Meols: The Archaeology of the North Wirral Coast. Discoveries and Observations in the 19th and 20th Centuries, with a Catalogue of Collections (Oxford University School of Archaeology Monograph)

Meols, on the north coast of the Wirral Peninsula (north-west England), is one of Britain's richest and most fascinating archaeological landscapes. As a low sandy promontory known as Dove Point was gradually destroyed by the sea during the 19th century, the remains of ancient settlement sites were exposed along the foreshore and in the sand-dunes near the water's edge. Thousands of artifacts from the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods were picked up from the eroding coastline. A devoted group of Victorian collectors saved much of the material for posterity, and left many records and observations, including descriptions of ancient burials and buildings. These have been augmented by further discoveries in the 20th century. This monograph presents the first modern and comprehensive study of Meols, together with a catalogue of the surviving material.