Andrew Downing Saunders (1931-2009) was an Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments, who started a review of artillery fortifications. He had read history at Magdalen College, Oxford. One of his first guidebooks was the souvenir guide to the Tudor artillery forts at Deal and Walmer Castles (1963) in Kent. This joined the growing number of fully illustrated guides that were published in parallel to the more formal ‘blue’ guides.
This was followed by the MPBW souvenir guide to Dartmouth Castle (1965).
He prepared the formal ‘blue guide’ for the artillery fort at Upnor Castle (1967) on the Medway. This was followed by the guide to Old Wardour Castle (1968) in Wiltshire.
In 1973 he was appointed at Chief Inspector within what had become the Department of the Environment. In this capacity he prepared the guide to the artillery fort at Tilbury (1980), and Barnard Castle (1982). He continued in this role until 1989, the final years as a member of English Heritage. He prepared the English Heritage guides to Launceston Castle (1984) in Cornwall (his native county), Prudhoe Castle (1993) in Northumberland, and Tynemouth Priory, Castle, and Twentieth-century Buildings (1993), and Norham Castle (1998). He also wrote the English Heritage book on Channel Defences (1997).
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