House & Site Histories

Researched histories of a building or site, drawing on archival, cartographic and documentary sources.

A bespoke house or site history brings together archival research, historic maps, census records, sale particulars and contemporary photographs to tell the story of a place. The result is a well-illustrated, readable document — useful in its own right, and a strong evidential foundation for any subsequent planning work.

A house history is the one commission on this list that people order for pleasure rather than obligation. It is also, quietly, among the most useful: the same archival work that establishes who lived in a house in 1841 is what establishes when a wing was added, and that evidence carries weight in a later application.

Depth depends on what survives. Some buildings are richly documented across centuries; others leave very little trace. The scope of research is agreed at the outset, so that the cost matches what the archives can realistically yield.

You are likely to need this if

You would like to know the history of your house and of the people who lived in it.
You are commissioning a gift for the owner of a historic property.
You need documentary evidence of a building's development to support a later application.
A building's phasing is disputed and the archival record would settle it.

What you receive

Research in county record offices and other relevant archives.
Historic maps and plans tracing the development of the site.
Census records, directories, sale particulars and photographs, where they survive.
An illustrated, readable narrative history of the building and its occupants.

Other services

Not sure which of these you need? Describe the building and the works you have in mind and I will tell you — or read the common questions about listed buildings and conservation areas.

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