The medieval development of the distinct region of north-east England explored through close examination of landscape, religion and history.The recent surge of interest in the political, ecclesiastical, social and economic history of north-eastern England is reflected in the essays in this volume. The topics covered range widely, including the development of both rural and urban life and institutions. There are contributions on the well-known richness of Durham cathedral muniments, its priory and bishopric, and there is also a particular focus on the institutions and practices which evolved to deal with Scottish border problems. A number of papers broach lesser-known subjects which accordingly offer new territory for exploration, among them the distinctive characteristics of local jurisdiction in the northern counties, the formation of north-eastern landscapes, the course of agrarian development in the region and the emergence of a northern gentry class alongside the better known ecclesiastical and lay magnates. CHRISTIAN D. LIDDY is Lecturer in History at the University of Durham, where R.H. BRITNELL is Emeritus Professor.

Introduction - Anthony J PollardSt Cuthbert and the Border, c.1080-1300 - Richard A. LomasJohn Hardyng, Northumbrian Identity and the Scots - Alistair J MacDonaldRemembering the Legal Past: Anglo-Scottish Border Law and Practice in the Later Middle Ages - Cynthia J NevilleScaling the Ladder: The Rise and Rise of the Grays of Heaton, c.1296-c.1415 - Andy KingLand, Legend and Gentility in the Palatinate of Durham: The Pollards of Pollard Hall - Christian D LiddyLocal Law Courts in Late Medieval Durham - P. L. LarsonThe Free Court of the Priors of Durham - C M FraserChurch Discipline in Late Medieval Durham City: The Prior as Archdeacon - Margaret M HarveyEconomy and Society in North-Eastern Market Towns: Darlington and Northallerton in the Later Middle Ages - C. M. NewmanNewcastle Trade and Durham Priory, 1460-1520 - Miranda Threlfall-HolmesThe Size and Shape of Durham's Monastic Community, 1274-1539 - Alan J PiperPeasants, Landlords and Production between the Tyne and the Tees, 1349-1450 - Wastes, the Margins and the Abandonment of Land: The Bishop of Durham's Estate, 1350-1480 - Simon J. HarrisFraming Medieval Landscapes: Region and Place in County Durham [with Helen Dunsford and Simon J. Harris] - Brian K. RobertsFraming Medieval Landscapes: Region and Place in County Durham [with Brian Roberts and Simon J. Harris] - Helen DunsfordFraming Medieval Landscapes: Region and Place in County Durham - Simon J. Harris