Landmark ─ A History of Britain in 50 Buildings

This engaging and sumptuously illustrated book celebrates the Landmark Trust's achievement in the protection of British heritage since the Trust was established 50 years ago. From a medieval hall house to the winner of the 2013 Stirling Prize for Architecture, 50 buildings rescued by Landmark from threatened oblivion are presented here that vividly illustrate the history of Britain from 1250 to the present day.

Presented in the order in which they were built, the selected buildings include the unusual, the fantastic, the spectacular, the utilitarian and the enchanting, each one offering a fascinating glimpse into the past of the British people. In telling the stories of how the buildings came to be, how they were used and how they were adapted by subsequent generations, this book brings history to life through the evidence in the buildings our ancestors have left behind. Examples include a 15th-century inn in Suffolk, an Elizabethan hospital in Yorkshire, a lighthouse on Lundy and an Italianate railway station. The Landmark Trust's often heroic rescue of each of these buildings is also placed in the context of the Trust's own evolution to date and the history of British conservation practice.

For everyone interested in British history or architecture, this enthralling book will bring fresh insights into both; for everyone interested in buildings conservation, the book will provide an insight into the unique national treasure that is the Landmark Trust.

DR ANNA KEAY is a historian with a professional specialism in historic buildings. She has a BA in Modern History from Oxford University, and a PhD in 17th-century British history from the University of London. Formerly a curator at Hampton Court Palace and Curatorial Director of English Heritage, she is now Director of the Landmark Trust. Her books includeThe Magnificent Monarch (2008), about King Charles II; The Elizabethan Tower of London (2001) andThe Crown Jewels (2011). She is also a regular contributor to TV and radio. She divides her time between London and King's Lynn, Norfolk.

CAROLINE STANFORD has been Historian to the Landmark Trust since 2001. She holds a BA in Modern History from Oxford University, an MA in Early Modern History from London University, and an MSc in Historic Conservation from Oxford Brookes University. She has researched many of the Trust's buildings, participating in Landmark's rescue of some of Britain's finest buildings at risk. This combination of academic research and applied practice allows her to write and contribute widely across all building types and periods to all types of media.

GRIFF RHYS JONES came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch showsNot the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones alongside Mel Smith, with whom he founded television production company Talkback Productions. More recently, he has presented all three series of the BBC television seriesRestoration in which viewers decide on which listed building in immediate need of remedial works is to win a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.