Malcolm Hislop

Spread across the medieval kingdom of England in a network of often formidable strongholds, castles, like cathedrals, are defining landmarks of their age, dominating their settings, in many cases even to this day. By representing an essential aspect of our history and heritage, the interpretation of which is constantly being revised, they demonstrate the value of Malcolm Hislop’s compact, authoritative and well illustrated new guide to English castles. The gazetteer includes an astonishing variety of types, sizes and designs. Individual entries bring out the salient points of interest including historical context, building history and architectural character. The defensive and domestic purposes of these remarkable buildings are explained, as is the way in which their layout and role developed over the course of hundreds of years, from the predominantly earth and timber fortresses of the Normans to the complex stone castles of the later Middle Ages, many of which can be visited today. Hislop’s experience as an archaeologist specializing in medieval buildings, castles in particular, as well as his eye for structural detail, ensure that his guide is a necessary handbook for readers who are keen on medieval history and warfare, and for visitors who are looking for an accessible introduction to these monumental relics of England’s military past.

In Castle Builders, Malcolm Hislop looks at the hugely popular subject of castles from the unusual perspective of design and construction. In this general introduction to the subject, we discover something of the personalities behind their creation - the architects and craftsmen - and, furthermore, the techniques they employed, and how style and technology was disseminated. Castle Builders takes both a thematic and a chronological approach to the design and construction of castles, providing the reader with clear lines of development. Themes include earth, timber and stone construction techniques, the evolution of the great tower, the development of military engineering, the progression of domestic accommodation, and the degree to which aesthetics contributed to castle design. AUTHOR: Malcolm Hislop is a buildings archaeologist and author with a special interest in medieval buildings. His doctoral thesis was based around the career of the Durham master mason, John Lewyn, one of the most prolific castle builders of the fourteenth century, and he has continued to maintain a keen interest in the process of medieval building design and construction. He is the author of John Lewyn of Durham, How to Build a Cathedral and How to Read Castles. Born in Yorkshire, he now lives in north-east Wales. 150 colour illustrations

James of St George has a reputation as one of the most significant castle builders of the Middle Ages. His origins and early career at the heart of Europe, and his subsequent masterminding of Edward I of England's castle-building programmes in Wales and Scotland, bestow upon him an international status afforded to few other master builders retained by the English crown. The works erected under his leadership represent what many consider to be the apog e of castle development in the British Isles, and Malcolm Hislop's absorbing new study of the architecture is the most important reassessment to be published in recent times. His book explores the evolution of the Edwardian castle and James of St George's contribution to it. He gives a fascinating insight into the design, construction and organisation of such large-scale building projects, and the structural, military and domestic characters of the castles themselves. James's work on castles in the medieval duchy of Savoy is revisited, as are the native and foreign influences on the design of those he built for Edward I. Some seventy years after A. J. Taylor began his pioneering research into James of St George and his connection with Wales, the time is ripe for this revaluation of James's impact and of the extent of his influence on the architectural character of the

The essential companion to discover the styles, architecture, form, significance and historical impact of castles from all over the world. How to Read Castles is a travel-size primer that takes a strictly visual approach to castle architecture, building up your vocabulary of castle types, styles and materials, and showing you how these aspects can be recognised across architectural features from the floor-plan and moat, to the towers and crenulations. Focusing on the 10th-16th century period, and crusading across the globe from a Welsh motte-and-bailey to a Japanese hirajiro, this is both an architectural reference and a visitor's guide showing you how to read the stories embedded in every castle’s stones. Castles once dominated the landscape as seats of power and symbols of wealth and status, providing a means of control over borders, passes, routes and rivers. Armed with this book you will be able to unpick their histories and see how they shaped the land around them. From rugged coastline defences to soaring mountain fortresses, this book takes you on an international journey of discovery, exploring some of the most inspiring and impressive architecture history has ever seen.

Based on the work of the Tutbury Research Project, which ran from 2004-07, this study combines field survey, excavations and historical research to present the most complete picture yet available of Tutbury Castle and its landscape. The castle was founded as a motte and bailey in 1068-69 and reorganised in the 12th century, whilst the fifteenth century saw a major rebuilding as a royal castle, the phase to which the majority of the surviving architecture relates.

This report outlines the results of archaeological investigations at Old Hall Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK (NGR SO 916984), carried out between 2000 and 2007. The results of the archaeological work have been combined with documentary, cartographic and genealogical studies, together with finds and scientific analyses, to present a broad interpretation of the history of settlement in the area and the motives behind it.