DOE – Heritage Futures

Dunstanburgh Castle: guidebooks

Dunstanburgh Castle on the Northumberland coast was placed in State Guardianship in 1929. Construction had started in 1313. The first official guide was published in 1936 with the section on the history of the castle by C.H. Hunter Blair, and the description by H.L. Honeyman. The cover carries the arms of Thomas, second Earl of Lancaster (1277–1322). There is a foldout plan inside the back cover. The guide continued into the 1970s.

A colour illustrated guide was prepared by Henry Summerson (1993). The main section is dedicated to a tour of the castle, and there is a helpful bird’s-eye view to help to orientate the visitor. There is a short section with biographical notes on Thomas of Lancaster and John of Gaunt.

Alastair Oswald and Jeremy Ashbee prepared the English Heritage red guide (2007). This contains a bird’s-eye view and a plan of the castle on the fold-out card cover. The tour contains helpful thumbnail plans to help the visitor located their position. There is a section on Dunstanburgh and coastal defence during World War 2.

The Development of Guidebooks for Heritage Sites in England

These covers show the development from the first official guidebook (St Botolph’s) issued by the Office of Works through to English Heritage. These guides range from small booklets to concertina card guides.

For the development of guides in Scotland see here.

Shap_MPBW — 1963 (3rd impress. with amendments)

Goodrich_MPBW — 1958 (5th impress. 1967)

Maison_Dieu_MPBW — 1958 (3rd impress. with amendments 1967)

Helmsley_blue — 1966 [3rd impress. 1971]

Egglestone_DOE — 1958 (8th impress. 1976)

EH_Orford_early — 1964 (1982; English Heritage 1988; repr. 1975)

Pendennis_StM_EH_red — 2012 (2nd ed. 2018)

Tintern Abbey: guidebooks

Tintern_DG_6 — Tintern Abbey © David Gill

Tintern Abbey was transferred to the Office of Works in 1914. The guidebook was prepared by the architect Sir Harold Brakspear (1934). Brakspear had helped to plan the ruins after they were purchased by the Crown in 1901, and before they were conserved.

A replacement ‘blue guide’ was prepared by O.E. Craster in 1956. This took the standard pattern of history followed by description. A plan of the abbey was placed in the centre pages.

Tintern_DOE_blue — 1956 (9th impress. 1977)

Craster’s guide continued to be published into the 1970s. This included some elements in Welsh: Abaty Tyndyrn (on the title page, but not on the cover), and a short summary of just over one page at the beginning.

The centre page plan was placed on a fold-out plan inside the back cover. The glossary was expanded to include: ashlar, barrel vault, conversi, garth, jamb, lay brother, lintel, mullion, novice, papal bull, plinth, pulpitum, quire, refectory, screen, vestment and vestry. It also dropped: aisle, bay, boss, capital, crossing, floriated, sexfoil.

Tintern_souvenir_cov — 1960; 1964, 2nd ed.; 1967, 3rd impress.

Craster also prepared the illustrated souvenir guide (1960; 2nd ed. 1964). It included historical background; a tour of the abbey; the first tourists. The tour is numbered on the plan.

The tour in the souvenir guide in effect turns into the card guide that continued to be published under Cadw.

Tintern_Cadw — 1986; 2nd ed. 1990; 3rd ed. 1995; 4th ed. 2002

The Cadw guidebook was prepared by David M. Robinson. This includes a history of the abbey, a section on building the abbey, and a tour of the abbey. A foldout plan (in colour) is printed inside the back (card) cover.

Chysauster and Carn Euny: guidebooks

Two late Iron Age village communities in Penwith are in the care of English Heritage. Chysauster was paced in State Guardianship in 1931, and Carn Euny was purchased in 1957.

The first paper guidebook was Chysauster was prepared by P.K. Baillie Reynolds in 1960. There is a short history (including recent investigations) followed by a house by house description. There is a plan on the centre pages.

The DOE produced a short card guide to the site in 1971. This provides a tour of the houses: “Ask the custodian to point out the path uphill to House 6 …”.

Patricia M.L. Christie, who excavated at Carn Euny, produced the English Heritage guide to Chysauster (1987). This has an introductory section on the site, history, the field system, dating, and environment and economy. Most of the guide consists of a description and a tour of the houses. Christie also prepared a separate guide to Carn Euny (1983).

Chysauster_CE_EH_2000 — 1997, 2nd ed. (repr. 2000)

Christie’s two separate guides were combined in 1993, with a second edition, using colour images, in 1997; it continued to be printed in 2000.

English Heritage has now produced a combined guide by Susan Greaney (2017). This contains two separate tours of the villages, followed by a combined history. There are seven special features including the use of the sites by Methodist preachers, Plans of both sites appear inside the foldout back cover.

Middleham Castle: guidebooks

Middleham Castle, looking north from the keep © David Gill

Middleham Castle was placed in state guardianship in 1925. The first guidebook was prepared by (Sir) Charles Peers in 1933; a second edition appeared in 1965. The guide would be followed by other Yorkshire castles: Richmond (1934) and Helmsley (1946).

This remained in print until 1984 when it was replaced by a new English Heritage guide by Beric Morley.

Middleham_DOE

This paper guide consists of six pages, i.e. each side with three pages. A plan was printed in the centre. It consisted of a short history followed by a description.

Morley’s guide was replaced in 1993 by a new guide prepared by John Weaver. This contains a tour and description, followed by a history. There are numerous colour images and plans

Weaver’s guide was updated in 1998.

Helmsley Castle: guidebooks

Helmsley Castle was placed in State Guardianship in 1923. The first official guidebook was prepared by Sir Charles Peers in 1946. This consisted of a history followed by a description. A fold-out map was placed inside the back cover.

Glyn Coppack prepared a new English Heritage guide in 1990. It starts with a description and is followed by the history of the castle. A colour reconstruction of the castle by Alan Sorrell is placed in the centre. A double page plan is placed inside the back cover.

Jonathan Clark prepared the 2004 English Heritage guide. The description has been replaced by a tour. It is then followed by a history. A coloured plan showing the different phases is placed sinde the back cover.

John R. Kenyon prepared the English Heritage ‘red’ guide. This consists of a tour and a history. A plan is placed inside the back card cover.

Glastonbury Tribunal: guidebooks

The Glastonbury Tribunal was placed in State Guardianship in 1932. C.A. Ralegh Radford prepared the first guidebook in 1953. This continued in print as a paper booklet until 1971. The format contains a History followed by a Description. Plans of the ground and first floors are printed in the centre.

It was then transformed into a foldout card guide (1973). This format was adopted for other sites: Hetty Pegler’s Tump, Reculver, Hardknott Roman Fort, and Y Gaer Roman Fort. For Glastonbury two pictures were added to enhance the guide.

Goodrich Castle: guidebooks

Goodrich Castle was placed in State Guardianship in 1920. The first official guidebook was prepared by C.A. Ralegh Radford, with a new edition in 1958. It consists of a history, with a section on periods of construction, then a description. A plan of the castle was included inside the guidebook at the start of the description.

The revised DOE blue guide has the foldout plan inside the back cover.

The English Heritage guidebook was prepared by Derek Renn (whose other guides included Framlingham Castle, Old Sarum and Shell Keeps). This starts with a tour of the castle, walks along the river Wye, and a history of Goodrich. A plan of the castle is placed in the centre of the guide.

St Davids Bishop’s Palace: guidebooks

The Cathedral from the Bishop’s Palace, St Davids © David Gill

The Bishop’s Palace at St Davids was placed in State Guardianship in 1932. The official guidebook was prepared by C.A. Ralegh Radford. The first edition appeared in 1934, and the second edition in 1953. This starts with the history of the palace followed by a description of the remains. There is a foldout plan inside the back cover.

The blue guide continued into the 1970s as a DOE guide, published on behalf of the Welsh Office. On the title page (but not the cover) the Welsh title is provided: Llys yr Esgob Tyddewi. It included a reconstruction by Alan Sorrell. A summary in Welsh is provided at the back of the guide.

St_Davids_palace — 1953 (2nd ed.; 11th impress. with amendments, 1971)

The Cadw guide changed the title with the emphasis on St Davids (and note the dropping of the apostrophe). The author was by J. Wyn Evans, Dean of the neighbouring cathedral. It starts with ‘A Palace for Prelates: Historical Background’, and is followed by ‘A Tour of the Bishop’s Palace’. At the back is a section on ‘Bishops as Builders: a Summary of the Building History’ by Rick Turner. There is a plan of the palace inside the card rear cover. One page summarises the guide in Welsh.

The guide includes a section on St Non’s Chapel.

A revised version of the Wyn Evans and Turner guide was reissued in the larger Cadw format.

StDavids_palace_Cadw_large — 1991 (rev. 1999)

Fort George: guidebooks

FortGeorge_entrance — Fort George © David Gill

Fort George was constructed after Culloden to place a garrison near Inverness. It became the home of the the Seaforths and then the Queen’s Own Highlanders, followed by the Royal Highland Fusiliers. The Ministry of Defence placed it in the care of the Department of the Environment in 1964. Iain MacIvor prepared the first guidebook in 1970.

There is a double page foldout frontispiece providing an aerial photograph of the fort (taken in 1968). The sections are:

Highland garrisons
Fort George Ardersier
Building the fort
Later history
Description

The guidebook is illustrated with black and white photographs along with some plans.

MacIvor’s guidebook was updated as a second edition in 1983.

FortGeorge_HMSO_crown — 1970 (2nd ed. 1983)

The second edition has an extended set of images. The text is similar. For example, the section on the Highland Garrisons comes under a general history section, introduced with the quotation, ‘A large sum of money spended in building’. The description is introduced with ‘Upon this barren, sandy point’.

fortgeorge_hs_large — 1988 (rev. ed. 2006)

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