Preface: When we first undertook to report the state of the Agriculture of the the County of Hants, we were not altogether aware of the time and attention it would require, to make a complete and particular statement of the whole county; and we find from experience, the more we investigated the subject, the wider the field expanded to our view.

From the text: In the neighbourhood of Lymington, the land is very irregular, the hills in general poor; and the meadow rich; their chief manure is marle and chalk, but sea weed might be introduced to great advantage, by mixing it with farmyard dung, or mould.

Lymington was formerly famous for a number of salterns, which are now reduced to two or three, being a very precarious trade, on account of the unsettled state of this climate.

The history of every county has been affected to some extent by its natural features, and this is especially the case in respect to that county whose history is sketched in this volume.

The County of Southampton or Hampshire has been much favoured by nature, and its natural advantages must have commended it to its early inhabitants, whose connection with it are traced in these pages.

Hampshire is, and always has been, a woodland county, and its forests have been much concerned with its history. The materials for the History of Hampshire are more abundant than those of most English counties, as will be seen in the following pages.

We have boldly written A History of Salisbury on the title-page of this little book, although in truth that name seems too grandiloquent for so small and unaspiring an effort. Yet we are fain to hope that there may be nothing repellent in so proud a title.

Dip into our book, turn its modest pages and you shall find there no formidable string of dates, no lists of names of dead and forgotten worthies, no collection of dry-as-dust bric-a-brac, but a guide to simple facts, a handbook to tell you something of the beauties and the antiquities of this city, along with such necessary information as to its history as may perhaps elucidate the position from which we view it.

This work had its origin in a book published circa 1790, entitled 'A Companion in a Tour Round Lymington,' by the Rev J Warner.

This, in the course of years, having become entirely obsolete, and almost forgotten, was made the foundation of the first edition of the present work, being altered and re-arranged so as to suit the changes and improvements which had been gradually taking place.

The town of Lymington is situated on the south-west-coast of Hampshire, at the extremity of the New Forest; through which lies the principal road leading from it to Southampton. Few spots in the kingdom can boast a greater portion of picturesque views, or beautiful and romantic scenery

An account of several curious remains of antiquity existing in the Town of Southampton, and which had either been totally unnoticed, or only very slightly mentioned, in the descriptions of that place hitherto published.

The author has ventured into the field of antiquarian research. But insists that: "not for a moment suppose that I aspire at the dignity of a historian of the place; a task for which neither my researches nor abilities have by any means qualified me".

Two major editions exist. This is the second edition with additional reseach. The author was aided by The Society of Antiquaries.