Authoritative account of Cricklade and neighbouring towns, in an area immediately west of Swindon. Cricklade, the Anglo-Saxon borough fortified by Alfred against the Danes, is the market town at the heart of this volume. As a notorious rotten borough, its corruption influenced the passing of the 1832 Parliamentary Reform Act. The town and the surrounding parishes described here are bordered by Gloucestershire to the north and Swindon to the East. They extend along the upper Thames valley and over the Wiltshire claylands to the limestone ridge in the south. The royal forest of Braydon covered much of the area in the middle ages and provided extensive grazing for livestock. Although disafforestation took place under Charles I, agricultural exploitation was limited by poor soils and parts were later returned to woodland or nature reserve. The settlements of traditional limestone buildings were remote until canal and rail transport increased trade in dairy products and the expansion of employment opportunities in Swindon resulted in their residential development, and an annexation of a small part of the area by the growing town.
Reviews
The VCH remains a nationally-important work of reference for historians of all kinds and many other readers. It offers a consistent, overwhelmingly reliable, and comparable base of information and understanding. * ARCHIVES *
The volume will be a mine of information for the local and national researcher. * LANDSCAPE HISTORY *
[T]he volume is a welcome addition to the series and researchers will find plenty of information here on the area in the title. * THE RECORDER *



Book Information
ISBN 9781904356189
Author V.R. Bainbridge
Format Hardback
Page Count 332
Imprint Victoria County History
Publisher Victoria County History
Weight(grams) 2g