Paul Wreyford Livres

From earliest records to the present day, in one easy-to-read volume

Exploring the dark side of Essex's history, the book delves into the lives of infamous criminals such as the highwayman Dick Turpin and witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins, who terrorized locals in pursuit of their nefarious goals. It also highlights the misdeeds of notable royals like Richard II and Henry VIII, revealing a legacy of villainy that spans centuries. Utilizing diverse historical sources, the narrative presents a comprehensive guide to the county's most notorious figures, showcasing the blend of local and royal misdeeds that shaped Essex's reputation.

Poet John Betjemen was not the only scribe 'beckoned out to lanes in beechy Bucks'. Many of the country's most famous writers shared his fondness for the county and sought solace within its boundaries. John Milton came here to escape the plague in London; Enid Blyton fled the capital's increasing development, while D.H. Lawrence and his German wife took refuge on the outbreak of the First World War - unsuccessfully. Benjamin Disraeli could not bear to leave his Buckinghamshire home, even for a short spell, while G.K. Chesterton discovered the county by accident and stayed for the rest of his life. Running along Buckinghamshire's southern border is the Thames, where Jerome K. Jerome, Percy Shelley and Kenneth Grahame enjoyed 'messing about in boats'. Literary Buckinghamshire offers stories of well-known lives and lost and hidden aspects of Buckinghamshire's history to engage literary historians, visitors and book lovers alike.

Curious' is perhaps not the first word you would use to label Essex. And if you literally look below the surface in Essex - 100ft underground to be precise - you'll discover one of the most incredible Government secrets' of all time.

Charles Dickens described Chelmsford as the `dullest' place on earth and added that there was not a lot to see here. Did you know Chelmsford was once close to staging the British Grand Prix, or that two churches fell down in the same year? Shocking, mysterious, curious and bizarre, Chelmsford has a rich history waiting to be explored.