Books in the Britain's Heritage series

No style has divided opinion more than brutalism. But now, fifty years since the heyday of the style, Brutalist buildings are more popular than they have ever been. This is the perfect introduction to Britain's Brutalist monuments.

Since the dawn of the railways, away from the glamour of the main line express, thousands of miles of industrial railway moved raw materials and finished products. From sewage works to sugar factories, all manner of industries were served. These sometimes employed dozens of locomotives, or in other cases simply a horse or a petrol tractor. The Beckton gas works in London ran a massive railway, complete with locomotive roundhouse and signals, while the ironstone industry of the East Midlands operated on the edge of fields. It can be said that one was never more than a mile or two from an industrial railway, though often its existence might not have been well known. A corncucopia of locomotives provided power, while a fantastic array of specialist wagons moved all manner of goods. A few industrial lines have survived as heritage attractions, and one is even a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with Industrial Railways in all their variety.

Bastions of civic architecture, town halls are a prominent part of the urban landscape of towns and cities throughout Britain. They are part of a long tradition dating back to sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the town hall began to embody power and authority within local society and politics. Their design and decoration are a fascinating reflection of these centres of power, and architecturally they reflect the periods in which they were built, from the classical revival and Gothic styles of the nineteenth century to the art deco of the 1930s, and the modernist buildings of the mid- to later twentieth century. This book traces their historical development from their early beginnings to the present day, at a time when many are being repurposed as they become redundant, while others have opened themselves up for more secular use. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with town halls in all their variety.

England is a nation of gardeners and most of us garden in suburbia. A private paradise encompassed by privet, the suburban garden contains in its small compass the hopes and dreams of millions of gardeners past and present. From Victorian shrubberies to the 1980s 'Good Life', these small plots reveal the ever-changing aspirations and realities of the suburban dweller. Lauded by estate agents and satirised in literature, suburban plots are scattered with seating, sundials, goldfish ponds, and that most divisive of features: the overgrown hedge. With one foot in the country and one in the town, suburban garden style wavers from rural retreat to urban chic, decorative to productive, floral to formal. At its heart it is defined by its location and its size. Neglected by history, and sometimes in reality, this book celebrates the gardens that make up the green patchwork of suburbia. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with Suburban Gardens in all their variety.

The children of the 1960s flourished in an increasingly wealthy, and permissive world. Entertained by the Stones, the Beatles and Dr Who, the childhood of the baby boomers helped shape the world we live in today.

A lonely ruined church, mysterious bumps in a field, stone walls visible on the shoreline of a reservoir in high summer. All these are signs of settlements abandoned over the years, and this book is the perfect guide to these intriguing sites.

Corgi Toys - 'the ones with windows' were the toy cars to have in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. This is the ideal introduction to these toy vehicles, made in Swansea until 1983.

Few men over forty never owned a dinky toy when they were a child. This is the story of Britain's favourite toy cars.

The grand hotel is an icon of the British seaside. Occupying the most favoured spots on the prom, elaborate Victorian and later buildings maintain an air of refinement that harks back to an earlier age. This book tells their story.

Britain's narrow gauge railways are host to some of the oldest, most charming, varied and extraordinary locomotives to be found anywhere. This book is a fascinating survey of these appealing engines.

The cars of Austin, Ford, Standard, Hillman and Morris dominated the driveways of family homes in the 1960s, and provided many families with their first experience of four-wheeled motoring. This book tells the story of those beloved cars.

Susan Cohen takes us on a nostalgic journey through the history of nurses and nursing in Britain, from the pre-Nightingale days through to the post-NHS era.

Britain's churches, great houses and civic buildings are treasure houses, adorned with a collection of vivid stained glass that is the envy of the world. This is the perfect introduction to this too-often overlooked art form.

Wartime fashion is perhaps more popular now than it ever was in the 1940s, with thousands regularly recreating the look. This is the perfect introduction to '40s fashion for anyone interested in the decade of make do and mend.

The narrowboats built for transporting cargo on Britain's canals are one of the great symbols of Britain. This highly illustrated book explores their history and development, and what it was like to crew a working vessel.