Hertfordshire - James Bettley

This fully revised and up-to-date guide to the architecture of Hertfordshire is an eye-opening introduction to the wealth of fine buildings that can be found right on London's doorstep. Hertfordshire is one of the smallest English counties, largely rural in character. Its buildings range from remains of the Roman city of Verulamium to the medieval abbey at St. Albans and the 17th-century Hatfield House. Numerous timber-framed buildings and Georgian houses are found in the small towns whose preservation was aided by the early 20th-century creation of the Garden Cities at Letchworth and Welwyn, as well as Stevenage New Town, built after the Second World War. Pretty villages set in the county's rolling farmland feature churches that have towers crowned with spires known as Hertfordshire spikes, while commuter suburbs are rich in housing from homely Arts and Crafts to radical Modernism. With expanded entries and new color photography, this is an essential work of reference for visitors and residents alike.