Who lived in your house before – and when was it built? House detective Angela Lownie reveals all
In recent years, interest in house history has grown tremendously, boosted by books and TV programmes such as The Secret History of Our Streets and A House Through Time. Even the smallest house has been bought, sold, leased and subject to rates and taxes, and its occupants have left any number of records. If we dig deep into the archives, uncovering the history of our homes, and breathing life into the forgotten inhabitants, a fascinating story will unfold. But where do you start? If your house is listed, you can read its listing on the Historic England website. It’s also worth checking whether your home is covered in Nikolaus Pevsner’s architectural guides to the counties. Architecture books are invaluable for background knowledge and to deduce a building’s date. The best all-encompassing website for British architecture is that of the Royal Institute of British Architects. For more specific information, title registers...
I’m afraid this isn’t one of our four free articles available in full, which are set out in the first two rows of the ‘Magazine’ page.
Please click here to find them.
To buy a digital version of this issue for just £2.99, click here
