Dividing the county of Hertfordshire into four broad regions—the “champion” countryside in the north, the Chiltern dip slope to the west, the fertile boulder clays of the east, and the unwelcoming London Clay in the south—this volume explains how, in the course of the middle ages, natural characteristics influenced the development of land use and settlement to create a range of distinctive landscapes. The great diversity of Hertfordshire’s landscapes makes it a particularly rewarding area of study. Variations in farming economies, in patterns of trade and communication, as well as in the extent of London’s influence, have all played a part during the course of the postmedieval centuries, and Hertfordshire’s continuing evolution is followed into the 21st century. Lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs, this authoritative work is invaluable reading for all those with an interest in the history, archaeology, and natural transformation of this fascinating county.

Anne Rowe is a landscape historian and author of a number of books on the subject, including Hertfordshire Garden History: A Miscellany and Medieval Parks of Hertfordshire. She has coordinated the research work of the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust since 1998, and also teaches courses in landscape and garden history for the Institute of Continuing Education of the University of Cambridge.

Tom Williamson is professor of landscape history at the University of East Anglia, where he heads the Landscape Group. He is the author of Ancient Trees in the Landscape: Norfolk's Arboreal Heritage, The Origins of Hertfordshire, and William Faden and Norfork’s Eighteenth Century Landscape: A Digital Re-assessment of His Historic Map.