The Domesday Book – Millennium Edition

With the exception of a few scattered Anglo-Saxon charters, all English local history begins with Domesday.

When William the Conqueror commissioned Domesday Book in 1085, it was the most complete guide to a country ever undertaken. Nearly one thousand years later, it still is. Such is its authority that it was last consulted for legal precedent in the 1980’s. Yet only one copy of Domesday exists, in the Public Record Office, now the National Archive, at Kew.

For all those who treasure England and the place where they come from, Domesday paints a picture of life, customs and property in almost every village or town nearly ten centuries ago.

The Millennium Edition, published by Alecto Historical Editions, is the complete text of the Domesday survey of William the Conqueror’s kingdom in a limited edition of 450 perfect facsimile copies. It is bound in a replica of the earliest known Domesday binding (the Winton Domesday) and very few copies remain. This is the de-luxe edition which includes companion volumes and maps which help bring to life this fascinating part of our heritage.  .

The two-volume facsimile of Great Domesday is bound in brown embossed calfskin to the 12th Century design of the Winton Domesday (which is one of only thirteen known English Romanesque bindings that have survived).

A two-volume modern English translation, typeset so the text follows the original hand-written script line-for-line. These volumes are superbly hand-bound within a linen spine and hand-made paper sides.