When we visit places, whether we’ve been there before or they’re completely new to us, we like to find beautiful books to complement our travels. There is nothing better, for us, than an early tour, travel or topography book. This helps us to imagine how places were before modernisation, and when travel and tours in the UK were a fairly recent thing.
Our recent trip to Stratford upon Avon led me to this beautiful book by Samuel Ireland Picturesque Views on the Upper, or Warwickshire, Avon. As well as William Smith's A New and Compendious History of the County of Warwick. Both books have beautiful plates as well as lots of information about Warwickshire in the late 18th century.
Whilst browsing Ireland’s works I came across another book by him which is of significance and interest to us: Picturesque Views on the River Medway. This volume traces the River from the Nore to its source in Sussex. The Sussex element of the book is the most interesting to us.
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