Amberley imprint: 2705 books

The Domesday Book confirms that Selly Oak existed in Saxon times. The Roman Roads associated with Metchley Fort and King's Norton indicate its early significance as a centre of communications. An archaeological excavation of the lime kilns in Goodman's Yard showed the crucial and important role it...

Chesham, a small market town in the valley of the River Chess between the beech-clad Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, has a long history of light craft industry based on locally produced raw materials. Early development had been confined to the floor of the valley, resulting in a very long, narrow...

Sittingbourne Through Time provides a detailed insight to this unique town. Straddling the old Roman road between London and Dover, the town’s position on this ancient route made it a stopover in which to refresh travellers and their horses. By showcasing modern and archive photographs side by side,...

Letchworth Garden City was founded in Hertfordshire in 1903. It was the realisation of social reformer, Ebenezer Howard’s dream of a new type of place, combining the best of town and country, where the surplus from the estate is reinvested for the benefit of its fortunate citizens. Over a century...

The only mention of the Star of Bethlehem in the New Testament is in the Gospel of Matthew. This reference has remained a great astronomical mystery, which has intrigued theologians, historians and astronomers throughout the ages. There has never been a satisfactory solution to this 2,000-year-old...

Tucked away in a corner of East Devon is the beautiful, unspoilt Axe Valley. At the mouth of the River Axe is the friendly coastal resort of Seaton. This idyllic town is depicted here in an attractive volume of period sepia photographs and modern colour images. Seaton's rich history, from its development...

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,...

Stockport in the 16th century was known for the cultivation of hemp and rope manufacture. In the 18th century the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the UK. Stockport's predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton and allied industries. Stockport was also the centre...

With a proud history of industry and creativity, Manchester is one of the world’s greatest cities. In 2015 it was designated ‘The Northern Powerhouse’ but, of course, being the home of the Industrial Revolution, it always was. Manchester gave the world technological innovation as well as manufacturing...

The designated 'new town' of Telford in Shropshire received its name in 1968; in fact, it is not a new town but rather a conurbation of townships and villages whose story goes back 3,000 years. In recent years, the area governed by Telford & Wrekin Council has been extended to include a wider...

From humble beginnings, Wolverhampton grew to become a significant railway town. Its success hinged upon its industrial might, which attracted several train companies to the town all hoping to profit from the area's trade and prosperity. The railways were the scene of bitter enmity, devious schemes...

Milton Regis, a suburb of Sittingbourne, has had a colourful and eventful history. In the centre of Milton Regis the royal and varied history can be seen in the buildings surrounding the main High Street. This area was once heavily involved in the paper manufacturing industry, an industry still in...

When the Normans arrived soon after 1066 Shrewsbury was already well established as an administrative centre with trading links throughout both England and Wales. That early market town thrived so that by 1300 or so it was one of the dozen most important and wealthy towns in England, despite regular...

The Country Shows of North Yorkshire tells the story of some of the shows held around this region in a set of striking black-and-white images from documentary photographer Ian Forsyth. The project began in 2012 and over the following years he has captured personal images of the people who show their...