Books in the Through Time series

Amid peaceful countryside, past historic towns and through the heart of London, the River Thames flows in an easterly direction for some 346 kilometres from its source in Gloucestershire until entering the North Sea. Over many centuries civilisations have traversed the ancient river by way of fords and early ferries, stone-built bridges, by locks, tunnels and railway lines and, most recently, by motorway crossings. Building methods and designs have changed dramatically over time yet, even now, bridges dating from medieval times still span the river, virtually unaltered since when they were built. Within London, bridges and tunnels, old and new, convey the capital's rail systems, road traffic and pedestrians across the Thames. The Thames and its crossings are ever changing and Geoff Lunn, as he travels downriver from source to sea, navigates the reader through their history and right up to the present day.

At the northern end of the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove and Butt Lane were quiet and rural areas of scattered settlements that became an industrial centre of great importance in the economy of North Staffordshire. Today, the areas are largely residential, with housing belonging mainly from the post-war era onwards. Coal mines and ironworks changed the landscape and population and housing increased; development by the Trent and Mersey Canal and the arrival of the railway allowed the area to flourish. Nowadays, most of the heavy industry has declined and many once-familiar sights have been swept away. However, it is possible to recreate something of the atmosphere of this industrial past and its social consequences through the illustrations and detail that accompany them. Drawing on a rich store of photographs and historical information, this book reveals a fascinating past for readers to enjoy as local author Tony Lancaster guides us through the streets, revealing the changing faces of Kidsgrove and Butt Lane.

Barrow-in-Furness is a small post-industrial town at the end of a long peninsula in the north of England. Its isolated location has produced a stalwart and close population. It started life as a small hamlet and grew to become an industrial leader, first in iron and steel and later in ship-building and engineering, drawing a workforce from all over the country. The ship-building industry continues to be a major employer but today there is less diversity than in Barrow's heyday. Although the town is known for its industry, it sits in one of the most beautiful areas of Cumbria. It boasts a rich heritage and spectacular views to the Lake District and across Morecambe Bay and, surrounded on three sides by the sea, it enjoys its own temperate climate. Furness Abbey was a great influence on the area in the medieval period and there are castles, churches, monuments and memories just waiting to be discovered by the unsuspecting visitor.

Broughty Ferry has gone through many changes since its origins as a small fishing village nestled in the shadow of a fifteenth-century castle. The industrial age saw wealthy jute barons arrive and build their grand residences there, while the coming of the train saw the town become a popular destination for holidaymakers. The twentieth century and beyond has seen Broughty Ferry evolve into a popular and affluent suburb. This compilation of images follows Broughty Ferry through all of these changes and shows how, despite officially becoming part of Dundee in 1913, 'the Ferry' has always maintained an independent air.

The main role of the tug is to assist vessels in the river or within the dock system by moving them by pushing or towing. They are also used to tow barges or platforms which have no engines or methods of propulsion. Tugs are designed to be highly manoeuvrable and powerful as they normally work with large vessels in restricted spaces. The main towing companies operating on the Mersey in the twentieth century were J. & J. H. Rea Limited, Liverpool Screw Towing Company and the Alexandra Towing Company Limited. Mersey tugs were employed to work with passenger liners, cargo vessels, oil tankers and other vessels working on the river. The modern tug is equipped with azimuthing thrusters or Voith Schneider Vertical propellers which enable them to generate the thrust required for towing the larger vessels which are now being built. In this book, Ian Collard charts the development of the Mersey tug from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

In ancient times Clapham was a secluded Surrey village, clustered round a manor house and church. By the seventeenth century, the wealthy of London were building houses here as rural retreats and, by 1800, their mansions in extensive grounds surrounded Clapham Common, which was becoming a place of recreation. The development of the railways in the nineteenth century meant that families who could afford large houses moved further out to the countryside, selling off their ground to developers who built the terraced houses which cover the area today. Around forty years ago, after a period of neglect and bomb damage from the Second World War, the area started to become 'gentrified' and is now a desirable London suburb. Clapham Through Time traces these changes over the years. A few mansions have survived and been put to new uses, several churches lost during the war have been replaced, Clapham Common is recognisable though used quite differently, but the greatest change is in the appearance of the ordinary streets - the shop fronts, vehicles and people. Many who have arrived in Clapham during the last few years will be amazed by its former appearance!

Belfast (Irish: Beal Feirste 'mouth of the sandbank ford') is the capital city of Northern Ireland. The site of Belfast has been described as 'not built on a perfect site' given that the original settlement was located on low-lying land on the Co. Antrim side of the River Lagan. It was during the Victorian period that wealthy business owners moved out of the old town and built grand villas on the hills surrounding the city. There are views of big houses, grand public buildings and churches, schools, public transport including trams, trolleybuses and steam trains, factories and suburbia. Many of these scenes are remarkably unchanged and much of the character of the bustling industrial city remains, while many locations have been swept away and are unrecognisable following recent redevelopments.

The impact of people and places in Wolstanton and May Bank is recorded in this pictorial record that recognises the contribution of village notables, dear old friends and long-gone institutions. A wealth of photographs depicting the joys of community life mingle with contemporary pictures, showing, often with dramatic impact, the shocking demolition of facilities we perhaps took for granted, such as The Plough, the Oxford Arms and The Marsh Head. Elsewhere, images of former shops such as Holdridge's, Swettenham's and the Spinning Wheel show how High Street shopping patterns have changed. Author Mervyn Edwards has only ever lived in Wolstanton and May Bank, and through this unique selection of old and new images, he presents a tribute to the place he happily calls home.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Anglesey has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Bermondsey & Rotherhithe have changed and developed over the last century

Ross-on-Wye sits high on a sandstone cliff overlooking a horseshoe bend in the beautiful River Wye. The birthplace of tourism, it boasts a rich tapestry of heritage and a unique landscape. Ross-on-Wye Through Time highlights the rich gems Ross has to offer. St Mary's church is its best-known landmark and can be seen from all approaches, housing notable tombs of past stalwarts of the town. John Kyrle was just one of these figures and his name was given to the local high school and an inn. In more recent years, names associated with the town have included Dennis Potter and Richard Hammond. Today Ross is known for its independent shops, picturesque streets, the Market Square and Market Hall. This fascinating collection of old and new photographs shows how much and, in some cases, how little this historic market town has changed.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Callander & Oban Railway has changed and developed over the last century.

Peeblesshire and its attractive county town are situated in Upper Tweeddale, an area of great beauty and tranquillity. Tucked into the Borders Hills, with the River Tweed at its heart, Peebles has much to offer both tourists and residents, including walking, fishing and cycling or simply strolling along the river banks or exploring the charming high street. The city of Edinburgh is a mere 22 miles north but Peebles retains its market town identity and is very much part of The Borders. Peebles was created a Royal Burgh in 1367 by David II. Some remnants of its past are easily seen such as the thirteenth century Neidpath Castle, dramatically towering above a meander in the gorge; others remain only as traces, like the east port of the sixteenth-century town wall. This collection of photographs portrays some of the changes that have taken place to Peebles and its environs as the town has developed and grown.

The Somerset & Dorset Railway, known as the S&D (said to also stand for 'Slow and Dirty' or 'Serene and Delightful'), ran from Bath across the Mendip hills to Bournemouth on the south coast. Never a high-speed line, the main traffic for the Somerset & Dorset during the winter months was freight and local passenger traffic. In the summer, however, there was heavy traffic as Saturday holiday services from the northern industrial towns passed along the line. In 1962, John Betjeman travelled along the Somerset & Dorset from Evercreech Junction to Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea, making a BBC documentary called Branch Line Railway, in which he pleaded for the line to be spared from the Beeching cuts. However, despite an active campaign to save it, and the promise by the new Labour government that there would be no more railway cutbacks, on 7 March 1966 the whole line was closed. 2016 will see the fiftieth anniversary of the closure of this much-mourned railway; here in this well-illustrated book, the history of the line is preserved.

The Scarborough & Whitby Railway was opened in July 1885. The 21 miles of line traversed the picturesque coast between the two towns for eighty years. There were eight stations on the line all with their own distinctive character and serving the different needs of visitors and local people. All of the stations along the route are fully illustrated in this book. The line closed in March 1965 and the buildings were later sold into private ownership and have been put to a variety of uses since that time. The aim of this book is to illustrate the changes both before and after closure along this fascinating and historical railway which has become a very popular walking and cycling trail that passes through the spectacular and varied scenery of the North Yorkshire coast.

Robin Hood's Bay and Fylingthorpe Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of Yorkshire. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of well-known streets and famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of the local history. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in the area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting for the first time. Robin Hood's Bay and Fylingthorpe Through Time also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.

The photographs in this fascinating collection enable the reader to explore the differences that passing time has wrought on the urban landscape of Portsmouth and Southsea, and place unrecognisable scenes in context in place and time. Archive images, including Victorian scenes, Edwardian postcards, and unique colour photographs from the 1960s and '70s, are compared and contrasted with a similar view today. These absorbing images, from professional and amateur photographers, include many street scenes alongside subjects ranging from a military band at Clarence Barracks in the 1910s, commercial shipping at the Camber in the 1930s, Billy Smart's circus in the 1950s and Dockyard pickets in the 1970s. Portsmouth Through Time is sure to evoke a wealth of personal memories and interest to anyone who knows and loves the city and would enjoy a trip into its recent past.