Town Defences In England And Wales: An Architectural And Documentary Study Ad 900–1500
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the crumbling remnants of Saxon burhs to the formidable gatehouse towers of the late medieval period, Town Defences in England and Wales presents a rigorous and comprehensive architectural and documentary study of urban fortification across six turbulent centuries, from AD 900 to 1500. Hilary L. Turner chronicles the evolution of defensive structures — walls, gates, ditches, and towers — across the towns of England and Wales, drawing on a rich body of historical records, archaeological evidence, and architectural analysis to reconstruct how communities shaped and reshaped their defences in response to political upheaval, military threat, and civic ambition. Turner argues that town defences were far more than military utilities; they were powerful expressions of civic identity, royal authority, and economic vitality, reflecting the broader social and political currents of medieval Britain. Written with scholarly precision yet accessible to the engaged general reader, this work stands as a landmark contribution to the fields of medieval archaeology and architectural history. For anyone seeking to understand how the towns of England and Wales were built to endure — and what those walls still silently tell us — this study remains an indispensable and quietly revelatory resource.
Author: Hilary L. Turner
Format: Hardback
Genre: British & Irish history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the crumbling remnants of Saxon burhs to the formidable gatehouse towers of the late medieval period, Town Defences in England and Wales presents a rigorous and comprehensive architectural and documentary study of urban fortification across six turbulent centuries, from AD 900 to 1500. Hilary L. Turner chronicles the evolution of defensive structures — walls, gates, ditches, and towers — across the towns of England and Wales, drawing on a rich body of historical records, archaeological evidence, and architectural analysis to reconstruct how communities shaped and reshaped their defences in response to political upheaval, military threat, and civic ambition. Turner argues that town defences were far more than military utilities; they were powerful expressions of civic identity, royal authority, and economic vitality, reflecting the broader social and political currents of medieval Britain. Written with scholarly precision yet accessible to the engaged general reader, this work stands as a landmark contribution to the fields of medieval archaeology and architectural history. For anyone seeking to understand how the towns of England and Wales were built to endure — and what those walls still silently tell us — this study remains an indispensable and quietly revelatory resource.