Stories about local history, places, churches, communities and heritage - from historical research and discoveries to places we've visited.
We explore records, forgotten stories and wider historical themes. Other posts are informative, looking at the records, tools and sources that can help uncover family and local history.
You will also find church visits, historic places, memorials, and unexpected pieces of history discovered on our travels, in Wales and further afield.
The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Orgelet is a fortified 15th–17th-century church preserving a rare 17th-century clock mechanism, an unusually shaped tower with an octagonal belfry, and a remarkable 13th-century tiled pavement displayed inside. Together, these features make it one of the most historically layered landmarks in the Jura.
Something a little different this week as Frederick Purslow isn't from my own family tree. My friend Christine had asked me to research her own family, and this was her Uncle Fred. It was such a lovely story to uncover I wanted to add it to my blog. Frederick Volance Purslow was born on 6 […]
St Just in Roseland is often called one of the most beautiful churches in Cornwall. Nestled by the water and surrounded by subtropical plants, its churchyard tells a story of repeating family names and epitaphs that speak across centuries. This post marks the beginning of a new series exploring the history and atmosphere of local churches.
The fire that gutted St Chad’s Church in Hanmer in 1889 didn’t just destroy a historic building—it took with it generations of parish records. For family historians, it created a frustrating and permanent gap in the historical record.
Pilton is a quiet Somerset village with a long memory. I spent an afternoon walking its lanes and exploring its landmarks, and found a place where history still shapes the everyday. At the centre of the village stands the Church of St John the Baptist, partly hidden by old trees and surrounded by a peaceful […]
The actor and singer Russell Crowe has roots in North Wales. His Grandad was born in Wrexham, he later emigrated to New Zealand
While researching a family tree, I stumbled on “Panton Place” in Wrexham—a name hiding the harsh truth of workhouse births. What I found next was a surprising tale of rural morality and Victorian euphemisms.
We found Erbistock’s St Hilary’s Church by chance—and walked into red sandstone arches, Victorian memorials, and centuries‑old gravestones by the Dee. Here’s why it deserves a return visit.
Last year during a trip to Cornwall, I was walking the dogs early one morning in Veryan, on the Roseland Peninsula, I stumbled upon St Symphorian’s Church at the village heart. A kindly local passer‑by told me the church was open—“And I suppose you came to see the longest grave in the country?” she smiled. I […]
We are saddened by the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and extend our sincerest condolences to the Royal Family. Rest in Peace Your Majesty.
