The Antiquary’s Books series comprises around 30 titles, published by Methuen between 1904 and c.1930. The subjects covered are diverse, but all relate to aspects of English local history and topography. The series is unified, however, by the quality of the writing and the authoritative nature of the texts, compiled and written by leaders in their fields.

The strident red buckram bindings with gilt lettering and ornamentation make for strong shelf presence, and the series appeals equally to scholars and collectors. Really bright, clean copies are increasingly hard to come by, but the hunt is well worth the effort.