When this book was first published in 1975 it was at once enthusiastically received by scholars and the general public alike and recognized as a classic of its genre. It represented a notable publication of the early fruits of the Commission's work on the side of its responsibility for the National Monuments Record for Wales. During the years which have since intervened, much fresh information has come to light concerning Welsh houses - not least because of the intense interest awakened by the original publication. This new knowledge has, as far as possible, been incorporated in the new and revised edition, which contains approximately onequarter more material than the first. Although it has not been possible to alter the original text, a number of additional maps and photographs have been included and a new dust-jacket has been designed. The Commissioners would wish warmly to congratulate their Secretary, Mr. Peter Smith, those of his colleagues who were associated with him, and H.M.S.O. on the excellence of this volume. It marks another outstanding landmark in the study of vernacular architecture, not only in Wales but also in the British Isles, and a major achievement on the part of its author. Although this second edition of Houses of the Welsh Countryside retains in their entirety the text, the illustrations, and the layout of the volume first published in 1975, it also includes a substantial amount of new information which has come to light since that date. Some of this new material takes the form of additional figures inserted where appropriate into the existing illustrative pages. Similarly a small number of additional colour plates showing typical houses in characteristic settings has been tipped into the text. There are also additions to the original map lists. It has not been possible for reasons of cost to bring the maps themselves up to date, but as the newly-discovered sites nearly always reinforce the distribution patterns first indicated, this omission is not crucial. The numbers of new discoveries can vary from a mere handful on one list to several hundred on another. All other new material is introduced as part of an additional SECTION IV at the back of the volume. This section comprises: Corrigenda Covering sites which were inadequately or incorrectly described in the first volume, involving in one case a complete reappraisal of the original reference. Addenda I Describing and illustrating a small number of newly surveyed houses of especial interest which could not easily be fitted into the illustrations in the main text. Addenda II Analysing the incidence of date-inscriptions as evidence for building activity. Addenda III Listing and mapping a number of features of domestic architecture not previously so noted. Addenda IV Listing and mapping various features of ecclesiastical architecture which also occur in houses and which therefore have a bearing on the evolution of domestic architecture.

A WWII-era Welsh barmaid begins a secret relationship with a German POW in this “beautiful” novel by the author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself (Ann Patchett). Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Set in the stunning landscape of North Wales just after D-Day, this critically acclaimed debut novel traces the intersection of disparate lives in wartime. When a prisoner-of-war camp is established near her village, seventeen-year-old barmaid Esther Evans finds herself strangely drawn to the camp and its forlorn captives. She is exploring the camp boundary when an astonishing thing occurs: A young German corporal calls out to her from behind the fence. From that moment on, the two begin an unlikely—and perilous—romance. Meanwhile, a German-Jewish interrogator travels to Wales to investigate Britain’s most notorious Nazi prisoner, Rudolf Hess. In this richly drawn and thought-provoking “tour de force,” all will come to question the meaning of love, family, loyalty, and national identity (The New Yorker). “If you loved The English Patient, there’s probably a place in your heart for The Welsh Girl.” —USA Today “Davies’s characters are marvelously nuanced.” —Los Angeles Times “Beautifully conjures a place and its people, in an extraordinary time . . . A rare gem.” —Claire Messud, author of The Woman Upstairs “This first novel by Davies, author of two highly praised short story collections, has been anticipated—and, with its wonderfully drawn characters, it has been worth the wait.” —Booklist, starred review

The costs of housing benefit currently makes up more than a tenth of the UK Government's expenditure on welfare, with costs forecast to reach £25 billion by 2014-15. The Government's policy on under-occupation came into force in April 2013 and it is estimated that 40,000 tenants in Wales will be affected; representing 46% of working age housing benefit claimants living in the social rented sector. This is the highest proportion of any region in Great Britain. There could therefore be a shortage of one and two bedroom homes in Wales to re-house everyone who wants to downsize. If local authorities are struggling to find alternative smaller accommodation for Government should undertake a speedy review of this policy. It is also increasingly urgent for the Welsh Government to continue with its house-building programme, with a particular focus on the building of smaller sized properties: obviously this is a long-term solution that would require additional resources. If no social housing is available, tenants may need to move to the private rented sector and private rental costs would need to be monitored. The costs of moving disabled households who require adaptations are also a concern. There may be a case for exempting disabled households from the policy. The Government's proposal to pay housing benefit direct to social tenants under Universal Credit may result in some tenants being unable to manage their rent payments. The Committee recommends that the Government provide for housing benefit to be paid direct to the landlords in certain circumstances, for example after a specified period of non-payment

In 1796, several Welsh families fled their homeland to start new lives in America. Theophilus Rees and Thomas Philipps are considered the founding fathers of the Welsh Hills. In 1801, after residing for a few years in Pennsylvania, Rees and Philipps purchased about 2,000 acres of land in Licking County, Ohio. This area is known as the Welsh Hills. Soon they were joined by other families with the last names Thomas, Lewis, James, Johnson, Griffiths, Evans, Jones, Davis, Williams, Owens, Price, King, Cramer, Shadwick, Pugh, White, and Hankinson. Their descendants still reside in and around the Welsh Hills. The Welsh Hills is predominately located in Granville and Newark townships, but a small portion is also located in McKean and Newton townships. This fertile land with hills and valleys and an abundance of timber and natural springs enticed these families to make their permanent home the Welsh Hills.

The Welsh in Iowa is the history of the little known Welsh immigrant communities in the American Midwestern state of Iowa. Dr. Walley’s book identifies what made the Welsh unique as immigrants to North America, and as migrants and settlers in a land built on such groups. With research rooted in documentary evidence and supplemented with community and oral histories, The Welsh in Iowa preserves and examines Welsh culture as it was expressed in middle America by the farmers and coal miners who settled or passed through the prairie state as it grew to maturity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This work seeks to not only document the Welsh immigrants who lived in Iowa, but to study the Welsh as a distinct ethnic group in a state known for its ethnic heritage.

Describes workers' homes in the Welsh countryside during the first century of the industrial revolution.