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Essex, one the largest counties of England, stretches from the suburban fringes of East London to the fishing and sailing ports of Harwich and Maldon and the famous seaside resorts of Clacton, Frinton, and Southend. Its buildings encompass rich Roman survivals, powerful Norman architecture, and the remains of major Tudor and Jacobean country houses. Essex is first and foremost a county famed for its timber buildings, from the eleventh-century church at Greensted to the early and mighty barns at Cressing Temple, and a wealth of timber-framed medieval houses. Later periods have also made their contribution, from Georgian town houses to Victorian and Edwardian industrial and civic buildings, and from important exemplars of early Modern Movement architecture to the major monument of High Tech at Stansted Airport.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARD 2023 'Exceptionally well-written and intelligent ... if you are interested in this remarkable microcosm of England, the book will grip you; if you aren't, it will make you realise that you jolly well should be.' Simon Heffer, Spectator 'A deeply sensitive and engaging portrait of a misunderstood county and its people' Financial Times 'A stellar performance' Jonathan Meades Essex. A county both famous and infamous: the stuff of tabloid headlines and reality television, consumer culture and right-wing politicians. England's dark id. But beyond the sensationalist headlines lies a strange and secret place with a rich history: of smugglers and private islands, artists and radicals, myths and legends. It's where the Peasants' Revolt began and the Empire Windrush docked. And - from political movements like Brexit to cultural events like TOWIE - where Essex leads, the rest of us often follow. Deeply researched and thoroughly engaging, The Invention of Essex shows that there is more to this fabled English county than meets the eye.
The historic county of Essex is one of the larger counties in England, its western half gradually absorbed into London's eastern sprawl from the nineteenth century onwards. Its buildings are appropriately varied in character, ranging from the Edwardian civic buildings of West Ham and Walthamstow, to the fishing and sailing ports and seaside resorts of the estuaries of the east coast. Besides the great Norman Castle Hedingham and Elizabethan Audley End, Essex boasts pioneering brick houses such as Layer Marney Towers as well as numerous fine timber buildings. Towns and cities range from Colchester with its rich Roman and medieval remains, to the more recent experiments at Harlow New Town.
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The Essex landscape gently undulates, with the hilliest country is in the north and west, near the Herfordshire and Cambridgeshire borders. On the marshes of Essex, for example, there is a genuine feeling of solitude that is hard to find anywhere else in southern England. Colchester, the oldest recorded town in Britain, is featured in one of the walks, and there are routes through Epping and Hatfield forests, which contain some of the finest surviving fragments of England's medieval forests. The Essex-Suffolk border is Constable Country, and walkers are guided through Dedham Vale, passing Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage.
A fascinating history of Elizabeth I 'The Virgin Queen and one of her male favorites the Earl of Essex, 30 years her junior. The relationship caused a stir in its day and led to questions, rumors and endless gossip.
The Essex landscape gently undulates, with the highest ground to the north and west, near the Herfordshire and Cambridgeshire borders. A variety of routes are selected across the county to give a broad flavour of the county's landscapes and heritage. On the marshes of Essex there is a genuine feeling of solitude that is hard to find anywhere else in southern England. Colchester, the oldest recorded town in Britain, is featured in one of the walks, and there are routes through Epping and Hatfield forests, which contain some of the finest surviving fragments of England's medieval forests. The Essex-Suffolk border is Constable Country, and walkers are guided through Dedham Vale, passing Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage.
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