Indeed... this, from Chesterton:
"Melanie Backe-Hansen is her name and she is a full-time historian for Chesterton.
Attached is an example of the sort of work she produces [it's imressive, Ben] and below are top tips for researching the history of your home, which I thought could be of use.
Five Top Tips to Researching the History of Your House
1. Head to your local history archives
Your local library will have a treasure trove of information – not only will you find the local area sources such as electoral registers, maps and local history books but they may also hold deeds, newspaper cuttings, estate agent brochures as well as photographs and prints. Read up on local history. This can give you a lot of great background information and you may even find that someone has already researched your street or even your house before!
2. Check house numbers and street names
Before delving into archives and original documents it is useful to check if the street name and numbers have changed, as you could find you have spent a lot of time researching the wrong house.
3. Maps
Maps are incredibly useful to find out the history of your house – you can get an estimated date of when it was built and you can also find out how your area has changed over time. You can also find what may have been at the location before your house was built. The Ordnance Survey maps offer great detail on each area – even individual houses - but also check out parish maps, tithe maps, bomb damage maps and the valuation survey from 1910.
4. Check out your local council planning department
The planning departments often hold relevant information to historical applications that may give you important clues as to how your house may have changed. However this information is predominately only relevant for for the 20th century.
5. Keep going!
You may not immediately find the information or the answers you’re looking for but you will be rewarded by perseverance! If you find yourself at a dead end go back to information you’re certain of and try a different route."
