Atherstone : A History

Atherstone: A Pleasantly Placed Town presents the history of Atherstone in depth and detail. Chronicling the development of a small North Warwickshire market town, it offers more generally a fascinating study of the history of Warwickshire and the Midlands. Opening with the geographical and geological background to the town's foundation, the book leads us through the Roman presence to a significant new account of the area in Anglo-Saxon times. The 13th-century establishment of the new town and the account of 14th- to 18th- century small-town life is authoritatively described. The concluding chapters deal with two notable aspects of Atherstone's history - the hatting industry and the overcrowded yards of the 19th century. Crucial to the book is a remarkable central chapter, extensively illustrated, which provides an architectural review of all the buildings in the town centre, together with carefully detailed histories of six of the oldest of these. Based on extensive research by eight highly regarded contributors, the book also draws on the work, over five years, of the History of Atherstone Research Team.