The History of Appleby-in-Westmorland

Description

This is a new and revised paperback edition of Martin Holdgate’s classic history of Appleby in Westmorland.  The book includes updated information on the town thanks to recent archaeological work.  256 pages with more than 50 photographs, drawings and maps, plus an extensive index.

PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently being printed but any advance orders will be sent out as soon as possible.

“Sir Martin writes in a lucid and accessible style to give us a fascinating chronicle of the impact of national events and local leaders on Appleby’s history. The book conveys vividly the way in which the town’s fortunes and those of the barons of Westmorland, owners of Appleby Castle, ebbed and flowed and were reflected in the changing landscapes of the town across the centuries.” Dr Angus J L Winchester, Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, Lancaster University.

“There can be relatively little relating to the town which is not noted here… A fascinating store of information on, and insights about, Appleby itself, a town of unusual importance for its size… An impressive and gripping record of Appleby’s intriguing past.”   B J N Edwards, in the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Newsletter.

“There have been numerous examples of distinguished public figures writing local histories in their retirement, with very variable results. In truth, Martin Holdgate (scientist, conservationist and one-time civil servant) came to local history young in life, writing a 77-page ‘A History of Appleby: County town of Westmorland’ in 1956, as a digression from his early biological research at Cambridge. This was the area where he spent his childhood holidays. Lightly revised and reissued in 1970, the book has now been substantially expanded and rewritten, and though still largely dependent on what others have published, its strength lies in the synthesis of huge amounts of complex material – a skill which has impressed so deeply all who have known Sir Martin.

“The book is a history of Appleby, not of Westmorland, but the author points out that a town exists only in the context of its locality and region, so it might be read for its history of the border lands of England and Scotland, as illustrated by the experiences of Appleby. The structure has changed little, tracing the town’s prehistoric origins, Roman-British and Scandinavian influence, and the emergence of a prosperous, planted medieval borough which never outgrew the capacity of its two churches and relied on the natural protection of the river and the safety given by a strong castle.

“Appleby prospered when England had a strong government at peace with its northern neighbour. The town’s well-being was undermined by the Border wars, especially when coupled with outbreaks of human plague and murrain among livestock. Geography and history worked against the town, which never thereafter fulfilled the potential briefly glimpsed in the 13th century. The impression thereafter is of continuity, even of modest prosperity, but also of a town ticking over, drawing upon agricultural activity but with hardly any industry.

“The role of personalities was most strikingly illustrated by the singular figure of Lady Anne Clifford, a rare example of a personage of no first-class historical importance, but who nevertheless imprinted her character upon a whole countryside. It was not until the 18th century that a greater prosperity again became evident, most strikingly in the rebuilding of so many structures in stone. Few places the size of Appleby – which has never had more than 3,000 inhabitants – have made so large a contribution to national history.

“The book endeavours to range beyond the political context and personal detail to speculate at times as to how the town must have appeared, sounded and smelled. This highly-readable work concludes with a brief description of the present town, bringing together the different threads of conflict, ambition, industry and culture which have interacted over ten centuries with the patchwork of building amid the open countryside of the Eden Valley.” The Local Historian.