This thesis comprises 28 papers which illustrate the nature and direction of development work and associated research undertaken between 1965 and 1993 on soil and rock anchorage systems. The research was performed in order to obtain a basic understanding of the behaviour of newly developed anchorage systems in a variety of ground types and conditions, in order to improve anchorage designs, construction methods and testing procedures, and thereby encourage the safe and economic application of ground anchorages worldwide. Field development of anchorage construction methods in gravels, sand, clays, marls and chalk using cement grout injection techniques is described together with equations evolved to estimate the ultimate resistance to withdrawal for each ground type, based on systematic testing of full scale anchorages. A new design method for single and multi tied stiff retaining walls installed in any soil is detailed and validated by large scale tests and closely monitored case histories. The interactions between wall, anchorage and soil are illustrated, coupled with the refinement of overall stability analyses in cohesionless soils using wedge and log spiral based mechanics of failure. For the rapid installation of anchorages in granular soils, vibratory driving is investigated in the laboratory and two distinct types of motion are found to exist. Theoretical equations of motion are developed to define the penetration processes and facilitate the design of vibrodrivers and vibrohammers. World practice in relation to the design, construction, testing and behaviour of rock anchorages is appraised, and field studies permit an improved understanding of uplift capacity by general shear failure, load transfer mechanisms, bond at rock/grout and grout/tendon interfaces, debonding, service performance and post-failure behaviour.