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Lewes appears to be a tranquil and attractive place but its alleyways and buildings conceal many stories. The town's origins can be traced back to prehistory and the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Normans have all left their mark. Author Terry Philpot takes the reader on a fascinating journey through streets that have been walked by artists like Eric Gill and writers from John Evelyn to Virginia Woolf, as well as revolutionaries and reformers from Thomas Paine to Eamon de Valera, and some remarkable local people. The annual Bonfire Night, when an effigy of the Pope is burned, is a reminder of a vibrant religious history that includes the Norman foundation of the Priory of St Pancras to the execution of seventeen Protestant martyrs in the sixteenth century. From the decisive battle of the Second Barons' War, England's 'unknown' civil war of the thirteenth century, to its prison, which held Finnish soldiers captured during the Crimean War 600 years later, English history echoes in Lewes. But it is also a place where eccentrics have had a place, inventors and pioneers have thrived, and entrepreneurs, whose names are now known in today's fashionable shopping places, have flourished. Donminated by castle and prison and once a major port, Lewes' past, sometimes violent, sometimes inventive, and sometimes creative but always engrossing, is ever present all around you.

Every corner of Nottingham is rich in history, and if the streets could talk they might tell of the people and events they have witnessed. Many ancient secrets have remained untold, such as the purpose of the great Viking 'long-house' found beneath the site of a demolished Victorian factory, and who built the ancient mound that once marked the site of the spot where a king of England raised his standard. Perhaps the city's greatest secret of all lies beneath its streets - a labyrinth of over 500 man-made caves. Visitors to Nottingham are often told not to stamp their feet too hard as they never quiet know where they will end up. Father and son authors Frank and Joe Earp are privy to these and many more of Nottingham's secrets. Come with them as they share their knowledge within the pages of this book.

Explore Leith's secret hidden history through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Explore the secret history of Rutland through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Explore Dundee's secret hidden history through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Northamptonshire has witnessed a great many events and incidents, some of national importance, others of purely local significance. What is common to practically all of them, however, is that they have either been forgotten, discarded, or hidden away - sometimes deliberately - victims of time and progress, as lifestyles and customs have changed. Similarly, many features of the countryside and village streets have been left to erode, rust or become enveloped in foliage, yet they are still there tucked away out of view, rare relics of a bygone age. This book aims to raise awareness of their existence and bring them to life once again - a diverse, colourful range of features from the past that make up Secret Northamptonshire.

Explore the secret history of Cork through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Explore Shrewsbury's secret history through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Explore the secret history of Colchester, reputedly the oldest recorded town in Britain, with this fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Secret Ramsgate explores the lesser-known history of the Kent seaside town of Ramsgate through a fascinating selection of stories, unusual facts and attractive photographs.

Secret Lichfield explores the lesser-known history of the Staffordshire city of Lichfield through a fascinating selection of stories, unusual facts and attractive photographs.

Far from the crowds and the usual cliches, Naples holds many well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to local residents and travellers who know where to step off the beaten track.

Geneva holds well-hidden treasures that are only revealed to residents and travelers who know how to wander off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who think they know Geneva well or who want to discover the hidden side of the city.

Explore Stratford-upon-Avon's secret history through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Explore the secret history of Falkirk through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Durham City is a remarkable place, a priceless historical gem and, deservedly, a World Heritage Site. Over 1,000 years Durham's great beauty and history has inspired many architectural descriptions and guides. This book follows in their footsteps but then takes a different path. Wandering through the cathedral's darkened cloisters, the city's narrow medieval streets and the river's winding pathways, Secret City of Durham is one man's view of this famed peninsula - an occasionally quirky tour through history that looks beyond the iconic architecture and behind the fascinating jumble of city buildings. The author peels back their facades to reveal the bewildering changes and on the way points out the lesser-known facts and characters associated with them. What points the way to Durham Cathedral and St Cuthbert's tomb and where can it be found? Who lived in Windy Gap? Why St Mary-the-'Less'? Secret City of Durham answers these fascinating questions and many more in a modern pilgrimage through the city.

Leeds is the UK's third largest city and is home to a community rich in history, ambition and achievement. As the financial, cultural and commercial heart of West Yorkshire, Leeds is a city essential to the global economic system. Although only a small borough for much of its existence, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Leeds became a key centre for the production and trading of wool. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, Leeds developed into a major industrial hub, extending its reach into engineering, printing, commerce, health and education. Iron foundries were among other industries of extreme importance. The city then expanded, absorbing many of the surrounding villages and townships to become the urban centre we see today. Secret Leeds is a historical journey through this rapidly changing city, unearthing nuggets of its early history and spectacular development into the 'Capital of the North'. The book reveals and unravels scores of fascinating and little-known details about Leeds that will intrigue and inform its many visitors as well as its current inhabitants, many of whom probably thought they knew it all.

A new town established in the 1800s, Colwyn Bay thrived with the coming of the railway, growing over the last century into one of the largest communities in North Wales. In Secret Colwyn Bay, local author Graham Roberts takes the reader off the beaten track and into the less well-known episodes of the town's history. From tales of famous and infamous characters, strange events and hidden architectural gems, this new book will prove to be a must-have for everyone's bookshelf, appealing not only to local residents with a keen interest in the history of Colwyn Bay but also to the many visitors and holidaymakers who wish to learn more about this fascinating and historical corner of north Wales.

In these days of ubiquitous, non-stop media and information you would think that there were few secrets anywhere left to reveal, but when it comes to Chatham there remain a surprising number of facts and idiosyncrasies that, over the years, have remained obscure. Secret Chatham is a journey through the past of this former Royal Dockyard home, unearthing many fascinating and little-known details about the Medway town that will entertain, inform and horrify visitors as well as its current inhabitants in equal measure, many of whom probably thought they knew it all. The book gives a unique perspective on the many less-obvious aspects of Chatham's history and will go a long way to explaining why today's town is as it is, and how it may develop in the future.

Every town and village has a secret or two tucked away; Worthing is no exception. This popular Sussex seaside resort on the south coast is an eclectic mix of Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian architecture, with a splash of art deco and a smattering of medieval if you know where to look. Local history books are an invaluable source of information, charting the development of a town, but there are some oddities and curiosities that lack explanation or merit few words. It is these that James and Colin have set themselves the task of investigating. Few will realise that they are walking in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde or Jane Austen, both of whom were short-term residents of Worthing. Within these pages you'll discover stories of places, people and objects. Join us as we discover those secrets often hidden in plain view.

Explore the secret history of St Andrews through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Secret Penrith goes behind the facades of the familiar to discover the lesser-known aspects of the town's fascinating past. Penrith has many secrets, and as you walk along the streets, you are walking through history. There are clear reminders of the town's past everywhere, waiting for you to stop, look and listen to their intriguing stories. Join author Andrew Graham Stables on a journey through this beautiful town and its history. You may think you know Penrith, but take another look around and you will find more than you could possibly imagine.

Illustrated with memorable photographs throughout, Secret Bristol peels away the gloss which covers inconvenient historic events to reveal truths about the city that are sometimes horrific, brutal, or merely odd. From prehistory to the present, it takes us on a fascinating journey through the inhuman aspects of early trade, through slavery, piracy, struggles for social justice portrayed as criminal riots and the cruelties inflicted in city institutions. Bristol's contribution to aircraft and automobile design and manufacture is chronicled, and the contempt felt for ordinary people by First World War generals and Whitehall bigwigs is exposed, as is the way opposition to the pointless conflict was swept under the carpet of history. The book describes how Bristol's medieval heart, largely destroyed in the Blitz, was forgotten with the connivance of the government and finished off by post-war planners. The 'Whites Only' employment policy on Bristol buses in the early '60s and the 1980 St Paul's riots take us up to Bristol today.

Dr Philip MacDougall, local historian, takes you on a journey through the City of Chichester revealing much of its lesser-known history. Here you will find the story behind the city's nineteenth-century banking crisis, the activities of a London mob of criminals who targeted the Goodwood races, a fascinating collection of letters written during the First World War and even how local politicians once bribed potential voters with lashings of beer. Blending the serious and the not so serious and drawing heavily on primary sources, including newspapers and original documents, Secret Chichester gives a fascinating look at this city's past with images from long ago and today.

In these days of ubiquitous, non-stop media and information you would think that there were few secrets anywhere left to reveal: but when it comes to Harrogate there remain a surprising number of facts and idiosyncrasies which, over the years, have remained obscure, to say the least. Secret Harrogate is an historical journey through one of England's most visited towns, unearthing nuggets of its early history and spectacular development into one of Europe's foremost spas. This book reveals and unravels scores of fascinating and little-known details about Harrogate that will fascinate and inform its many visitors as well as its current inhabitants, many of whom probably thought they knew it all. The book gives a unique perspective on the many less-obvious aspects of Harrogate's history and will go a long way to explaining why today's Harrogate is as it is, and how it may develop in the future.

Oxford is identified with its university, and the university has certainly played a huge role in shaping the town. But the history of Oxford is much more than just a footnote to its colleges. The town was already old when the first scholars gathered there, and it has seen many major non-academic milestones, such as the founding of the hugely influential Morris works at Cowley by Lord Nuffield. Secret Oxford explores town and gown, the little-known facts as well as the well-known ones, and directs the reader - tourist or resident - to key locations and visible remains. Each well-illustrated chapter ends with a list of related things that must be seen. There are also a number of self-guided walks to help the reader experience the diverse flavour of the city and its history.

Whitby is a beautiful fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast, best known for its fish and chip restaurants and its connections with the world's most famous vampire - Dracula. But, did you know that Whitby has more secrets locked away among the narrow streets and beneath the tall cliffs?Why are Easter celebrations a result of a meeting in Whitby? What Whitby innovation kept people safe at sea until the invention of radar? Who or what is buried in the mysterious grave with the skulls and crossbones? And what secrets lurk beneath the waves off its coast?In Secret Whitby you'll find the answers to these questions, and many more revelations that will surprise you and keep you guessing with every turn of the page.

Sheffield is the fourth largest city in England and was where the Industrial Revolution began in earnest. It is renowned for its high-quality steel and fine cutlery, for its two large universities and for having the biggest shopping centre in Europe, yet there is so much more to know about this proud South Yorkshire city. In Secret Sheffield, the authors pull back the carpet of history to reveal what lurks beneath. They delve into Sheffield's murky and mysterious past, its dark secrets and forgotten tales, introducing us to some interesting characters along the way.

The Anglo-Saxon town of Preston, whose name comes from the Old English for 'priest settlement', boasts evidence of even earlier Roman activity, such as the Roman road that led to Walton-le-Dale. Once home to a booming centuries-old cotton manufacturing centre, the decline of this industry after the First World War saw the city's fortunes decline markedly. Over the twentieth century, Preston, the buildings and the inhabitants have witnessed countless changes. From the fire that destroyed the Victorian town hall in 1947 to the modern Guild Hall built in 1972, Preston contains many interesting gems, both old and new. Secret Preston goes behind the familiar scenes to discover the lesser-known stories of the city's fascinating past, brought to life by revealing images of the past and present.