Why am I passionate about this?

Having lived in the countryside for more than two decades and fallen for its charms, I find myself fascinated by its heritage. Rural history is often overlooked for the grand stories of royalty, urban life, and warfare. For me, the archaeology and history that speaks of daily life, practical struggles, and the humanity of people–that’s what really switches me on. I constantly yearn to get inside the minds of our ancestors to try and understand how they saw the world. Whether that’s strange superstitions or ingenious inventions, it’s all part of what it means to be human.


I wrote

A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

By Sally Coulthard,

Book cover of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

What is my book about?

As a smallholder and author who lives in the depths of the rolling English countryside, rural history is all around…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Bog Bodies Uncovered: Solving Europe's Ancient Mystery

Sally Coulthard Why did I love this book?

As an archaeology undergraduate at Oxford University, I was always drawn to the murkier side of human history.

There, I came across the subject of bog bodies, unfortunate people who were sacrificed and thrown into peat bogs across northern Europe thousands of years ago. Plenty has been written about the topic, but Miranda Aldhouse-Green’s sharp-eyed offering pulls together the latest research and scientific breakthroughs.

By Miranda Aldhouse-Green,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bog Bodies Uncovered as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It is time for a new book about bog bodies: the number of known bodies is growing. Lindow Man, the famous 'Pete Marsh' discovered in Cheshire in the 1980s, has been joined by new finds from Ireland and elsewhere. Who were these unfortunate people, and why were they killed? Archaeologists, armed with the latest analytical techniques, are today investigating these cold cases to reveal much about our distant past. Forensic science allows us to deduce the age, physical condition, status, cause and time of death of these ancient victims, helping to answer the fundamental questions that they pose: were these…


Book cover of Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches

Sally Coulthard Why did I love this book?

When we first moved to our farm, we discovered witches’ marks carved into the walls of our granary. Hundreds of years old, these ancient scribblings are absolutely everywhere–churches, grand homes, cottages, and farm buildings. These are not mindless doodles, however, but prayers for a good harvest or desperate protections against harm.

Matthew Champion’s well-researched book is a highly readable summary of this secretive and surprisingly common practice.

By Matthew Champion,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Medieval Graffiti as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For centuries carved writings and artworks in churches lay largely unnoticed. So archaeologist Matthew Champion started a nationwide survey to gather the best examples. In this book he shines a spotlight on a forgotten world of ships, prayers for good fortune, satirical cartoons, charms, curses, windmills, word puzzles, architectural plans and heraldic designs. Drawing on examples from surviving medieval churches in England, the author gives a voice to the secret graffiti artists: from the lord of the manor and the parish priest to the people who built the church itself.

Here are strange medieval beasts, knights battling unseen dragons, ships…


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Book cover of No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

No Average Day by Rona Simmons,

October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet, more Americans serving in World War II perished on that day than on any other single day of the war.

The narrative of No Average Day proceeds hour by hour and incident by incident while focusing its attention on…

Book cover of A Dictionary of English Folklore

Sally Coulthard Why did I love this book?

For a rational, well-educated woman, I’m also occasionally superstitious. This gripping compilation of folk beliefs and rural ritual–from two stalwarts of folklore academia–is a book I return to again and again.

Almost every aspect of rural life has a superstition attached. From churning butter to childbirth, I pour over these weird and wonderful subjects and am reminded of just how pervasive and persuasive folk beliefs still are.

By Jacqueline Simpson, Steve Roud,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Dictionary of English Folklore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Are there any legends about cats? Is Cinderella an English story? What is a Mumming Play? The subject of folklore covers an extremely wide field, with connections to virtually every aspect of life. It ranges from the bizarre to the seemingly mundane. Similarly, folklore is as much a feature of the modern technological age as the ancient world, of every part of the country, both urban and rural, and of every age group and occupation. Containing 1,250 entries, from dragons to Mother Goose, May Day to Michaelmas, this reference work is an absorbing and entertaining guide to English folklore. Aimed…


Book cover of Beastly Questions: Animal Answers to Archaeological Issues

Sally Coulthard Why did I love this book?

Since hunter-gatherer times, our relationship with animals has been full of contradictions. We relied on them not only as a source of food and traction but also worshipped and deified creatures through the millennia.

This feisty and, at times, refreshingly irreverent book pulls together everything we know about the cultural history of human-animal relationships, from pampered pets to sacrificial offerings.

By Naomi Sykes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beastly Questions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Zooarchaeology, the study of ancient animals, is a frequently side-lined subject in archaeology. This 'important and provocative' volume, now available in paperback, provides a crucial reversal of this bizarre situation - 'bizarre' because the archaeological record is composed largely of debris from human-animal relationships (be they in the form of animal bones, individual artifacts or entire landscapes) and many disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and geography, recognise human-animal interactions as a key source of information for understanding cultural ideology. By integrating knowledge from archaeological remains with evidence from texts, iconography, social anthropology and cultural geography, Beastly Questions: Animal Answers to Archaeological…


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Book cover of The Extraordinary Journey of David Ingram: An Elizabethan Sailor in Native North America

The Extraordinary Journey of David Ingram by Dean Snow,

An ordinary sailor named David Ingram walked 3600 miles from Mexico to Canada over the course of eleven months in 1568-9. There, he and two companions were rescued by a French ship on the Bay of Fundy. They were the first Englishmen to explore the interior of North America.

English…

Book cover of Spellbound: Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft

Sally Coulthard Why did I love this book?

In 2018, I visited one of the most unusual exhibitions I’d ever been to. Hosted by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, ‘Spellbound’ examined how magical thinking has been practiced over the centuries.

From mummified cats to lovers’ rings, the displays were dazzling. Every time I open the accompanying book, with its remarkable photographs and illustrations, I’m transported back to this extraordinary, baffling world.

By Sophie Page, Marina Wallace,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Spellbound as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do you believe in magic? Even if you don't, you probably 'think magically' sometimes. We touch wood to stop bad things happening, or take a lucky object to a job interview or exam in an irrational attempt to influence the outcome. Spellbound: Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft was the first exhibition to examine how magical thinking has been practised over the centuries. With exquisitely engraved rings to bind a lover, enchanted animal hearts pierced with nails, mummified cats concealed in walls and many other intriguing objects, the exhibition catalogue shows that the use of magic is driven by our strongest emotions:…


Explore my book 😀

A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

By Sally Coulthard,

Book cover of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

What is my book about?

As a smallholder and author who lives in the depths of the rolling English countryside, rural history is all around me. From ancient witches’ marks scratched into our barn walls to old, strange pieces of farm equipment, tangible reminders of the past are a brilliant way to bring history to life.

My latest book tells the story of our rural ancestors through material history. We’re all descendants of people who lived and grafted in the countryside. My book shares their remarkable journey through objects that speak of our endless resourcefulness, hardship, and, at times, sheer eccentricity.

Book cover of Bog Bodies Uncovered: Solving Europe's Ancient Mystery
Book cover of Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches
Book cover of A Dictionary of English Folklore

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