The English Urban Renaissance: Culture and Society in the Provincial Town 1660-1770 (Oxford Studies in Social History)

In the century after the Restoration of 1660, English provincial towns experienced a cultural renaissance. This book offers a guide to the most striking features of that revival: the transformation of the urban landscape under the influence of classical architecture and the emergent forces of planning, and a remarkable expansion in the provision of fashionable public leisure. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, including architecture, music, historical geography, English literature, urban studies and history, the book concentrates on the interaction between urban culture and society as a whole. It sheds new light not only on the development of the early modern town, but also on the relatively neglected history of England between the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution. Read more