We're always seeking out interesting books about ruins and abbeys; if they are antiquarian and leather bound, so much the better!
So, I was inspired by some book friends (they know who they are!) to seek out two books about abbeys and ruins that we don't have, that they mentioned in a post about Furness Abbey.
I had no idea that M R James wrote a book about ruined abbeys, so I was really excited to track a copy down. It's so interesting with lots of information about abbeys we have visited and abbeys we plan to visit. What I am enjoying most is that the book was published by The Great Western Railway so only covers abbeys that were accessible by trains run by this company! Whilst browsing the book I realised that the whole of Yorkshire is missed out!
Another book I wasn't aware of was Ruined Abbeys of Great Britain by Ralph Adams Cram. I have managed to find a really lovely copy of this fascinating book. As we were at Byland Abbey last weekend, I have really enjoyed reading the description.
Finally, in our recent purchases about abbeys and ruins we purchased G J Parkyns Monastic and Baronial Remains. This two volume set is crammed full of dozens of engravings illustrating abbeys and castles across England, Scotland and Wales. A fascinating book. It's really interesting to contemplate how ruins have changed. Some have had some repair work done and made safe for visitors, some have all but disappeared from the landscape.
Some excellent additions to add to our book collection.