Collection: Local history reference

The area around Grange Farm has been dominated by a manorial centre since the medieval period; elements of this structure still stand. But by weaving together archaeological evidence and extensive research, a vivid, detailed picture has emerged of an enduring human presence at the site, from flee...

This work details the links that Charles Dickens had with Northern England (Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire), plus Scotland and Ireland, and with personalities from those areas. It examines the influences that these areas and personalities had on his life an...

'Black Victorians' shows how Black lives were visible, present and influential - not temporary presences but established and rooted; and how paradox and ambivalence characterised the Victorian view of race.

Old orchards have an irresistible appeal. Their ancient trees and obscure fruit varieties seem to provide a direct link with the lost rural world of our ancestors, a time when the pace of life was slower and people had a strong and intimate connection with their local environment. They are also o...