The English village conjures up an image of rural harmony and of our ancestors woven into the broader pageant of England's past. But existing village histories are often mere lists of past lords of the manor. What we are really interested in is how a village began, what it might have looked like down the centuries, and what clues to the past are still there for those who know what to look for. In this book, Trevor Yorke takes on the role of village detective as he documents the development of the English village from pre-Roman settlements to the present day communities.