Ridge and Vale
The Extraordinary History of the Cotswolds
This beautiful and bucolic splash of land in western England has seen more adventure and intrigue than almost any other part of this sceptred isle.
Description
The Cotswolds are often mistaken for a tranquil backwater. But dig deeper and you find a remarkable story of action and conflict, migration and innovation.
Ridge and Vale reveals how these gentle limestone hills and valleys have played an outsized role in British history. Olivier Hein vividly brings to life the ancient tribes, wool merchants, monks, soldiers and monarchs who transformed this unique landscape—from hill forts and Roman roads to medieval market towns and industrial villages. Rich in natural resources and strategically located, the Cotswolds have always been a crossroads of power struggles and social change: a key battleground of the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War, a wartime base for US troops, and home to important British intelligence, Army and Navy facilities. But above all, this is a region with an extraordinary capacity for reinvention, reimagining itself over time as an agricultural powerhouse, trading hub, upscale rural retreat and much more besides. As the twenty-first century brings new challenges, including overtourism and climate change, the Cotswolds must once again adapt in order to thrive.
This is the Cotswolds as never told before: not as a quaint footnote but as a region that profoundly shaped Britain.
Table of contents
The Cotswolds – A Timeline Introduction
Chapter 1 – Liquid Origins
Chapter 2 – The Long Barrows
Chapter 3 – The ‘C’ Word
Chapter 4 – Invasion
Chapter 5 – Myth and Mystery
Chapter 6 – The Riddle of the Hwicce
Chapter 7 – Conquest and Anarchy
Chapter 8 – The Golden Fleece
Chapter 9 – Transformation
Chapter 10 – Tudor Peace
Chapter 11 – Us and Them
Chapter 12 – The Cotswoldians
Chapter 13 – Wit, Wealth and Water
Chapter 14 – Change
Chapter 15 – War and Peace
Chapter 16 – The Reckoning
Chapter 17 – Chiaroscuro
Bibliography
Index
Author(s)
Olivier Hein is a Mauritian-British author whose books include Ridge and Vale: The Extraordinary History of the Cotswolds; Glory, Faith and Sorrow: The Epic History of Peru; Borneo: The History of an Enigma; Star and Key: The Historical Adventure of Mauritius; and Mother of the World: The Remarkable History of Turkmenistan (all published by Hurst). Formerly a UN, UK and OSCE diplomat, posted to New York, Paris, Kosovo and Turkmenistan, he also contributes to The Chap magazine. He lives with his family in the Cotswolds.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Ridge and Vale" about?
The Cotswolds are often mistaken for a tranquil backwater. But dig deeper and you find a remarkable story of action and conflict, migration and innovation.
Ridge and Vale reveals how these gentle limestone hills and valleys have played an outsized role in British history. Olivier Hein vividly brings to life the ancient tribes, wool merchants, monks, soldiers and monarchs who transformed this unique landscape—from hill forts and Roman roads to medieval market towns and industrial villages. Rich in natural resources and strategically located, the Cotswolds have always been a crossroads of power struggles and social change: a key battleground of the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War, a wartime base for US troops, and home to important British intelligence, Army and Navy facilities. But above all, this is a region with an extraordinary capacity for reinvention, reimagining itself over time as an agricultural powerhouse, trading hub, upscale rural retreat and much more besides. As the twenty-first century brings new challenges, including overtourism and climate change, the Cotswolds must once again adapt in order to thrive.
This is the Cotswolds as never told before: not as a quaint footnote but as a region that profoundly shaped Britain.
Who wrote "Ridge and Vale"?
"Ridge and Vale" was written by Olivier Hein.
Olivier Hein is a Mauritian-British author whose books include Ridge and Vale: The Extraordinary History of the Cotswolds; Glory, Faith and Sorrow: The Epic History of Peru; Borneo: The History of an Enigma; Star and Key: The Historical Adventure of Mauritius; and Mother of the World: The Remarkable History of Turkmenistan (all published by Hurst). Formerly a UN, UK and OSCE diplomat, posted to New York, Paris, Kosovo and Turkmenistan, he also contributes to The Chap magazine. He lives with his family in the Cotswolds.
What is the Table of Contents for "Ridge and Vale"?
The Cotswolds - A Timeline Introduction
Chapter 1 - Liquid Origins
Chapter 2 - The Long Barrows
Chapter 3 - The ‘C’ Word
Chapter 4 - Invasion
Chapter 5 - Myth and Mystery
Chapter 6 - The Riddle of the Hwicce
Chapter 7 - Conquest and Anarchy
Chapter 8 - The Golden Fleece
Chapter 9 - Transformation
Chapter 10 - Tudor Peace
Chapter 11 - Us and Them
Chapter 12 - The Cotswoldians
Chapter 13 - Wit, Wealth and Water
Chapter 14 - Change
Chapter 15 - War and Peace
Chapter 16 - The Reckoning
Chapter 17 - Chiaroscuro
Bibliography
Index
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