Before modern growth of centralised government, the most important unit of administration was the county. Building by counties, taken together, represents a substantial and previously little noticed programme of public works. In the years between 1650 and 1830 a increasing proportion of their time and resources was taken up in erecting public buildings. Unlike most other building works in this period, where the details of planning, building, execution and cost are lost, county building is well documented, allowing us to follow clearly the stages of erection. Christopher Chalklin sets the county programme in the context of building in general at the time, and in particular in contrast to central government spending on public buildings. He shows which counties were the most active, how and when they decided to build, how much was spent and how this expenditure was funded. "English counties and public building, 1650-1830" is a contribution both to English architectural history and to the history of local government.