An Historical Geography of Railways in Great Britain and Ireland

Although a great deal has been published on the economic, social and engineering history of nineteenth-century railways, the work of historical geographers has been much less conspicuous. This overview by David Turnock goes a long way towards restoring the balance. It details every important aspect of the railway's influence on spatial distribution of economic and social change, providing a full account of the nineteenth-century geography of the British Isles seen in the context of the railway. The book reviews and explains the shape of the developing railway network, beginning with the pre-steam railways and connections between existing road and water communications and the new rail lines. The author also discusses the impact of the railways on the patterns of industrial, urban and rural change throughout the century. Throughout, the historical geography of Ireland is treated in equal detail to that of Great Britain.

List of contents

Contents: Introduction: the railway age; Part One: Railway networks: Railways before the age of steam; England and Wales; Scotland and Ireland; Part Two: The Railway impact: Canals and ports; The towns; The countryside; Conclusion; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index.

About the author

David Turnock

Summary

The aim is twofold; to trace the development of the railway network in the context of separate company interests, and to consider the impact of the railways with reference to the waterway system and to everyday life in both the towns and the countryside.

Product details

• Authors: David Turnock, Turnock David
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 27.05.1998
• EAN: 9781859284506
• ISBN: 978-1-85928-450-6
• No. of pages: 394
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 234 mm x 26 mm
• Weight: 453 g
• Subjects: Guides > Motor vehicles, aircraft, ships, space travel > Rail vehicles; Humanities, art, music > History; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Individual industrial sectors, branches; 20th Century, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / Urban, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / Rural, TRANSPORTATION / Railroads / General, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Transportation, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Rural communities, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Social and cultural history, Transport industries, British Isles, Trains & railways: general interest, Urban communities, Trains and railways: general interest, Railway transport industries