Your House History

08/09/2026

When we think about house history, we often think about dates, documents and the people who lived behind the front door.

But what about the world beyond it?

Where did the children play? Which shops did they visit? What happened on the streets and in the parks? What did everyday life actually feel like?

David Wardell’s memories of growing up in Gosforth in the 1950s and 60s give us a wonderful glimpse into that world.

We’ve recently refreshed both parts of **The Games We Played**, keeping David’s original stories at the heart of them.

Read the updated posts and step back into childhood in Gosforth →

https://househistoryresearch.uk/the-games-we-played/

https://househistoryresearch.uk/the-games-we-played-part-two/

" Beyond all this we would seek further fun from the toyshops, of which there were just t" wo on Gosforth High Street, The Toy Cupboard and Clarksons but not forgetting Woolworths. Boydell’s, Pastimes and others would come later. Balsa wood gliders were good and we would take these off to the Litt...

07/09/2026

A house can hide its history in the smallest details.

For example, between 1906 and 1930, the houses on one part of the street weren't identified by numbers at all. They had names.

It sounds like a small thing until you're trying to work out which historical records belong to which house.

We've been following this particular thread for several months and are now waiting for a 1910 Land Valuation map from The National Archives. From that map, we hope to find the reference that will lead us to the accompanying field book and, with it, another layer of the house's story.

The map is currently being conserved, so getting to this t piece of the puzzle is likely to take more time.

That's what we mean by *The Art of House History.*

06/09/2026

From Archive to Heirloom: How House History Research Works

House history research rarely begins with a complete story. It begins with fragments. A name in an old census....

https://househistoryresearch.uk/from-archive-to-heirloom-how-house-history-research-works/

05/09/2026

🎄 Thinking about a Christmas gift with a story behind it?

September is our last month for Christmas orders

A house holds more stories than we often realise — the people who lived there, the changes it has seen, and the lives that unfolded within its walls.

We uncover those stories and turn them into something personal: a piece of your home’s history to keep, share and display.

If you’ve been thinking about commissioning a house history for someone special this Christmas, now is the time to get in touch.

✨ Christmas orders close at the end of September.

Because the best gifts aren’t always the ones that come wrapped in a box. Sometimes, they’re the stories that have been waiting to be discovered.

Get in touch to start their story.

04/09/2026

🌟HISTORY OF HERE | Our local stories | Gosforth Asda Site

You may have noticed that we’ve started calling our blog **History of Here**.

It’s a place for the stories we uncover beyond the history of individual houses, the streets, buildings, people, industries and landscapes that have shaped the places around us.

Our research is based in **Gosforth and the North East**, so many of our stories begin there. However, they mirror similar occurrences across the length and breadth of the UK.

Gosforth is full of layers of history, from country estates and village streets to colliery communities, changing high streets and buildings that have long since disappeared. And beyond Gosforth, the wider North East offers an extraordinary archive of stories waiting to be uncovered.

Some began with research for a house history. Others are stories we’ve discovered along the way and simply felt were too interesting

😍History of Here is how we share those stories, connecting the history of individual places with the wider history around them.

Understanding where a house sits in the landscape can sometimes help us understand the house itself.

Follow **History of Here** for more stories from Gosforth, Newcastle and the North East.

This week we are sharing our updated post - History of the Gosforth Asda Site: Cycling, Rugby and Speedway
https://househistoryresearch.uk/history-of-the-asda-site-in-gosforth/

03/09/2026

Inside Your House History | Old maps

Before we look at the people who lived in a house, we often look at the place itself.

Old maps can reveal how a neighbourhood changed around a property earlier buildings, vanished streets, changing boundaries, gardens, fields and even the industries that once shaped the landscape.

Leafing through the maps is like watching the landscape change, one layer at a time.

The most interesting part of a house’s story can be what stood here before it did.

02/09/2026

What Has This House Witnessed?

Built in the early 20th century, this Edwardian house has witnessed more than a century of everyday life.

It began as a home occupied by tenants, before becoming a place where a family would live for several decades. Children grew up here, working lives unfolded, and the rhythm of ordinary domestic life continued behind its front door.

At one point, the house even became a place where elocution and voice production lessons were given a fascinating glimpse into how a home could become part of someone’s working life.

By the 1990s, the house had passed into new ownership once again.

What we love about house history is that the story isn't just about when a house was built. It is about the people who lived there, and the little details that reveal how a home was used over time.

Because every house has witnessed something.

The question is: what has yours witnessed?

01/09/2026

History can become part of your home.

The story of a house isn't meant to be hidden away in an archive. It can be something you see every day, share with visitors, and pass on to the next generation.

Because when you know the story of your home, you see it differently.

The story should be displayed, not hidden.

Where would you hang an illustration of your home?

31/08/2026

We don’t rush the story. We follow it.

A house history rarely unfolds in a straight line.

One document leads to another. A name appears in an unexpected place or we find that an old address has changed.

Recently, while researching a house in Northumberland, we came across a very old document that needed to be carefully transcribed before we could fully understand what it revealed.

The document that rewarded our patience! The handwriting, language and details took time to work through and in the end we had added another piece to the story of the house.

Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren’t looking for.

That’s why house history research takes time. We follow the evidence and let the story reveal itself, rather than forcing it into a neat timeline.

Because although **The Art of House History** is about finding facts, It’s also about discovering the connections and details that give a house its sense of place.

We don’t rush the story. We follow it.

Curious about what might be waiting in the archives for your house? Discover your home’s story with House History Research.

Have you found any old documents relating to your house?