Anthony Poulton Smith: 15 books

Ever wondered why our towns and villages are named as they are? Who named them and why? Which place has a name meaning 'the landing place of the dwellers in the town'? Was Rat Farm really infested by rodents? Where is there a pub known by a number not a name? Which town has streets named after philosophers...

Ever wondered why our towns and villages are named as they are? Who named them and why? Was there really a look-out point at Warningcamp? Did the Anchor Bleu public house once boast a French landlord? What is a gribble as seen in the Gribble Inn? Which town declared itself independent in 1965? Within...

Join author Anthony Poulton-Smith on a ghostly tour of his native Staffordshire. Meet Josiah Wedgwood, Lord Robert Marmion, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Rugeley Poisoner, the Kidsgrove Boggart, Lady Tempest Vane, the Crafty Cockney, a mermaid, pilots, clergy, airmen, doctors, a monkey man, the Gunpowder...

Anthony Poulton-Smith takes the reader on a fascinating A–Z tour of the haunted hotspots of Worcestershire. Contained within the pages of this book are strange tales of spectral sightings, active poltergeists, and restless spirits appearing in streets, inns, churches, estates, public buildings,...

In 1963, Dr. Beeching’s infamous report signalled the end for many miles of track, innumerable buildings, and the whole railway way of life. Much misery was caused and Beeching’s name was muddied, but in hindsight the report probably did more than any other single factor to preserve the nation’s...

Ever wondered where our towns and villages get their names from? Were they a deliberate creation by our ancestors or did they evolve naturally over time? South Staffordshire Street Names examines the origins of the names with which we are otherwise so familiar. Towns, villages, districts, hills, streams,...

Staffordshire's county town was home to Iron Age settlers before the Romans and then the Saxons contributed to its history. The pottery production for which the county has long been famous had its foundations in Stafford - pottery owners were drawn here by the rich mineral deposits and forestry. With...

Historically a part of Warwickshire, Solihull is today one of the most prosperous parts of the West Midlands conurbation. From its beginnings as a medieval market town, Silhillians throughout the ages have seen almost continuous growth, this also seen in the town's motto Urbs in Rure 'Town in Country'....

WARRIOR PRINCESS! The day Alfred the Great's DEADLY DAUGHTER seized Stafford! * DEATH to the NORMANS! The Battle of Stafford, the ASSASSINATED Earl and the BLOODY HISTORY of Stafford Castle! * The TRUE STORIES of Stafford's WEIRDEST RESIDENTS, including the man who tried Charles I and the poisonous...

The three towns of Paignton, Brixham and Torquay form the area of the Devon coast known as the English Riviera, due to the sandy beaches, mild climate and host of leisure attractions. However, all three towns have their own, unique heritage. The market town of Paignton is characterised by its Saxon...

Have you ever wondered how England's pubs got their names? How did some of the more weird and wonderful ones come into being? What is the history behind such names as Blink Bonny, Bucket of Blood, Lamorna Wink and My Father's Moustache?England's pubs have always been at the heart of the community...

As mankind gave up the nomadic hunter gatherer life and became farmers, they were largely self sufficient. However one vital commodity was available only in a few isolated areas - salt. These early settlements needed salt to preserve meat and as a vital part of the diet of every animal. Thus trade...

Ever wondered why our towns and villages are so named? Were they a deliberate creation by our ancestors or did they evolve naturally over time? Which Somerset village was held by the Pope at the time of Domesday? Who was Tom Mogg? Which village was named after the plant which inspired the inventor...

Ever wondered why our towns and villages are so named? Were they a deliberate creation by our ancestors or did they evolve naturally over time? Which river was named from the blackberries which grow there? Why would a rock be called the Pig's Nose? What links beer and cathedrals? Why is Mincing Lake...