Martin Easdown: 7 books

In this, a companion volume to his definitive history of Yorkshire’s pleasure piers, Martin Easdown turns his expert attention westward – to the Lancashire coast. His highly illustrated survey of the piers constructed at famous resorts like Blackpool, Morecambe, Southport and St Annes-on-Sea celebrates...

A ride on a rollercoaster is the highlight of any trip to an amusement or theme park, and such attractions have been entertaining the public for well over a century. From the first mass-produced rollercoaster, the Switchback Railway, through to the giant wooden coasters of the inter-war period, seaside...

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...

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Folkestone takes the reader on a sinister journey through the annals of crime in Folkestone, Hythe and the surrounding area. Along the way we meet villains, murderers and victims of many kinds, including cut-throat soldiers, a 'baby farmer', a Jack the Ripper...

Wales is known for its green hills and valleys, narrow gauge steam railways and medieval castles, but not, it appears, for its pleasure piers. This is a shame, as the country has some of the finest surviving piers in England and Wales, with three particularly fine examples. Llandudno, 'Queen of the...

Hythe is situated on the south-east coast of Kent, just 25 miles or so from France. One of the famous Cinque Ports, Hythe also became a popular seaside resort in the Edwardian era, providing fetes, fairs, donkey derbies, and bathing huts for its many visitors. Like all settlements, Hythe has had to...

Despite their popular association with fun and frivolity, the function of piers as both an amusement centre and landing stage was varied, and nowhere was this better illustrated than on the coasts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and east Dorset. The area's association with piers dates right back to...