Seven Stones Publishing

The Wild Orchids of the Peak District

2012-01-08T02:44:00.000-08:00

Byron Machin will be giving a talk on the Wild Orchids of the Peak District to the Leek Arts Club this month. The talk not only looks at the different orchid species but also contains stunning photographs, the results of current distribution surveys undertaken by the author and insights into their folklore and plant evolution. The talk takes place at 7.30pm on Tuesday January 24th in the Dove Room at Moorlands House, Leek. Their is a large free public car park behind the building.

Blood, Sweat & Stone: A History of Mining in the Peak District.

2011-11-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Available and Shipping now!

Covering the southern end of the great Pennine Mountain Range, the Peak District embraces some of the most beautiful landscapes in England. Across the immense gritstone edges, dramatic limestone valleys and magical woodlands lie the often hidden remains of a massive Industry.

Since the Bronze Age minerals, such as Lead and Copper, have been mined from deep underground. This documentary sets out to uncover the full history of mining in the Peak District; an industry born in fire and flame, that spans millennia and follows England’s great technological advances and the mineral resources that allowed us to build the greatest empire in the world.

It is a story told in blood, sweat and stone.

Featuring mining locations both above and below ground this in-depth study covers the history of the industry from Bronze Age Copper Workings on Ecton Hill, through the massive lead mines of the 18^th century, to the modern extraction of minerals such as Flurospar and Calcite. Along with filmed footage, fascinating underground photographs give glimpses into dozens of mines throughout Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Running at 117 minutes, the DVD is designed not only to be watched as a whole feature, but also as a reference guide. Special chapter selections are provided for each key location and time period allowing individual access. Also included is a special collector’s booklet with insights into the making of the documentary, along with key contacts and a further reading list.

Retail Stockists

Webberleys Bookshop, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Picture Book, Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands

Brierlow Bar Bookshop, Buxton, Derbyshire

Bakewell Tourist Information Centre, Derbyshire

Castleton Tourist Information Centre, Derbyshire

More to be added soon...

Ordering Details

Price £10 including p&p.

All prices include post & packaging. Please send a cheque or postal order made payable to 'Byron Machin' to:

Byron Machin,

Seven Stones Publishing,

Bankend House,

49 North Street,

Leek, Staffordshire,

ST13 8DW.

The DVD, and other Seven Stones Publications can be purchased from our eBay shop: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/lexxion_1984

Enquiries to: byronjamesmachin@hotmail.co.uk

For details of other DVD's and Books currently available from Seven Stones Publishing, please browse further down the page.

Catalogue Update ~ October 2011

2011-03-13T01:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the homepage for Seven Stones Publishing, a small independent press in the heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands. We pride ourselves on releasing high quality books on a variety of subjects from Archaeology to Folklore. Enjoy a browse through a catalogue and should you have any questions feel free to contact me at byronjamesmachin@hotmail.co.uk.

Due November 2011: New Documentary "Blood, Sweat & Stone: A History of Mining in the Peak District"

NEW DVD: The Prehistory of the Peak District

Newly re-mastered for DVD from the original film recordings this fascinating documentary uncovers over 10,000 years of human occupation in the Peak District; from the first hunter-gatherers to the magnificence of Bronze Age society. Layer after layer of history is unfolded before your eyes, from the awe inspiring stone monuments of a lost religion to the ancient field systems of the first farmers. Uncover a wildwood that covered Britain, and the key human revolutions that made us what we are today. No stone is left unturned as Byron Machin uncovers the real people of Prehistoric Britain.

Originally recorded in 2004, the recording has been re-mastered and re-edited to bring the original material up to the shiny standard deserving of a DVD release, and of course is now packed with special features, including:

Leek’s Mysterious Double Sunset (25 mins) A special 25 minute documentary recorded in September 2004 featuring the first ever recorded footage of a solsticial double sunset in leek.

Save Gibb Tor (6 mins) Byron Machin’s first ever documentary; a video presented at a public meeting organised to discuss the future of the forest at Gibb Tor in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The Wildlife of Longsdon (12 mins) A short film highlighting the wildlife and plants found alongside the old railway and canal at Longsdon, Staffordshire. This short was recorded a month before the main film and features natural sound recordings.

£10 including p&p.

Books by Byron Machin

Unfortunatley all the small press publications printed between 2009-11 are now out of print as Seven Stones Publishing is switching to a large press format from early 2012. The first new publication will be a comprehensive history of mining in the Peak District, including a complete underground fieldguide, and featuring dozens of new plans and photographs. At present the book is expected to be around 300 pages in length. Check back soon for more details.

Now out of print:

Legends of the Frith (2008), The Lost Stone Circles of the Shropshire (2009), The Stone Circles, Standing Stones & Chambered Tombs of West Penwith (2010), The Mines of the Peak District, Vol. 1: The South West Peak (2009), The Mines of the Peak District, Vol. 2: Matlock & Via Gellia (2010), The Mines of the Peak District, Vol. 3: Castleton & Bradwell (2011), The Mines of the Peak District, Vol.4: Bakewell & Lathkill Dale (2011), The Stone Circles of the Peak District (2011).

Ordering Details

All prices include post & packaging. Please send a cheque or postal order made payable to 'Byron Machin' to: Byron Machin, Seven Stones Publishing, Bankend House, 49 North Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST138DW.

A variety of our books can be purchased on ebay from http://shop.ebay.co.uk/lexxion_1984