Michael Rouse

Ely was built around its cathedral, the first abbey founded by theAnglo-Saxons on an island in the Fens. Ely was a centre of resistance against the Norman invaders including the legendary Hereward the Wake, but when Ely was retaken by the Normans they built the magnificent cathedral that dominates the landscape today. The monastery was one of the richest in the country and brought prosperity to the region, and the city was also the centre of the traditional Fenland economy. The area went into decline following the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the drainage of the Fens. Ely has grown again in recent times, and today the city happily combines its historic fabric with the life of a vibrant, growing city. A–Z of Ely reveals the stories behind the Fenland city of Ely, its streets, buildings and people and how its residents and visitors have shaped the city today, This fascinating A–Z tour of Ely’s history is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this distinctive city in Cambridgeshire.

Secret Ely explores the little-known and often colourful history of the Cambridgeshire Fenland cathedral city of Ely through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Standing on what was one of the largest islands in the Cambridgeshire Fens, Ely has a rich and varied history. The Story of Ely takes an engaging look at this cathedral city from the earliest times to the modern day, recalling pivotal events and taking into account its unique architectural development and heritage. Illustrated with evocative images, the book brings to life Ely’s history, from its annual fairs and the war years, to powerful bishops and famous residents. Well-known local historian Michael Rouse combines a lively tone with authoritative research to create a unique narrative on his beloved city and the people who have made it.

This fascinating and fully revised selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Hunstanton and Wells-Next-the-Sea have changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Norfolk has changed and developed over the last century.

Harwich is one of the Haven Ports. Its position on the estuaries of the River Stour and River Orwell has played a defining role in the history of the town, as it was one of the only safe havens on the East Coast between the Thames and Humber. As a result, Harwich has played a key maritime role through the centuries. The town became a significant naval base in 1657, and soon major batteries were developed including the Harwich Redoubt, Beacon Hill Battery and Bath Side Battery. Dovercourt is actually older than its close neighbour Harwich, having been mentioned in the Domesday Survey, but it is considerably smaller. In truth, however, the towns are contiguous today. Both Dovercourt and Harwich are picturesque coastal towns, with significant tourist interest. This unique selection of old and new images and informative captions is essential reading for anybody who knows and loves these beautiful Essex towns.

Southend-on-Sea is known for its picturesque seafront and many attractions. Visitors can stroll along the world's longest pleasure pier, or take the plunge at Adventure Island, one of the UK's favourite theme parks. Southend is also home to a vibrant music scene and cultural life, with several museums and art galleries, and plays host to a variety of events and entertainment at the Cliffs Pavilion. Recent investment draws huge numbers of people to enjoy this busy seaside town. Michael Rouse takes the reader on an 8-mile trip along the seaside from the ancient fishing port of Leigh-on-Sea through fashionable Westcliff, the day tripper's delight of Southend-on-Sea and then on to the quieter charms of Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness, popular with lovers of the beach hut. This unique selection of old and new images and informative captions is essential reading for anybody who knows and loves this stretch of coast.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Felixstowe has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the Cambridgeshire Fens have changed and developed over the last century

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the Suffolk coast from Southwold to Aldeburgh has changed and developed over the last century

Lowestoft, on the Sunrise Coast, is as far east as you can be in the United Kingdom without getting your feet wet. Once a major fishing port, the town was reinvented by Samuel Morton Peto in the nineteenth century as a resort to rival Brighton. Suffering from the decline of these industries, Lowestoft now seeks to become the onshore centre for the renewable energies industry. Michael Rouse's photographs chart some of these changes, from the loss of the old fishing industry to the town's need to cater for modern holidaymakers with car parks and enhancement schemes along the beautiful South Beach. He travels outside Lowestoft to the once sea-threatened villages of Pakefield and Kessingland, to the crumbling cliffs of Corton and its holiday villages, and finally to the colourful Oulton Broad.

Peter Bruff's Victorian vision of a new cliff-top seaside resort on the Essex coast created Clacton-on-Sea, which got off to a slow start, began to prosper during the early years of the twentieth century and then flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, becoming one of the country's leading holiday destinations. Always popular with London day-trippers, it offered everything in sea and sand, accommodation and entertainment. After the war, Clacton was quickly back in business and crowded with holidaymakers, but like most British resorts it suffered from the effect of cheap foreign holidays in the seventies and a decline in its fortunes set in. Today, it is fighting back. Michael Rouse's selection of old photographs captures the heyday of Clacton, while the modern photographs record the inevitable changes, but show there are many reasons to be optimistic for the future of the seaside holiday.

Soham is a proud town. It is proud of its history and written in the old buildings is a story of its people. Hard working, hard living and independent, they survived on the nearby Fenland or in work associated with it. Along the long ridge that carries the road half way between the racing town of Newmarket and the cathedral city of Ely, a line of windmills creaked and groaned in the wind. You could get anything in Soham from black boots to a black eye. It used to be said of Wicken, 'one way in, the same way out', because Wicken was one of those isolated fen villages looking at Soham across the vast Soham Mere, with a road linked to the Newmarket Road, but no through road to Stretham. The isolation brought an independence that helped to keep the last of the old Fen, now Wicken Fen, on its edges. Anthony Day's images capture the old cottages and scenes and show how the village has changed.

Michael Rouse's photographic tour of the West Norfolk coast takes us from the Victorian vision of Hunstanton - with its spectacular coloured cliffs - to the salt marshes of Stiffkey and Cley-nextthe- Sea. It's a journey back in time to the small ports of Burnham Overy Staithe, Brancaster Staithe and Blakeney, now so popular with weekend sailors, and then onward to the wonderful beaches and bustling quayside of Wells-next-the-Sea. A century's worth of images tells the story of the holiday industry and the economic fortunes of the English seaside, which has always been a haven for birdwatchers and a paradise for walkers. This is a coastline rich in history with an ever-changing shoreline but one constant theme - the dramatic, ongoing battle with the relentless North Sea.

The fascinating history of Soham and Wicken, illustrated through old and modern pictures.

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