Using old maps and documents, research carried out for much of Britain, as well as his own investigations and fieldwork, the author has prepared this study of the complex history of the English countryside. From the visible "monuments" such as boundaries, deserted villages, and field systems to invisible elements such as estates, ownership and status, he shows how to interpret these aspects and how they are interlinked. Archaeologists, historians and geographers, as well as anyone performing a local study or interested in Britain's historic environment, will find this a concise introduction to landscape archaelogy.