Victorian Farm
£3.60
This was a crucial period in the history of Britain – rapid industrialization had radically changed life in the cites but rural communities used a mixture of centuries-old and pioneering modern practices. Packed with informative text and photographs from the farm year, this book reveals exactly what the Victorians, ate, wore, how they managed their animals, farmed the land and organised their lives. In-depth features describe revolutionary advances in more detail, including new inventions, new breeding methods and advances in agricultural science. Practical projects allow you to join the historians in rediscovering Victorian crafts, cookery and homecare.
Providing a real insight into life on a Victorian farm, this series is also a fascinating reminder of how history comes full circle. The organic diet of 1885, use of natural products for cleaning and healthcare and interests in crafts and gardening are of increasing relevance today as we look for a more responsible way of living over 120 years later.
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Additional information
| Publisher | First Edition (8 Jan. 2009), Pavilion |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 304 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1862058210 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1862058217 |
| Dimensions | 19.05 x 3.3 x 25.4 cm |
by Prudence Ralentir
I ordered the book to complete my set of the “farm” series. It arrived sooner than I had thought it would. I thought it would be used, but it was brand new condition. I am enjoying reading it. Very informative on how life was lived in the past.
by TEC
Well, I’m just going to reiterate what others have already said. The book accompanies the television series, which was thoroughly enjoyable and one of the most interesting programmes I have seen on TV in a long time. Such a refreshing change from much of what we see on the TV nowadays! The book gives a deep and meaningful insight of what life was like and the many trades that were required to survive on a Victorian farm, all accompanied by pictures.
by Mr. William J. Walter
This book like its successor and its TV production are very dear to me. I was not born at the time but, living in rural Ireland, our life was of one of oil lamps, ponies and traps, reapers and binders, no phones and the only running water was what you had yourself had pumped up out of the well. Ruth has, in book and in drame, portrayed a way of life which was somehow innocent and is sadly missed.
by R H TAYLOR
Really interesting reading this book
by A Ryder
Although I have watched some of the ‘experiments in living’ style of television programmes, this wasn’t one of them. I came to the book having read Victorian accounts of rural life and farming, looking for what the Victorians left out because they took for granted certain knowledge from their contemporaries.
I have found it useful in filling in some gaps and giving me a better idea of what Victorian farm communities would and would not have had in terms of equipment, plant varieties etc. It is also nicely set out and bound. For a real ‘feel’ of Victorian farming, though, I would still recommend 19th Century texts, or ones of local lore by authors such as Ralph Whitlock, because this book is by definition a 21st Century take on the life. I am not entirely sure how useful these programmes are, beyond an introduction for those with a budding interest. It wouldn’t, as other reviewers have pointed out, be a handbook for trying such experiments yourself and in the 22nd Century and beyond, will probably say more about our own time and its preoccupation with a rural, idyllic (imagined?) past than it will about the Victorian farmers.
That said, this is of some use and the authors are suitably engaging and descriptive. Be warned about the terrible proof-reading, though; there are some appalling errors, such as ‘bare witness’ and ‘pouring over books’, and general misuse of apostrophes. For a supposedly instructive/educational read, this does diminish its authority. I’d be interested to know what experts on the subject think about the accuracy of the rest….
by cathy walker
Been very keen to learn more about the rural victorian way of life, this book has it all for me.
by Ms. Ap Browning
This is a fantastic book that accompanies the recent series on BBC television it has the same team of people who not long ago lived out a year of life on a farm in the early 17th Century. It makes me feel in touch with my rural ancestry on one side of my family and some of the methods of farming are in my memories from having seen and listened to older family members who worked the land. I particularly love the wheel of the year and the cycle of the farming year, seeing the old Celtic festivals still celebrated by Victorian rural people such as Lamas and Beltaine( May day). however of all the jobs I would have hated the most it would have to be making one`s own clothing, I cannot sew for toffee so I would prefer mucking out the pigs to sewing. Beautifully presented book with photographs and recipes and ideas that I will try out.
by Mrs. Sarah Brockwell
I saw the t.v. programme and was enthralled by it. I find the book is very interesting, telling one how previous generations coped. Recipes are given for every day items, such as soap and cleaning materials. Much of the things we use now – at great expense, can easily and cheaply be replicated at home. People really worked and toiled in those days, with little respite, but holidays and festivals were celebrated in style with great imagination. Buy this book in conjunction with The Victorian Pharmacy. Great social history, we are in danger of losing the capability to fend for ourselves, we are far too reliant on manufactured resources,