Review by Choice Review
An analysis of ``Cumbria'' (the English Lake District) during the medieval period from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Elizabeth I (1100-1550 CE). Following an introduction that sets the historical and geographical scene, Chapter 2 examines the landscape of the ancient territorial boundaries of lordships, parishes, and manors. Chapter 3 treats villages and farmsteads and reconstructs the settlement history of Cumbria. Chapters 4 and 5 address the landscapes of farms and the open fell of medieval Cumbria that were separated by the ubiquitous ``head-dyke'' that demarcated the distinct yet integrated worlds of stock-raising and crops. Chapter 6 examines the customary usages and economic organization of woodland and fisheries. Cumbria's medieval textile and mineral industry and the emerging system of towns and markets are discussed in Chapter 7. The conclusion asserts that Cumbria's medieval landscape was a product of environmental and economic determinism with the dichotomy between upland fell country and lowland plain represented in two distinct cultural landscapes. An informative appendix contains a detailed examination of six townships to demonstrate the salient themes addressed in the preceding chapters. The text is complemented by 39 maps, efficient footnoting and a glossary.-B. Osborne, Queen's University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
