Pat Dargan – författare

The town of Farnham in Surrey lies south-west of London, on the River Wey. The original settlement dates from the Saxon period, although little survives of it today. Following the Norman invasion the Bishop of Winchester built an earthen motte-and-bailey fort overlooking the Saxon settlement. It was redeveloped as a stone castle in the twelfth century, a substantial part of which still stands. The same period saw the construction of St Andrew’s Church. The town was T-shaped and enclosed by a town ditch, which partially survives. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the town prospered and an extensive range of Georgian streetscapes and buildings were laid within the boundaries, including Castle Street, West Street, the Borough, and Downing Street, with most of the Georgian fabric surviving. Each of these streets has outstanding Georgian housing and public buildings, including the museum in Downing Street and town house developments in West Street and Castle Street. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the town experienced considerable expansion and it continues to thrive today, with new buildings integrated into the townscape and many of its old industrial buildings turned to cultural, commercial or community uses.Farnham in 50 Buildings explores the history of this town in Surrey through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. This book will appeal to all those who live in Farnham or who have an interest in the area.

Edinburgh’s New Town, built between 1767 and 1850, is one of Europe’s finest neoclassical neighbourhoods, a triumph of town planning, with UNESCO World Heritage status. But the importance of the New Town goes far beyond the quality of its architecture. Nearly 250 years after it was built, today it is not only a carefully conserved Georgian neighbourhood but a vibrant community in which people from all walks of life thrive in harmonious surroundings. Those include over 7,000 residential properties of enormous variety, and its shops, schools, pubs, restaurants and community facilities, which contribute to its unique quality of life and attract visitors from around the world.This book celebrates the history and achievements of the New Town. Through photos, drawings, historic maps and aerial photography, the authors explore the New Town’s origins in the philiosophy of the Enlightenment and the role of politics, land ownership, finance, design and materials in its development. This is a friendly and accessible introduction to the exteriors and interiors of its buildings, with a walking tour included, drawing on both historic maps and modern satellite images. It links the New Town to current debates on urban architecture, concluding that it is an inspiring model for new communities around the world.This is a book for the passionate, knowledgeable lover of Georgian architecture, but equally for the casual visitor who wants to get to know the New Town better.

Whitehaven was just a fishing village on the Cumbrian coast until the port was developed by the Lowther family in the seventeenth century to export coal from the Cumberland coalfield. In the next century it benefitted from the trade in tobacco, sugar and other products with the West Indies to become the second busiest port in the country. The wealth brought to the area was demonstrated by a new town, the most complete example of a Georgian planned town in Britain. Built on a grid system, the town has over 170 listed buildings. Alongside the Old Fort and Whitehaven Castle, which later became the hospital, are historic houses, shops, churches, civic buildings, hotels, public houses and banks as well as reminders of Whitehaven’s industrial heritage around the harbour, the colliery and the railway. Although the port has declined in recent years and mining ceased in the area, the harbour has been regenerated with a marina and the old colliery buildings preserved and turned into a museum.Whitehaven in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating Cumbrian town through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place in Whitehaven over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Whitehaven or who have an interest in the town.

Following on from the success of Pat Dargan’s previous works, Exploring Ireland’s Historic Towns and Exploring Irish Castles, this new work offers an insight into the Celtic heritage of Ireland. Taking the reader through the ring-forts and crannogs, the hill forts and early churches, the author points out the details and aspects that can be easily missed, and which bring these monuments to life. Complete with maps, sketches and illustrations, this is an accessible guide to a major part of the history of modern Ireland.

Exploring Ireland’s Historic Towns sheds new light on the streets and squares of Ireland, drawing our attention to the historic context in which they developed. Following on from the success of Exploring Georgian Dublin and Exploring Irish Castles, Pat Dargan now traces the history of the construction of Irish towns through each of their historical phases. He highlights the social and political contexts that lay behind each phase, identifies the individuals responsible for the town developments, and explores the ideals and motivations that drove them. Each phase is presented alongside each town’s principal features and characteristics. This comprehensive guide is complete with a wealth of photographs and illustrations.