A few weeks after the #AllAboutThatPlace event I came across the Map Histories Project, organised by Rusland Horizons. I enquired about the associated published book, Rediscovering the Field-names of the Rusland Valley and Fells and was advised it was out of print. A few weeks later, I was advised that a short print run was to be organised and did I want to order one? I did want to order one, and a few days before Christmas the book arrived.

The book is much bigger than I anticipated, both in physical size and page contents. The book measures 33cm x 28cm (approximate) and contains 80 pages. The book is in full colour and contains:

• Map of the area
• What’s in a name – this explains the clues and associations of the names of fields and why they exist, in actuality.
• Cultural history of the Rusland landscape
• Field Name Project – this is the explanation of the broader project. Why it was being undertaken, how the investigations took place, how the collecting data occurred, through
  • Maps
  • Estate maps and property records
  • Oral history regarding the fields
  • Recording the data
  • Interpretation of unfamiliar names
  • Presenting the findings and archiving it
•  Maps and the field names
  • This section makes up the bulk of the book, pages 14-76. Each section focuses on the name of the location, a bit of the history and then the names of the fields, with background to the naming of the fields.
• Resources & Source index
• References
• Contact information

You can read about the project HERE and read the newsletters HERE, including subscribe to future editions.

(I purchased my own copy of the book, and was not paid or requested to write this post.)