13 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What can a country lane reveal about a kingdom whose name outlives its rule?
In Wanderings in Wessex, Edric Holmes explores the southern country between the valleys of the Itchen and the Otter. Old towns, village life and open countryside sit close together here. The journey invites you to see a landscape not just as ground to cross, but as a place shaped by history.
Wessex begins as the kingdom of the West Saxons, yet its name carries a region's character and memories long afterward. Holmes belongs to the English tradition of walking and touring writers. His subject rewards a slower pace: country lanes, old bridges and church towers draw attention to what a hurried traveller might miss.
What you’ll discover
- A kingdom in the landscape Explore how the name Wessex holds together a region and its memories.
- Two rivers frame the journey Let the Itchen and the Otter mark the bounds of your exploration.
- The pleasure of going slowly Find room to notice hedgerows, old bridges and church towers along the way.
- History close to village life Discover a southern landscape where old towns and open country meet.
- Places that still invite exploration Picture cathedral towns, market squares and country paths that remain part of England's south.
Who will love it
Readers who love old churches, ruined castles and village legends, and who enjoy a guide with strong opinions. It suits walkers, armchair travelers and local historians.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Winchester gathers the history of Wessex
- The coast carries departures and legends
- Purbeck joins human struggle with landscape
- Dorchester hides its age beneath appearances
- Coastal towns become stages for history
- Fact and legend share the hills
- Salisbury brings planning and beauty together
- The great stones leave questions open
- Every place holds layers of history
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 13 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Wanderings in Wessex in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Wanderings in Wessex
by Edric Holmes · 1922
A walker crosses Wessex from the Itchen to the Otter, meeting Corfe Castle, Stonehenge and a cathedral spire.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
Where does England begin? Edric Holmes answers by walking.
Wanderings in Wessex at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 5 min4 h 50 min fast, 7 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 86,500 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1922by Edric Holmes
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Winchester holds the whole story of Wessex
Holmes opens in Winchester because he thinks no English city carries more history. Cerdic made it his capital around 520, and Egbert was crowned King of the English here in 827.
The cathedral is the center of the visit. It is 556 feet long, the longest Gothic building in the world apart from St Peter's in Rome. Holmes admits that visitors are first let down by the squat tower and then won over by the interior.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1922
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Holmes, Edric. Wanderings in Wessex. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/wanderings-in-wessex.
Holmes, E. (2026). Wanderings in Wessex. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/wanderings-in-wessex (Original work published 1922)
Holmes, Edric. Wanderings in Wessex. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/wanderings-in-wessex.
@book{holmes2026wanderings,
author = {Holmes, Edric},
title = {Wanderings in Wessex},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/wanderings-in-wessex},
note = {First published 1922}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Wanderings in Wessex
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Wanderings in Wessex about?
It is a guided tour of the old kingdom of Wessex, from the River Itchen in Hampshire to the Otter in Devon, describing towns, villages, churches, castles, legends and prehistoric sites along the way.
Where is Wessex and what area does the book cover?
Holmes sets the southern edge from the Meon River to the mouth of the Otter, with the chalk ridge from Inkpen Beacon to the Marlborough Downs as its northern limit, taking in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and parts of Somerset and Devon.
Is the Wessex in Thomas Hardy's novels the same place?
Largely yes. Holmes names Hardy's places throughout, such as Casterbridge for Dorchester, Kingsbere for Bere Regis, Melchester for Salisbury and Sandbourne for Bournemouth, so the book works well beside the novels.
The author
Edric Holmes
1875–1949 · British topographical writer
Edric Holmes (1875–1949) was a British author who wrote non-fiction about places and landscapes. His books included Wanderings in Wessex, published in 1922. He wrote about southern England, including the region known as Wessex. He lived during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
