prison, three miles distant. The condemned travelled in a cart seated on his or her coffin, stopping frequently for refreshments. Sometimes the condemned survived hanging. What was it like to be hanged? This book examines conte...

In this book, author Robert Bard guides readers on a spine-tingling journey to discover the paranormal and unexplained happenings that have occurred throughout Berkshire. From haunted sites to spectral figures and supernatural phenomena, here is an eerie exploration of the royal county and a collection of its chilling tales. Each of the chapters in Paranormal Berkshire focuses on a different location linked to ghostly occurrences and among the places featured are Windsor Castle, Old Windso...

Elstree, situated 15 miles north of central London has its origins in Roman times. Through most of antiquity Elstree was sparsely occupied, and the location of a number of country seats. In the nineteenth century Elstree was the centre of attention for a famous murder. Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor, and Sir Richard Burton, explorer was born in Allum Lane. It remained rural until after the Second World War, and much of historic interest has survived development.Borehamwood with a h...

As one of the earliest recorded towns in Britain, St Albans has had a long, colourful and distinguished history. Dominated by the great Abbey Church of St Alban, the adjacent site was a thriving market town in Saxon, Norman, medieval and Georgian times. The coming of the railway in the mid nineteenth century saw increased development to the east of the original settlement, and this has been steadily growing ever since. St Albans was one of the sites where Magna Carta was drafted. It played...

London had many places of execution: Tyburn, of course, but also Smithfield, Wapping, Kennington, Tower Hill and Charing Cross among others. All of these venues allowed the public to participate – whether in approval or opposition – and, in the opinion of the authorities, provided deterrence at a time when even trivial offences carried the death penalty. Author Robert Bard surveys the capital's places of execution and seeks to explain the prevailing appetite of the authorities and the publ...

It is fascinating to think that many hundreds of generations of Londoners lie beneath the city without us knowing. Over many centuries burial grounds have been developed, built over and then forgotten, often beneath playgrounds, gardens or car parks. When modern development takes place, remains are disturbed and we are reminded of a London that has long since disappeared, particularly with recent archaeological discoveries across the city. In London’s Hidden Burial Grounds, authors Robert ...

Whitechapel, situated in London's famous East End, was so-named after a chapel dedicated to St Mary that was destroyed during the Second World War. While sixteenth-century Whitechapel was home to numerous foundries, breweries and tanneries by the mid-eighteenth century poverty and overpopulation had struck. Perhaps best-known for the horrific 'Whitechapel Murders' between 1888 and 1891, the Whitechapel of today is a cultural melting pot. Much like Whitechapel and the rest of the East End, ...

St Albans History Tour is a unique guide to the illustrious past of this delightful city in southern Hertfordshire. As one of the earliest recorded cities in Britain, St Albans has had a long, colourful and distinguished history. Dominated by the great abbey church of St Alban, the adjacent site was a thriving market town in Saxon, Norman, medieval and Georgian times. Robert Bard guides us through its historical streets, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they’ve changed...