Richard Henry

In 1805 the antiquarian and astronomer Sir Henry Englefield wrote a beautifully illustrated walking tour leading readers through the streets of Southampton. He offered insights into the city’s fascinating historical past, including some fanciful stories about the buildings he was exploring. Since then, much of the fabric of the city has changed with many of the elements he highlighted having been removed through the slum clearances of the twentieth century and bombing during the Second World War. In this book, we retrace Sir Henry’s footsteps and examine key city sites, such as the Bargate, Watergate, the town walls, Church of All Saints, Holy Rood Church, the medieval friary and sugar house, and the medieval vaults, as well as other curiosities he mentions, such as a cannon of Henry VIII and the arms granted by Elizabeth I.Featuring a vivid selection of fascinating illustrations and 3D images and links to the city’s museum collections, here the Southampton of the past is brought to life. Join us on a walking tour through the historic town and find out how the city of Southampton has changed over the past 200 years.

How did objects of dress and coinage shape power and identity in late Roman Britai? ractured Britannia provides an in-depth examination of the distribution of coinage and elite items of Roman dress in later and sub-Roman Britain, offering new perspectives on a period of profound social and political change. While previous research has sought to distinguish groups serving the Roman state, identifying them in the archaeological record remains challenging. The military and the civil administration relied on hierarchical structures and used similar objects to indicate rank and status. At the same time, local elites, responsible for much of the practical administration of Britain, began to adopt military styles of dress. These changes led to a clear evolution in dress accessories over the fourth century. Five extensive datasets on crossbow brooches, belt fittings, spurs, penannular brooches, and coins are examined systematically in combination. Previously studied in isolation, these objects reveal insights into social identity, regional variation, and the persistence or abandonment of Roman material culture. The evidence shows that while some regions continued relatively unchanged into the fifth century, others abandoned recognisably Roman forms as early as AD 375. By assessing existing methodologies, revising typologies, and mapping artefact distributions, this book highlights key patterns across sites and regions and makes large datasets publicly available. Ultimately, the study provides a chronological and geographic framework for understanding how Roman Britain transitioned into smaller post-Roman polities. It analyses the differential use of material culture across site types and compares patterns with the continent, shedding light on the transformation of Britain’s society and identity in the sub-Roman and early medieval world.