When this book arrived, I was impressed by the large, beautiful photographs and high quality finish. I was equally impressed by the contents. Written by two authors, Anna Keay and Caroline Sandford, with a forward by Griff Rhys Jones, the enthusiasm and passion for the heritage they deal with flows throughout the book.
The book has been produced to celebrate the first fifty years of the charity The Landmark Trust, which the first chapter introduces us to the work it undertakes, the ethos of how it developed and where it is now. This ethos hasn’t changed, though the funding and general understanding of heritage protection has.
The book aims to explain the development of architectural history by taking a sample of 50 buildings owned by the Trust. The first few case study buildings look at a wider social history of the patron and the reason why the building was constructed. As the book develops, it progresses more into architectural and social history of the period. Unlike many architectural history books, it considers the wider impact of the changing social and technological requirements, by doing this it explores many buildings that are not always considered by historians. This is clearly demonstrated by the water tower that was built to provide fresh water to the Balmoral Palace and the local village West Newton Village or St Winifred’s Well, Shropshire. The most refreshing part of this book is the passing comment at the end of each case study highlighting how the building became to be owned by the Trust, rather than explaining the restoration work undertaken - it does certainly not blow its own trumpet on the work.
The book is aimed at the general public, though any early researcher, student, or young professional should read this book. I would also recommend this book to any seasoned professional to reignite their passion or confirm that others care about our heritage. The book should also be read by those looking to enhance their writing styles as Dr Anna Keay writes in an accessible style, though she certainly does not dumb down the subject. This book is a high quality product, extremely well written and researched, produced by an underrated charity, and is well worth the £25 cover price.