The Archaeology of Somerset

It is an amazing tale of the work uncovering the history of our county from its archaeology, put together by Chris Webster, Somerset Heritage Service's historic environment record manager, and county heritage officer Tom Mayberry.

The book builds in historical periods, each by a different author expert in those fields.

For instance, the history of archaeology in Somerset is by head of Somerset county museum Stephen Minnitt, and historic environment record officer for SHS Talya Bagwell, and county archaeology officer Robert Croft is responsible for The Middle Ages.

The chapters cover: Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman period, Britons and Saxons, Middle Ages, post-medieval Somerset, the industrial age and the recent past.

Fully glossy throughout, the paperback has a wealth of colour pictures and drawings, including a reconstruction drawing of the luxurious Roman bath house found at Whitestaunton near Chard. This had long been known as a Roman villa site but research by the Time Team only produced the baths.

There is also a picture of the magnificent mosaic found at Lopen dating to the 4th Century. A wonderful collection of silver coins and pieces of hacksilver was found at West Bagborough from AD365 and clearly show the inscriptions.

From earlier times there is a photo of the excavation of an Iron Age hill fort at Norton Fitzwarren in 1908, an aerial view of the Cadbury Castle, and an Iron Age oak log boat found at Shapwick.

Even earlier are Palaeolithic flints and pierced antlers found at Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge and the amazing wooden track ways from the Wetlands. More recently are the Glastonbury Abbey, the Abbot's Fish House at Meare, and medieval burials at Taunton Priory unearthed in 2005.

There is Bridgwater's medieval bridge, a picture of Orchard House at Orchard Portman and Gray's Almshouses in Taunton dating from 1635.

More recently, there are pictures of a wartime pillbox from the Taunton Stopline at Creech St Michael and a fixing from the Brean Down coast artillery battery.

Mick Aston was Somerset's first field archaeologist more than 30 years ago, and he relates the carving out of the M5 motorway and the struggle to record the wealth of archaeology that emerged as a result.

It was also the time when the work of the archaeologist finally gained acceptance as an essential part of the planning process. He says Somerset has been rich in discoveries and he is sure the county still has much to offer.

As he says, whether you know a lot about the subject or very little, the book will inform and surprise you, uncovering a rich and complex past of a county like no other.

It is certainly a colourful and very interesting book, providing the reader with loads of information, much of which you will be completely unaware of, and there are plenty of ideas for visits and your own research. This is a must have' book for any Somerset or Somerset-loving inhabitant or visitor.

The Archaeology of Somerset, edited by Chris Webster and Tom Mayberry, published by Somerset Books/Halsgrove, price £12.99.