The National Coal Mining Museum for England
Learn about our industrial past with this Yorkshire museum. By Nell Darby. In 2016, the last deep coal mine in the UK – Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire – closed,…
Exploring the history of Leeds
This West Yorkshire city has seen a recent resurgence, and it’s a mecca for shoppers: but what else does it offer the history-lover? Nell Darby explores. It is today a…
The shaming of Madeleine Smith
In 19th century Scotland, one criminal case shocked the country, and also highlighted issues of gender and class, writes Nell Darby. She was a young woman from the wealthy, educated…
The history of Derby
This Midlands city is about as far from the sea as it could be, but is very much at the heart of Britain’s industrial history, writes Andrew Chapman. Derby today…
Worcester’s medical museums
Tucked away in the corner of a Worcestershire hospital is an informative, occasionally ghoulish, museum devoted to medical history, writes Nell Darby. The City of Worcester is home to not…
Scottish oil shale workers
Colin Waters recalls a Scottish industry that once employed thousands of workers. Few people in Britain are aware of Scotland’s once massive oil shale Industry. For over a century, it…
The Statistical Accounts of Scotland
The first two Statistical Accounts of Scotland can help to bring your family history to life. Chris Paton explores how. If you have Scottish ancestry, the Statistical Accounts of Scotland…
Trace your Birmingham roots
There’s a wealth of material to help you to discover how your ancestors lived, worked and worshipped in England’s second city, as Doreen Hopwood explains. Today, Birmingham is home to…
The Industrial Revolution comes to rural Suffolk
Dee Dent’s research into her family’s history has thrown light on how the arrival of modern industrial manufacturing transformed life in Victorian Suffolk. A pony and trap hired from the local…
A trip through Hull’s history
Being UK City of Culture in 2017 put Hull firmly back on the map – and drew new attention to its history of seafaring and trading. By Nell Darby. Located…