Further reading

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Chesham Bois

Chess Valley Journal (Chess Valley Archaeological and Historical Society), £1 plus 50p p&p, available from CVAHS, LittleBlackfield, Ballinger, Great Missenden, Bucks HP16 9LL
The 2006 edition of the Chess Valley Archaeological and Historical Society journal contains reports on the CVAHS test trench and other archaeological investigations by the society at Chesham Bois. The contents include the articles: 'St Leonard's Church Field, Chesham Bois. Is this a deserted medieval village?' and 'From Saxon manor to pleasure gardens: an archaeological investigation at Chesham Bois House'.

A History of Chesham Bois by L Elgar Pike (1976)
This short, illustrated pamphlet was written and self-published by L Elgar Pike, who also wrote The Book of Amersham: The story of a Chiltern town (Barracuda Books, 1976) and official guidebooks for Amersham Rural District Council and Chiltern District Council.
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Chesham Bois: A celebration of the village and its history (Chesham Bois Parish Council, 1999, email parishclerk@btconnect.com)
The most recent publication about Chesham Bois, its people and history.

English manor and country houses

English Manor Houses by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and Christopher Simon Sykes (Laurence King Publishing, 2001) hardback £40
This coffee-table book focuses on the manor houses of England. These smaller scale houses, often of more ancient origin than the ‘great houses’, are scattered all over the country, ranging from simple Norman halls to picturesque Tudor manor houses and handsome buildings from the reign of the Stuarts. Whereas most of the great houses have now been sold by their original owners and are maintained as museums, many of the manor houses are still privately owned and lived in as homes.
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Life in the English Country House: A social and architectural history by Mark Girouard (Yale University Press, 1993, 2nd edition) paperback £16.95
Classic introductory book on the architecture, use, and evolution of English country houses from the medieval period to the Second World War. Although not an archaeological text it provides a good background on the way house plans, facades etc reflect the original purpose of the building and social standing and expectations of the builder.
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The English House by James Chambers (Thames Methuen, 1985) hardback £14.95
Tells the story of the English house in all its richness and diversity, from the earliest medieval dwellings to the 20th century. Includes a good introductory chapter on Tudor country houses.
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The Archaeology of Buildings by Richard K Morriss (Tempus, 2000) £11.19
A highly useful introduction to building materials and construction techniques. Find out about the techniques used in standing buildings' recording and discover how to recognise different phases of construction in ancient buildings.
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