Published in 1860, Charles Knight’s ‘Old England’ is an absolutely beautiful mid-19th-century history of Great Britain. Subtitled ‘a museum of popular antiquities’, this work illustrats antiquities of England: from Stonehenge to castles, to stained-glass windows and coronation thrones.

In this two volume folio set, Knight includes exquisite colour engravings of iconic works of art, such as the statue of Isaac Newton at Cambridge, along with numerous views of castle and cathedral interiors. There are also thousands of vignettes – black and white engravings of historical England.