A local antiquarian account surveys the town's origins and built remains, combining topography, documentary transcriptions, and illustrations. It traces alleged Saxon defenses attributed to Ethelfleda, the later Norman castle and medieval charters, churches, hospitals, friaries, local trades, and civic institutions; recounts royal visits, sieges across the centuries and the town's destruction during the Civil War, with capitulation terms and proclamations printed in full. The narrative draws on manuscript collections, municipal records, and private archives, and includes an appendix of related materials, antiquarian notes, and view plates to guide readers through the borough's physical and documentary heritage.
