Edwardian Farm

Period Farms

by Alex Langlands, Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn

Following on from the hit BBC series Victorian Farm, this book accompanies a new 12-part BBC series. This time, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands, and Peter Ginn take a leap forward in time to immerse themselves in an Edwardian community in the West Country. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Morwellham Quay was situated in a bustling and commercially prosperous region—a stunning rural landscape encompassing rolling farmland, wild moorland, tidal river, coast, and forest, which supported a vibrant and diverse economy. Ruth, Peter, and Alex will spend a year exploring all aspects of this working landscape—restoring boats, buildings, and equipment; cultivating crops; fishing; rearing animals; and rediscovering the lost heritage of this fascinating era as well as facing the challenges of increasingly commercial farming practices, fishing, and community events.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Experimental Archaeology, Gardening

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Alex Langlands is a British archaeologist and historian, also known for his work as a presenter of the educational documentary series on British television.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book (or should I say series since for me they came first) that started off my love of "living history" and respect for Ruth Goodman (although for some reason she is not credited with the books just the TV series). The team set out on an audacious project to recreate and live the life of someone on an Edwardian Farm.

This challenge including exploring and learning the techniques and skills of the era as well as exploring the support, information and developments that society at their time presented.

For me this is what history is all about, rather than reading books (yes I know rather a heretical statement considering the site I am on) they go out and live it and experience what it really would have been like. I think at times we are a little too insular towards our ancestors and what they went through to give us what we have today.

The TV series was fascinating and the book just expands on it. One of the things I did enjoy about this book was that it didn't rely on the series but rather presented additional information in an easy and accessible format.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another tie in with the TV series/DVD, as with the Victorian Farm book this gives a good overview of what the three presenters did during their year on the farm, some of the items that were only touched on in the programme are expanded in the book whilst others things are only mentioned.  Either way a great read and a great companion book for the DVD!

[Jayne Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book packed full of information

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good Book really enjoyed this book.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and well-illustrated book with introductions to lots of areas of practical historical research. A few typos and other minor inaccuracies, but generally very informative and well written.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the companion book to Victorian Farm, I wouldn't recommend reading this without also watching the show. At least a couple things are covered in the book didn't make it into the show (eeeeew, how you make neat's foot oil; knitting Guernseys with a knitting sheath, which would've been helpful to have a picture of). It was fun to get more personal perspective from Alex, Ruth, and Peter about their experience in the era and on the show, but as usual, most of these tasks are more easily conveyed in "moving pictures" than single-frame ones (e.g., the repousse of the weathervane). I continue to be impressed at how willing Alex, Ruth, and Peter are to try just about anything--and what quick learners they seem to be (lace-making notwithstanding, right, Ruth?).

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve watched the series, it won’t give you much new information. Much of it is about the practicalities of a farm (machinery etc), which I must admit I skipped. But I enjoyed the sections regarding social history

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite portrayals of Edwardian life. Very fascinating, educational, and beautiful.

[GeraniumCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book accompanied a TV series in which three people spent a year replicating living on an Edwardian farm at Morwhelham Quay in Devon - the location was one of the reasons I borrowed it from the library: it's a place I have happy memories of. The book doesn't really add a great deal to the series, in truth - both look at not just farming but the everyday life of a farming family at the time, including ways of supplementing their income (diversification is nothing new), leisure pursuits and so on. I was interested in the chapters on market gardening and daffodil growing, both practised in the south west, particularly after the coming of the railways made getting produce to London fast and convenient.

As you'd expect from a TV tie-in, the book is well illustrated and nicely produced. The three "re-enactors" (I can't think of a better term for what they were doing) provide the text, with personal observations about their experiences. There are practical comments too, which bring home the realities of farming life at the time: for instance, eggs were a relative luxury since they could be sold, the family being much more able to live in lean times on the three loaves the eggs might bring in than the half-dozen eggs themselves. On thing I particularly appreciated was the month-by-month list of the food which might be available to the farm family. There's an awful lot of beetroot!

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved watching the TV series of both this and Victorian Farm and Victorian Pharmacy - very excited that Wartime Farm is starting on Thursday evening too!

This book is fantastic with the sheer amount of information it contains; recipes, anecdotes, pictures, how-to's, history/archaeology and so much more, some of which can certainly be applied to today. I really enjoyed reading this :)

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book that accompanies the BBC series. Good read about their lives on the farm for that year. Lots of little details about things. Interestingly different writing styles of the 3 authors. Enjoyable read.

[Michael Pryor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, discursive, tantalising.

[Moho100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book， a lot of great info. in the book. If u like sense and sensibility, it may be u choice

[Alison Nickells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the TV programme and have visited Morwelham so found the book particularly interesting