Valerie Porter Knihy

Combining first-hand accounts with original photography, this book is a study of village life between 1850 and 1939. It looks at the way key personalities such as the squire, farmer, parson, innkeeper, smith, miller and builder shaped the development of the English village.

Country life in every aspect has changed dramatically within living memory. This lovely book invites the reader to explore what has happened to our farms, villages, lanes and hedgerows in more detail than ever before. The author reveals the everyday lives of the country community - both the hardships and the pleasures - to give a complete picture of our grandparents and their forefathers as they worked on and with the land. The fragile future of the countryside rests in our hands - this fascinating book reminds us to take care of it.