The wider history of watercress farming has been largely overlooked by historians and archaeologists alike, despite the fact that it has left extensive traces in the landscape of Britain, and has a long and complex history that can be traced back to the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

Watercress brings this neglected subject to life by describing the history and archaeology of watercress farming in England, and explains how this humble herb has played a prominent part in our economic and cultural life through the ages. Presenting the changes that watercress cultivation brought to the landscape and waterways of the English countryside, this book is a must-read for local historians and archaeologists and all those interested in the history of agriculture and food.