Highlights of this volume are a full account of the Georgian marvels of Bath, and a separate section on the port of Bristol, whose sumptuous Victorian commercial buildings are among the best of their date in England.

Inspired by a box of wooden toy soldiers given as a present to her elder brother Branwell in 1826, Charlotte Bronte created, together with her siblings, a series of tales set in the imaginary realm of Glass Town. In 'The Green Dwarf', against the backdrop of war, the arrogant aristocrat Colonel Percy and the enigmatic Mr Leslie are vying for the affections of the beautiful Lady Emily. Soon, with the rivals both on the front line, and with the scheming Percy hatching a plot that involves the mysterious Green Dwarf, Leslie finds himself facing danger on all sides...Full of tragedy and passion, love and rivalry, the five sweeping tales contained in this volume display the precocious talent, lively imagination and flair for storytelling of the young Charlotte Bronte.Contains: 'The Green Dwarf and Other Early Fiction', 'The Green Dwarf', 'The Foundling', 'The Secret', 'Lily Hart', 'The Spell' and 'Tales of the Islanders'.

Covering thousands of years and a multitude of topics, the book tells the story of the development from a group of small agricultural settlements into a town and then a modern city. It covers success, disappointments, miserable periods and glorious episodes that have marked the city's evolution.