ABSTRACT
One of our objectives in writing this book has been to provide a trail guide through the confusing industrial archaeological legacy bequeathed by the twentieth century. The trail guide was an interpretive technique of the 1970s, pioneered at Cromford, Broseley and Ironbridge. Best practice in such a guide was to show to the user some points to look for, and then to provide a clear point-by-point itinerary, explaining what could be seen at a succession of stops. We hope that Chapters 2–10 have provided some themes worth pursuing, as well as some detailed studies. It is not our intention to grade towns and cities in the style of Baedeker, but rather to show how archaeological evidence may be used to enhance our understanding of the recent past – and this is done most effectively through a disciplined approach to the principal categories of archaeological evidence.
