From the historic work of the by the brothers, Samuel and Nathaniel Buck, Views of Ruins of Castles & Abbeys in England, 1726-1739. Samuel and Nathaniel Buck were the most important topographical artists of the 18th century, creating a record of over 500 ancient monuments & towns in England and Wales. Many of these monuments had been devastated during the course of the Reformation, particularly during the period when Oliver Cromwell ruled England as "Lord Protector." The Bucks Views, as they have become known, provide an invaluable record of these magnificent buildings, some of which have seen further deterioration during the 275 years that have since passed. This project was initially published over three decades from the 1720s. Having achieved great success with his publications of town prospects, Samuel Buck announced in November 1726 ".his intention of systematically recording ruins throughout England. The castles, religious foundations, and other remains of antiquity throughout the kingdom, he argued, were in a lamentable condition. He would 'rescue the mangled remains' of 'these aged & venerable edifices from the inexorable jaws of time' (S. Buck, 'Proposals for the publication of . twenty-four views of castles . in the counties of Lincoln and Nottingham', 1 Nov 1726, copy in priv. coll.), by visiting and recording them. In the summer of 1727 Nathaniel accompanied Samuel on a 'peregrination' of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. In 1728 the brothers announced their plan to undertake the remaining counties of northern England, but they discovered enough recordable ruins in Durham and Northumberland for the following year's set of twenty-four, and Cumberland and Westmorland had to wait. In 1729-31 they took their sketch-boards to the midlands, between 1732 and 1736 they covered the counties in the south of England and also in Monmouthshire, in 1737 they covered the counties of East Anglia, and in 1738 they completed England by dealing with Cumberland and Westmorland. Finally they produced sets for Wales, apparently touring the counties of Wales in 1739-41. With the publication in 1742 of Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merioneth, Montgomeryshire, and Radnor, the antiquities project was completed. This project constituted only half of the Buck brothers' enterprise. From 1728 they had worked on a parallel project: producing and publishing a series of long prospects of English and Welsh 'Cities, Sea-ports, and Capital Towns' Samuel & Nathaniel Buck"Buck's Views" as they were called are 428 views of the ruins of all noted abbeys, castles, together with four views of seats and eighty-three large general views of the chief cities and towns of England and Wales. Published between 1724-38 on Hand-Made Laid and often Watermarked Paper. They were reprinted in the Victorian time and later on a polished mechanically made paper** The price had to go up due to raised postage etc. If a number are wanted ring first so I may sort a discount**