The new reading the landscape : fieldwork in landscape history

In this handbook for all those researching landscape history, Richard Muir explains how to recognize and interpret the complex evidence for historical change in England's countryside.

Drawing on research carried out since "Reading the Landscape" was originally published in 1981, Muir provides a synthesis of thinking about the history of the key elements in England's rural landscape.

As well as covering familiar topics such as villages, woodlands and roads, he explores how landscape features are human ideas made manifest - boundary walls and hedges reflect territoriality, churches and henges reflect belief and castles and hillforts reflect status and the need for defence.

Throughout, he explains how the researcher can link the evidence of field archaeology, ecology, and documentary research to develop as complete a picture as possible.