{"title":"Books by Martin Easdown","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781445689357","title":"The Extraordinary Daddy-Long-Legs Railway of Brighton","description":"The unique, but sadly short-lived, Brighton \u0026amp; Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway must have presented quite an amazing spectacle, even during those late Victorian days of engineering excellence. Affectionately known as the ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’, ‘spider car’ or ‘sea car’, the railway resembled a piece of seaside pier that had broken away and was moving by itself through the sea. Although closed over a hundred years ago, interest in the Daddy-Long-Legs Railway remains strong and it has become a Brighton icon.The book details the history of the Daddy-Long-Legs and features the best collection of photographs of it so far assembled, along with plans, timetables and posters and associated features such as Volk’s Electric Railway and the piers assembled as a landing stage for the Daddy-Long-Legs. This will be the first book to concentrate solely on this unique and fascinating piece of British seaside history.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300075483509,"sku":"9781445689357","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445689357_b09b1680-c2ec-4076-b4fe-ad98f6fa7a46.jpg?v=1786020558"},{"product_id":"9781398124073","title":"Pier Railways and Tramways","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe nineteenth-century craze for building pleasure piers around the coast of Britain has left a legacy of seaside fun unmatched around the world. Although some of Britain’s piers have succumbed to fire and storm damage over the years, over fifty of these remarkable structures are still standing today. A number were built with railways and tramways to convey holidaymakers to the end of the pier, several of which survive today. These include the longest pier, at Southend-on-Sea, which opened an electric railway in 1890, when the pier was rebuilt to its present extent; the oldest seaside pleasure pier, at Ryde, which has a railway from the pier head that links to the rest of the network on the Isle of Wight; and the Hythe Pier Railway, which takes passengers to and from the ferry link at the end of the pier.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartin Easdown has been researching Britain’s piers and their railways for many years and presents a photographic survey of them around the UK and Ireland. The photographs show both self-contained pier railways and tramways and pier railways connected to the National Rail Network. As well as the vehicles, pier stations are illustrated, including those that were not actually on the piers but the shore beside them. With many rare and fascinating photographs, this book will be of interest to railway enthusiasts and those nostalgic for the quintessential British seaside holiday.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312239391093,"sku":"9781398124073","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398124073_7df118b4-7fe1-454b-a891-a3cefcda7e19.jpg?v=1786018322"},{"product_id":"9781398126572","title":"Lost Country Houses of Sussex","description":"\u003cp\u003eRudyard Kipling’s poem Sussex celebrates the beauty of his deeply loved adopted county with its rolling green hills, spectacular chalk downs and its varied and playful coastline. Fortunately, Kipling’s country house and many grander mansions are still with us yet, as elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the present-day counties of East and West Sussex have sadly seen the demise of some of these grand showcases of wealth and power.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLost Country Houses of Sussex will feature all of the large country houses that have been lost, as well as those that had to be extensively rebuilt following fires, and many of the smaller and more obscure houses, including seaside villas set in their own spacious grounds. Each house will be illustrated with rare postcards and photographs, including those featuring the families that lived in them and the famous people (such as Lord Lucan and George V) who visited them. This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the history of Sussex over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in the county or know it well.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368754229621,"sku":"9781398126572","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398126572_8466fb85-482a-4811-aacc-2c30de578b9b.jpg?v=1786034268"},{"product_id":"lost-country-houses-of-kent","title":"Lost Country Houses of Kent","description":"Country houses were the showpieces of the nation’s elite and Kent can still boast some of the finest examples, with Leeds Castle, Chevening, Cobham Hall, Knole, Penshurst Place, Mereworth and Broome Park to name but a few. Sadly, the county has also witnessed the demolition of several of its grander houses due to changes in social habits and the decline and amalgamation of great estates, not to mention fire, dry rot and death duties. Estates of modern houses now cover the site of the many lost houses, while the remains of foundations, surviving entrance lodges and other outbuildings, and a few garden features can be found if looked for. It is evocative to think that what was once such an imposing building, the centre and social hub of the area, is now just a few scanty remains in a field.This is the first book to feature the lost country houses of the ‘Garden of England’ and Martin Easdown provides us with 120 examples of the grandest mansions that have disappeared, listed in gazetteer form with illustrations. He also provides us with a few examples, such as Oxney Court, where the house has come back to life after years of dereliction.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484168233333,"sku":"9781445674346","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445674346.jpg?v=1786266208"},{"product_id":"cliff-railways-lifts-and-funiculars","title":"Cliff Railways, Lifts and Funiculars","description":"One of the most evocative reminders of Victorian ingenuity at the British seaside is the much-loved cliff lift. This simple method of transporting people up and down the cliff side has been a feature of our coast, and a few inland towns, for over 150 years and has recently undergone a renaissance at places as varied as the National Coal Mining Museum, Legoland and the Centre for Alternative Technology.The cliff lift, otherwise termed the cliff railway or tramway, is also known as a funicular  railway. The word ‘funicular’ is defined as ‘of rope or tension’, in other words a cable-hauled railway or tramway. The lifts were directly descended from cable-hauled railways, prevalent in mines and quarries, but also early passenger lines, where an engine or winding gear hauled loads up steep slopes. The term ‘cliff  lift’ also generally encompasses the elevator-type lifts that were erected at some resorts.This book illustrates, mainly in colour, all the principal cliff lifts and railways that have been built in the British Isles, along with associated cable tramways, since their inception in the Victorian age. In addition to featuring all the surviving lifts, this book includes others which are long gone, and serves as a fine record of these charming and unique structures.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487973319029,"sku":"9781445680033","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445680033.jpg?v=1786355219"},{"product_id":"lost-country-houses-of-surrey","title":"Lost Country Houses of Surrey","description":"Surrey had been home to large houses of the landed gentry and even royalty through the centuries but once the new railways opened up the county in the nineteenth century, Surrey’s proximity to London meant that many large houses were built for the wealthy who worked in the capital. However, increased taxation during the 20th century, along with agricultural decline, led to significant numbers becoming redundant. Many fine Surrey country houses were demolished or reduced in size, leaving just memories today.   Lost Country Houses of Surrey will feature all of the significant country houses that have been lost, as well many of the smaller and more obscure houses. Each house will be illustrated with rare postcards and photographs, including those featuring the families that lived in them and the famous people who visited them. This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the history of Surrey over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in the county or know it well.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57680133554549,"sku":"9781398132849","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398132849.jpg?v=1792423233"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-martin-easdown.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}