Table Of ContentA n h i s t o r i c a l Geography
OF Eng land and Wales
SECOND EDITION
Edited by
R. A. Dodgshon
Institute of Earth Studies, The University Colege of Wales, Aberystwyth
R. A. Butlin
Department of Geography, Loughborough University of Technology
ACADEMIC PRESS
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First edihon published 1978
British Library Cataloguing in Publicat ion Data
An historical geography of England and Wales . -2nd . ed.
1. England. Historical geography
I. Dodgshon, R. A. II. Buthn, R. A .
911 .42
ISBN 0 - 1 2 - 2 1 9 2 5 3 - 2
ISBN 0 - 1 2 - 2 1 9 2 5 4 - 0 (pbk)
Typeset by Paston Press, Loddon , Norfolk
Printed in Great Britain by the University Press, Cambridge
Contributors
R. A. BUTLIN, Department of Geography, Loughborough University of Technology,
Loughborough, Leicestershire, LEU 3TU, England.
B. M. S. C A M P B E L L , Department of Economic History, Queen's University, Belfast,
BT7 INN.
H. C. CARTER, Department of Geography, Institute of Earth Studies, University College of
Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, SY23 3DB, Wales.
S. DANIELS, Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park,
Nottingham, NG7 2RD, England.
R. DENNIS, Department of Geography, University College, 26 Bedford Way, London,
WCIHOAP, England.
R. A. D O D G S H O N , Department of Geography, Institute of Earth Studies, University
College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, SY23 3DB, Wales.
P. G L E N N I E , Department of Geography, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol,
BS81SS, England.
D. GREGORY, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, 217-1984 West
Mal, Vancouver, British Columbia, Y6T1W5, Canada.
I. H O D D E R , Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street,
Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, England.
G. R. J . J O N E S , School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LSI 9JT, England.
R. L A W T O N , formerly Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, presently
Department of Geography, Loughborough University of Technology, Loughborough,
Leicestershire, LEU 3TU, England.
M. MILLETT, Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, 46 Saddler Street,
Durham City, Durham, DHl 3NV, England.
E. P A W S O N , Department of Geography, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 1, New
Zealand.
B. K. ROBERTS, Department of Geography, University of Durham, South Road, Durham
City, Durham, DHl 3LE, England.
B. T. ROBSON, School of Geography, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL,
England.
S. S E Y M O U R , Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park,
Nottingham, NG7 2RD, England.
R. M. SMITH, All Souls College, Oxford, OXl 4AL, England.
N. THRIFT, Department of Geography, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol,
BS81SS.
P. T. H. U N W I N , Department of Geography, Royal Holloway and Bedford College, Egham
Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 OEX.
vi Contributors
J. R. W A L T O N , Department of Geography, Institute of Earth Studies, University College of
Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, SY23 3DB, Wales.
J. Y E L L I N G , Department of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 7-15 Gresse
Street, London WIP IP A, England.
Preface
If the vigour of a subject can be measured by the speed at which debate over its
central themes moves forward and by the extent to which it pushes out its bounds
into wholly new perspectives and themes, then British historical geography is in
good heart. Since the first edition oν An Historical Geography of England and Wales was
pubhshed in 1978, the amount of pubhshed work has increased substantially. With
this expansion have c o m e significant shifts in the way British historical geographers
are tackling their research problems. Four particular deve lopments can be men
tioned. First, there has been a dramat ic broadening of theme. Alongside staples like
the historical geography of settlement and population, there n o w exist very active
debates on a whole range of socio-cultural and political topics from the impact of
industrializahon on the constitutive character of cultural regions to nineteenth-
century trade unions. Second, with this broadening of theme has c o m e a greater
range of methodologies . Whilst the subject has further s trengthened its empirical
traditions, notably via the computer-handl ing of vast data sets and the detailed
specification of time-space paths, it can also boast studies whose concern is with
more elusive themes, like the symbohsm and meaning of landscape, whose articula
tion calls for a m o r e refined use of language. Thirdly, prompted by these changes in
theme and methodology, historical geographers are now working on a wider variety
of sources . In addirion to the use of aggregated data sets like Domesday Book or the
population censuses , they can now be found building up regional and narional
patterns through the improvised and collated use of fragmented sources like
inquisitiones post mortem, probate inventories, banking records , literary texts and
paintings. Fourthly and finally, historical geographers have become m o r e ideologi
cally aware . Not only has this new sense of relativism enriched their debate over
historical themes, but significantly, it has estabhshed fresh channels through which
they have contributed to geographical thought at large. Indeed, historical geog
raphers have been at the leading edge of recent philosophical and methodological
debate in h u m a n geography. Given the pace at which these changes have taken
place since the first edirion oν An Historical Geography, both editors and pubhsher felt
that a new edirion was n o w needed.
Our intenrion has been to produce a fully revised and enlarged edirion, one
mindful of the changes that are currentiy helping to both broaden and deepen the
subject. Amongs t the fourteen authors w h o contributed to the first edirion, two felt
unable to take part in the second edition due to changes in their interests and
perspectives. Together with changes in the layout of chapters and the addition of
extra themes, this has enabled us to bring in nine new authors . The sum effect has
via Preface
been to produce a radically new book, one that provides an up-to-date survey of
standard themes and perspectives but which has been successfully expanded so as
to embrace some of the newer themes and approaches .
R. A. D O D G S H O N R. A. BUTLIN
Preface to the First Edition
The historical geography of England and Wales has never boasted a wide range of
textbooks. To some extent, this reflected jushfied sahsfaction with those available.
However , the last decade has witnessed important changes in the content of
historical geography. Stated simply, there has been a shift towards a m o r e interpre-
tahve approach to the past. N o longer concerned solely with the reconstruct ion of
past spahal patterns, or historical map-making, m o r e and m o r e geographers are
showing an equal if not greater concern for the processes which helped structure
such patterns. Assisting this transition has been the marked increase in the number
of practising historical geographers since the early 1960s, an increase n o w manifest
in the growing volume of published work and organized conference achvity. With
these developments has c o m e a changing evaluahon of past problems. Previously
neglected issues have suddenly been cast into sharp focus, somet imes via energetic ,
multi-sided debates which have injected a n e w vitahty into the subject.
As the impact of these changes has grown, there has emerged an urgent need for a
textbook which takes stock of what has been achieved so far in respect of the
historical geography of England and Wales . This vo lume of edited essays seeks to
fulfil this need. A series of broad syntheses deahng with the periods before 1500 is
followed by a series of detailed discussions of systematic themes within the early
modern (1500-1730) and modern (1730 -1900 ) periods. The greater space devoted to
the periods after 1500 matches the balance of current work and interest. Their
organization on a systematic basis is consistent with the growing tendency amongst
historical geographers to identify themselves m o r e by theme (i.e. urban, population)
than by period. The editors have not tried to impose a formal structure or format on
the discussion. In deference to the fact that once the weight is shifted from
description to interpretation, a variety of differing or even conflicting viewpoints is
admitted, contributors have therefore been allowed, within limits, to be the archi
tects of their own houses . The editors feel the result is a text that should stimulate the
student's mind rather than just fill it, and that wih convey m a n y of the ideas and
conclusions embodied in m u c h recent literature. Indeed, most contributions would
have been substantially different had they been written ten years ago. In short, they
demonstrate the progress which has been m a d e in recent years . Above all, they
highlight the areas of the subject which have responded most to the challenge of
'new' geography by arhculahng their ideas or interpretahons through concepts ,
theories or models . However , they also show that this response has not been a
slavish apphcation of modern spatial theory to historical data. W h e t h e r w e talk in
terms of historicism or in terms of what E. P. T h o m p s o n called 'the discipline of
context' whereby each fact or event is given meaning only within 'an ensemble of
IX
χ Preface to the First Edition
other meanings' , so that w e can never totally abstract them from the context of the
past, historical geography will a lways have claim to problems and processes that are
distinctly its own. Herein will always lie the originality of its contribution to the
wider subject of geography.
Inevitably, a book of this nature cannot be compiled without the editors building
up a network of debt. Needless to say, w e have a special debt to all the contributors
for making the book possible and for working to very strict and tight deadlines. W e
are also indebted to Anthony Watkinson of Academic Press for his constant help and
guidance in the product ion of the book. Finally, we would like to express our thanks
to the technicians in the Departments of Geography at both the University College of
Wales , Aberystwyth and Queen Mary College, University of London , w h o have
helped re-draw and re-photograph m a p s and diagrams, especially D. D. Griffiths
and D. Williams of Aberystwyth and D. Shewan of Queen Mary College.
R. A. D O D G S H O N R. A. BUTLIN
List of Illustrations
Fig. page
1.1. Problems of archaeological evidence 14
2.1. Principal coin-using zones in later-Iron-Age Britain 27
2.2. The administrative divisions, the civitates, of Roman Britain . . . . 29
2.3. Principal towns and roads of Roman Britain 30
2.4. The distribution of early Romano-Brit ish Savernake pottery . . . . 33
2.5. The distribution of mosaics associated with parhcular workshops
in fourth-century Britain 34
2.6. The distribution of potery from N e w Forest kilns 35
2.7. Homesteads in north-west Wales 38
2.8. The Roman road network centred on L o n d o n 40
2.9. The Roman road network ordered with reference to L o n d o n . . . 40
3.1. The Saxons in southern Britain c. 60 47
3.2. Multiple estates in Elmet 54
3.3. The Scandinavians in southern Britain and the Anglo-Danish
strugle 59
4.1. Domesday populahon and plough-teams; changing prosperity,
1 0 8 6 - 1 3 3 4 and 134-1524 /25 72
4.2. Aspects of demesne land use, 1 3 0 0 - 9 82
4.3. Types of demesne crop combinations by county 84
4.4. Types of demesne livestock combinahon by coufity 85
5.1. Boroughs m e n h o n e d in Domesday Bok, 1086 128
5.2. Medieval boroughs estabhshed after 1086 130
5.3. English wol and cloth exports 1 3 4 7 - 1 5 4 4 135
5.4. Medieval boroughs and markets: Lancashire and
Not inghamshire 138
5.5. The medieval transport network of England and Wales 145
6.1. Five year totals of births, marriages and deaths in England,
1540 - 1 8 3 7 152
6.2. Population of England, 1541-1751 154
6.3. Quinquennial expectat ions of life at birth data compared with an
1-year moving average of a real wage index 156
6.4. Geographical distribution of local crises in October 15 9 6 - J u n e 1598
and November 162-December 1623 159
6.5. Quinquenial GRs in England 1541-1751 16
6.6. Real wage trends and crude first-mariage rates 171
6.7. Peak mariage seasons 1 5 6 1 - 1 6 0 0 169
6.8. Peak mariage seasons, 1 6 8 1 - 1 7 2 0 170
xix
XX List of Illustrations
Fig. page
8.1. Distribution of major textile specializations, c. 1500 and c. 1700 . . 206
8.2. Aspects of the suply of consumer gods 212
8.3. Towns with populations over 50 in c. 1520 and c. 170 215
8.4. Towns with promenades and pubhc gardens by 1730 218
9.1. England and Wales: regional studies by natural historians after
c, 1650 232
9.2. Regional divisions of Dorset 235
9.3. Regionso f Wiltshire, 1794 237
9.4. 'Natural districts' of northern England, 1808 238
9.5. Regional novelists of England and Wales 248
11.1. Total population and trends in Great Britain and Ireland,
1741 -19 2 6 and vital trends in England, 1751-1836 , and England
and Wales, 1 8 3 7 - 1 9 2 6 286
11.2. C omponent s of population change in England and Wales ,
17 8 1 - 1 8 0 0 297
11.3. C omponent s of population change in England and Wales ,
1 8 0 1 - 3 0 298
11.4. PopulaHon distribuHon in England and Wales , 1801, 1851, and
191 303
11.5. PopulaHon trends in England and Wales , 1 8 5 1 - 1 9 1 1 : total, natural
and migrational 304
11.6. Indices of overall fertihty (If) in England and Wales , 1861 and 1891,
by registration district 314
12.1. The d e m a n d - s u p p l y system for food in England and Wales
1 7 3 0 - 1 9 1 4 326
13.1. The distribuHon of male employment in 'revolurionized' industry,
1841 352
13.2. Time-space paths in the domesHc wolen industry 356
13.3. Clas aliances in the domesHc wolen industry, c. 1806 358
13.4. The geography of social protest in the northern counries, 1 8 1 1 - 1 2 . 359
13.5. Coal mining, c, 1 7 0 0 - 1 8 3 0 363
13.6. Coal markering, c. 1830 365
13.7. The iron industry, c. 178 367
13.8. The difusion of steam engines 1 7 1 2 - 1 8 0 0 369
13.9. The distribution of Sun and Planet engines, 1802 370
13.10. The geography of CharHsm, 1842 376
13.1. The sparial s tructure of joint-stock banking, 1836 380
13.12. Time-space convergence , 1 8 1 1 - 1 8 3 6 382
14.1. The pattern of urban growth in England and Wales in four
selected decades 408
14.2. The rank-size array of towns in England and Wales , 1801-1911 . . 410
14.3. The circular and cumulaHve feedback process of local urban size-
growth 41
14.4. A generalized view of forces shaping the array of towns in the
ninetenth century 414
