There is a veritable feast of books about Kent, its history, its people, and its cultural heritage – and more are being published all the time. Below are reviews of just some that we have found particularly interesting, but please let us know if there is a book that you think we should review.
The old adage is ‘that a picture is worth a 1000 words’ and this 160 page book contains a myriad of delightful and educational pictures. Moreover, I found the narrative account that accompanies the pictures informative and readable.
The book is divided into 12 chapters, looking at the village, the manor, Meres Court, East...
![[title]](http://bygonekent.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/book-listing/issue-images/A%20Kentish%20Tale%20of%20Men%20and%20Manors.jpg)
This book tells the tale of the Kentish Downs and Wye Gap (an area continuously inhabited since prehistoric times) through the prism of the ancient manor of Eggardon in the parish of Godmersham.
The author tells the story of the ancient ridgeways which carried traffic to the sacred sites in the Stonehenge area, the barrows and burial...
This is a book of which all concerned in its production should be proud. The quality of illustrations and attractiveness of design are outstanding. Add to that the informative and interesting text and you have a winner. The history of nine communities along the river Cray is explored – Orpington, St Mary Cray, St Paul’s Cray, Foots...
Alfred Hambrook and his brother, Percy, set up a commercial operation supplying postcards of the Mid Kent district from a shop in Snodland in 1904 and continued until the 1940s, although most were printed between 1904 and 1907.
Andrew Ashbee has put together a fascinating collection of these cards and endeavoured to contrast the ‘...
This is the ultimate ‘coffee table’ book, with sumptuous photographs showing Britain in all its wonderful glory. Historical ruins sit alongside modern buildings, rolling hills against formal gardens, famous landmarks amongst picturesque villages. The chosen 100 have been selected for their visual impact as much as their uniqueness...
Marking the developments of the once sleepy market town to one that has seen dramatic growth over the last 50 years, particularly with the building of the Channel Tunnel.
In the 18th century, the wild heathland of Bexley Heath to the north of Bexley village was a haunt of highwaymen and thieves preying on hapless travellers using the ancient route from London to Canterbury and Dover which passed through the area from west to east.
The enclosure of the scrubland by local farmers and landowners...
Particularly interesting is seeing how Canterbury looked before World War II when so much of the city centre was destroyed.
Kent’s ancient cathedral city is an ideal place to explore, full of a myriad of nooks and crannies bursting with history. Next time you set out to discover more about the city, put a copy of this book in your pocket, it’s jam-packed full of facts and trivia, strange tales and colourful characters, covering such diverse subjects as...
Older readers in the Medway Towns will enjoy this history of the London & Rochester Trading Co Ltd, which later became known as Crescent Shipping. The company was incorporated in 1900 and for nearly 80 years their ships, sailing and motor barges could be seen in most east coast ports. Expansion into ships came later.
A...