Local history is the story of the place where you live. Your street, your town and your area all have a past — and if you look carefully, you can find clues to how they used to be.
Clues all around us
The past leaves clues everywhere:
| Clue | What it can tell you |
|---|---|
| Old buildings | How people used to build and live |
| Street names | Old jobs, families or places nearby |
| Photographs | How a street looked years ago |
| Old maps | Where fields, roads and houses used to be |
What street names tell us
A street called Mill Lane may have had a mill on it long ago; Church Street often leads to an old church. Old photographs and maps do a similar job — they are primary sources that can show fields where houses now stand, or a railway that has gone.
Asking older family members
Older people are living sources of local history. Asking your grandparents or neighbours what they remember is called oral history — always ask kind, clear questions and listen carefully.
Making a local timeline
Once you have gathered your clues, put them in order from oldest to newest. This shows how your area changed, step by step.
Put this local area's story in order, earliest first:
- Fields and a farm (1850)
- Railway station built (1900)
- New houses built (1960)
- Today — a busy town