VCH Devon Publications
To date only two VCH publications on Devon have been published. Volume I (1906) includes prehistory the Domesday Book entry for the county and a description of its feudal baronage. Exmoor: The Making of an English Upland, was part of the England's Past for Everyone series and was published in 2009.
Red Book Publication
Volume I
Edited by William Page, this volume was published in 1906.
The volume includes entries on the following topics:
- Natural History
- Early Man
- Anglo-Saxon Remains
- Introduction to the Devonshire Domesday
- Translation of the Devonshire Domesday
- Feudal Baronage
- Ancient Earthworks
The full text is available via the Internet Archive.
England's Past for Everyone Publication
Exmoor: The Making of an English Upland
The book, edited by Mary Siraut, VCH Somerset county editor, was published in 2009.
Long admired by poets and artists, Exmoor calls to mind wild moors, rugged landscapes and, of course, Lorna Doone. Home to a wide variety of a dinstinctive flora and fauna including adders, nightjars and the famour Exmoor pony, it is difficult to believe that the scenery we see today is the result of millennia of human intervention. Since prehistoric times, Exmoor has provided a home and a livelihood for a small but significant population, which has proved to be innovative and resilient in the face of isolation, poor soil and a tough climate. Based on research in 11 Exmoor parishes straddling both Devon and Somerset, Exmoor: the Making of an English Upland looks at the history of landscape and community from prehistoric times to the present day.
The book explores the patterns of settlement - how were Exmoor's farms and villages developed or abandoned over time? Who lived here and how did the survive? Hill farming and the wool and cloth industries are at the fore of the story, while the influence of national events such as the Civil War and the effects of 19th-century enclosure are also considered. Including an in depth look at sources fr the origins of Exmoor place names, population and migration, and deserted farmsteads, the book is illustrated with many new images ande reconstruction drawings. Exmoor: the Making of an English Upload is a 'must read' for anyone interested in the area and a timely addition to the history of English uplands.
