Yorkshire Countryside

Book excerpt: Yorkshire summons up a distinct mental image in the minds of outsiders - whether of wind-lashed moorland, smoking chimneys or tough, blunt people. This illustrated survey of the changing rural landscapes of the region shows how the quality of 'Yorkshireness' varies greatly between one area and another. Moving chronologically from the Mesolithic period through to the post-medieval era of enclosure and industrialization, it allows the reader to mentally reconstruct the successive landscapes as they appeared and evolved through generations. The key elements - settlement patterns, strongholds, church and vernacular architecture, field systems and communications - are all considered in this fascinating history of one of England's best-known regions.