Bibliography - Dr. Peter Frank Brandon B.A., Ph.D., F.S.A. (1927 - 2011)
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The Enclosure of Keymer Common, by P. F. Brandon, published November 1960 in Sussex Notes & Queries (vol. XV no. 6, article, pp.181-186) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8233] & The Keep [LIB/500217] & S.A.S. library

Arable Farming in a Sussex Scarp-Foot Parish during the Late Middle Ages, by Peter Brandon, published 1962 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 100, article, pp.60-72) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 11489] & The Keep [LIB/500329] & S.A.S. library

Parish is Alciston

The Common Lands and Waste Lands of Sussex, by P. F. Brandon, 1963 at Birkbeck, University of London (Ph.D. thesis) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/508100][Lib/508101]

Medieval Clearances in the East Sussex Weald, by P. F. Brandon, published December 1969 in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (vol. 48, article, pp.135-153, ISSN: 00202754)   View Online

An attempt is made to define the extent and establish the chronology of the medieval clearances of woodland within a fragment of the Sussex Weald in relation to edaphic and other factors. The amount of clearing at different stages is first examined. The location of the cleared land is then delineated as accurately as the documentary evidence allows and an estimate is made of the extent of residual woodlands and waste c. 1500. Three case studies have been made of particularly well-documented areas as samples of the evolving agrarian landscape. In these case-studies, the value of post-medieval documents in throwing light on earlier developments is demonstrated.

Demesne Arable Farming in Coastal Sussex during the Later Middle Age, by P. F. Brandon, published 1971 in Agricultural History Review (vol. 19, no. 2, article, pp.113-134)   Download PDF

Agriculture and the Effects of Floods and Weather at Barnhorne, Sussex, during the Late Middle Ages, by Peter Brandon, published 1971 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 109, article, pp.69-93) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2194] & The Keep [LIB/500320] & S.A.S. library

The Origin of Newhaven and the Drainage of the Lewes and Laughton levels, by Peter Brandon, published 1971 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 109, article, pp.94-106) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2194] & The Keep [LIB/500320][Lib/506153] & S.A.S. library

Late-Medieval Weather in Sussex and Its Agricultural Significance, by P. F. Brandon, published November 1971 in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (vol. 54, article, pp.1-17, ISSN: 00202754)   View Online

The references to weather afforded by the compotus rolls of the manors of the Abbey of Battle and other ecclesiastical and lay manors in coastal Sussex between 1340 and 1444 are summarized and the evidence of floods during the same period is considered. The departures of the weather régime from that experienced during this century appear to be small, but significant climatic fluctuations are identifiable. Particularly favourable and adverse seasons and runs of these are enumerated; their agricultural effects are examined in the light of the yield ratios of the principal cereals. The implications of the fluctuations in regions closer to the climatic margins for cereals, particularly in the case of the adverse periods in the early fifteenth century, are noted.

Cereal Yields on the Sussex Estates of Battle Abbey during the Later Middle Ages, by P. F. Brandon, published August 1972 in The Economic History Review (vol. 25 issue 3, article, pp.403-420)   View Online

The Sussex Landscape, by Peter Brandon, published 1974 (288 pp., Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN-10: 0340165170 & ISBN-13: 9780340165171) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 3642] & The Keep [LIB/500127] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Deserted Medieval Villages in the Brighton District, by Peter F. Brandon, published 1974 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 112, shorter notice, p.162) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 5960] & The Keep [LIB/500317] & S.A.S. library

Warrens and Fossil Fields on Broadstone Warren, Ashdown Forest, by Peter F. Brandon, published 1974 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 112, shorter notice, p.164) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 5960] & The Keep [LIB/500317] & S.A.S. library

A Society Anthology, by Peter F. Brandon, published 1978 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 116, article, pp.198-198) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 7197] & The Keep [LIB/500313] & S.A.S. library

The South Saxons, edited by Peter Brandon, published 1 January 1978 (288 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 0850332400 & ISBN-13: 9780850332407) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/501557] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

New Shoreham Census Return 1881, by Shoreham and Southwick History Workshop Group and edited by Peter Brandon, published 1986 accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10085] & West Sussex Libraries

New Shoreham Census Return 1841, by Shoreham and Southwick History Workshop Group and edited by Peter Brandon, published 1987 (61 pp.) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10086] & West Sussex Libraries

New Shoreham Census Return 1851, by Shoreham and Southwick History Workshop Group and edited by Peter Brandon, published 1987 accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10073] & West Sussex Libraries

A Case Study of Farming with Conservation: Applesham Farm [Lancing], by Peter Brandon, published 1987 (pamphlet) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10494] & West Sussex Libraries

New Shoreham Census Return 1861, by Shoreham and Southwick History Workshop Group and edited by Peter Brandon, published 1990 accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10647] & West Sussex Libraries

The South East from 1000 AD, by Peter Brandon and Professor Brian Short, published 16 July 1990 (444 pp., London: Addison-Wesley Longman Ltd., ISBN-10: 0582492459 & ISBN-13: 9780582492455) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

A volume dealing with the regional and local history of South East England, this covers the landcape and society of the modern counties of Surrey, Kent, East and West Sussex and Greater London, south of the Thames from late Anglo-Saxon times to the present. The authors have tried to show the diversity that can be found within the region as well as common characteristics which illustrate the local peculiarities of the area. The works in the series offer a synthesis of both historical and archaeological work in local areas. Each region is covered in two linked but independent volumes, the first covering the period up to AD 1000 and necessarily relying on archaeological data, and the second bringing the story up to modern times. It aims to portray life as it was experienced by the majority of people of South Britain or England as it was to become. The authors look at the major historical events which have an impact on the reagion - wars, plagues, technological changes and socio-cultural trends amongst them - but they also stress the underlying continuity of rural and urban life.

The South Downs, by Peter Brandon, published 2 October 1998 (280 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 186077069X & ISBN-13: 9781860770692) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14979] & The Keep [LIB/501556] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

The South Downs has throughout history been a focus of English popular culture. With chalkland, their river valleys and scarp-foot the Downs have been shaped for over millennia by successive generations of farmers, ranging from Europe's oldest inhabitants right up until the 21st century. "possibly the most important book to have been written on the South Downs in the last half-century . . The South Downs have found their perfect biographer."

Countryside Conservation, by Peter Brandon, published 1 January 1999 in An Historical Atlas of Sussex (pp.140-141, Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd, ISBN-10: 1860771122 & ISBN-13: 9781860771125) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14026][Lib 18777] & The Keep [LIB/501686][LIB/508903] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Kent and Sussex Weald, by Peter Brandon, published 1 September 2003 (280 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 1860772412 & ISBN-13: 9781860772412) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

The Wealds of Kent, Surrey and Sussex had detractors over almost all their history but are now regarded as embodying England at its most characteristically delightful. The author explores how places such as Ashdown Forest and wooded west Kent, which were long disliked and even feared, have come to be perceived as jewels of landscape for leisure and recreation. He also traces the unremitting labour of generations of the region's small farmers to clear and settle a great expanse of wild country that has resulted in one of the most notable pieces of man's handiwork in Europe, and which has persisted to an astonishing degree relatively unchanged over a course of some eight centuries or more. This human story began as a saga of man against forest and continued as one of the interaction of man with trees - cared for to provide shipbuilding timber and fuel; to sustain the region's handicrafts; saved from the forester's axe to provide sporting pleasures and planted in pineta, arboreta and 'wild gardens' by Victorian and Edwardian 'nouveaux riches'. This book will enrich the enjoyment of those who reside in the Weald or live in sight of it and is essential reading for those whose interest in it is as landowner, farmer, ecologist, planner, conservationist, councillor or local historian.

The North Downs, by Peter Brandon, published 1 November 2005 (280 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 1860773532 & ISBN-13: 9781860773532)

The North Downs and Surrey Hills have for centuries been the most important of London's lungs. In Dr Brandon's inimitable style, this book recreates the Downs' past landscapes and examines the history of their famous Surrey products: Alton and Farnham hops, Dorking fowls and Banstead mutton. The exciting arena of the Kent Downs and its environs made a special contribution to the development of early England. The author also considers the leisure function of the region, which has existed for centuries. For more than 150 years the North Downs and Surrey Hills have counteracted urban noise, congestion and pollution by their very proximity to the metropolis. From the mid-19th century the region became a residence, playground, sanatorium, health resort, field laboratory and landscape artists? open-air studio. This long-awaited book from a much-loved local historian shares the eloquent prose of his previous titles, and the magnificent photographs are beautifully produced. It will be warmly welcomed by all local, social and landscape historians, as well as the many people whose lives are enriched by knowing the North Downs.

Sussex, by Peter Brandon, published 2006 (480 pp., Robert Hale, ISBN-10: 0709069987 & ISBN-13: 9780709069980) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

With an entertaining and highly detailed narrative Peter Brandon takes us on a tour of Sussex's market towns, hills, castles, seaside resorts, gardens and churches, from Brighton to Ashdown Forest, and from Gatwick Airport to the Ouse. Every feature of the county is covered. Sussex has often been featured in art and literature over the centuries, not to mention in the chronicles of history, and to this day it remains a centre of national cultural significance. With its exquisite natural beauty, varied landscapes, local traditions, international transport systems, diverse communities, and strong links with the worlds of education and music, Sussex is still one of the most interesting and important counties in Britain. Dr Brandon's erudition and his infectious enthusiasm for his native home make Sussex a fascinating read for anyone interested not only in the county but in English history.

The Shaping of the Sussex Landscape, by Peter Brandon, published 16 December 2009 (96 pp., Snake River Press Ltd., ISBN-10: 190602216X & ISBN-13: 9781906022167) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

How did Sussex get to look like what it looks like today? What does its distinctive landscape tell us about how people lived and worked here in the past? What impact have invasion, technology, war and, most importantly, sheep made on it? Find out how today's landscape is the joint and ongoing creation of nature's long, slow relentless shift and humanity's incessant bodging and fidgeting with its environment. To the untrained eye, the rolling Sussex landscape looks like a natural phenomenon that has been in place for millennia. But as this fascinating guide shows, what we see today is the result of centuries of human activity and interference. Did you know, for example, that Sussex was once the heart of the iron industry? The clues are in the hammer ponds, found in what are now idyllic backwater villages and bosky woodland. These were once Sussex's version of Blake's satanic mills. "The Shaping of the Sussex Landscape" will help train your historic eye to pierce through the layers of time, changing custom and technology, to discover the different ways the land has been used and really appreciate and understand the ingenious ways the landscape has been shaped and continues to be shaped to new needs and attitudes.

'John Halsham': the perfect countryman, by Peter Brandon, published 2010 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 148, article, pp.213-224) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18613] & The Keep [LIB/500366] & S.A.S. library   View Online

John Halsham' was the first to advocate landscape protection for Sussex, and his insightful interpretation of the Sussex Weald (1898-1913) has never been matched. He was also a most distinguished recorder of the lives, histories, habits and speech of the working-class Wealden inhabitants who shaped the region. His observations have left an unsurpassed record of change in the Sussex Weald in a period marking the transition between old and new ways of living. As a true countryman, he is representative of a number of contemporary Sussex writers who sought to repel the twentieth-century changes in the county emanating from London and other large cities.

The Discovery of Sussex, by Peter Brandon, published 28 July 2010 (288 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 1860776167 & ISBN-13: 9781860776168) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

There is a greater difference between life in Sussex today and life one hundred years ago than there was between the times of our great-grandparents and of Queen Elizabeth, for in 1900 Sussex away from the seaside resorts had more in common with the Sussex of 1700 than today's county. Horse power still set the pace of life and thistledown floated up from the spacious sheepwalks in high summer. Hazel and chestnut coppice was still cut regularly, men had not left off singing, and the bell-teams of wagon horses on the road were familiar sounds in what was called 'sleepy, snoozy, Sussex'. This book examines the social, cultural and environmental changes which went into the making of modern Sussex from the end of the 18th century, particularly those that resulted from the invasion of wideeyed Londoners as tourists and health-seekers, writers and artists, weekenders or permanent residents, in the half-century up to 1939. Those in favour of innovation and progress, who wanted to let things run their course, gave their active or tacit support to change, but there were others who abhorred the modern age and tried angrily to reverse the process. There were also those who fought on behalf of the countryside and resisted urbanisation by means of landscape protection, thus saving much of the county from bricks and mortar. Sussex became a foil to the metropolis on its doorstep, functioning as a re-discovered Eden in the guise of an undeclared national park, with values and lifestyles at variance with those of the capital city. The remarkable efflorescence of painting, writing, arts and crafts, domestic architecture, and landscape design and planning was deeply affected by the nostalgia for the countryside which accompanied the rapid and largely unplanned metropolitan growth. Writers and promoters of tourism created a rural ideology designed to meet the strains and stresses of the new urban mode of existence.

What more could Peter Brandon possibly have to say about Sussex? In a seemingly constant stream of publications, beginning for most of us with his The Sussex Landscape in 1974, he has been at the forefront of British academic regional writers, inviting us to think of the interplay between landscape history, artistic creativity and conservation.
There is, however, one important difference from his earlier publications. The latter offered long-term narratives relating to particular places: the South Downs, the Weald, or the historic county of Sussex. But this latest volume is thematic. It examines the social, cultural and environmental changes within Sussex from the end of the 18th century through to 1939 - covering roughly 150 years of 'discovery'. Much is linked to the influx of Londoners to Sussex and their impact on a county which otherwise seemed more resistant to metropolitan influence than other counties equidistant from the capital. There were many who encouraged and initiated change, but also many who abhorred modernity in its many guises. Rapid urbanisation precipitated its own counter-culture, and Sussex saw a remarkable flowering of painting, writing, arts and crafts design, vernacular architecture and landscape design, all charted carefully through this volume. Chapter 19 on Eric Gill and the artistic communities of Ditchling is a particularly delightful and knowledgeable example of these trends. We also hear of the radical poet Charlotte Smith, ensconced in the district around Bignor Park in the late 18th century, writing of class warfare and moral degradation, and criticising the 'polluted, smoky atmosphere and dark and stuffy streets' of London and yearning for her South Downs. And other personalities loom large in the book: Belloc and Kipling make repeated appearances, and if Brandon characterises Belloc's The Four Men (1912) as "the most passionate book on Sussex" (p.217), one could summon up a decent argument for making The Discovery of Sussex a close second!
. . .
This book is well written, an erudite, lively and utterly readable account, even joyous on occasion, helped by 41 plates and 157 blackand-white illustrations. There are some minor bibliographic issues, but overall the excellent partnership with Phillimore has produced another Brandon classic.