History of your house

Finding out about the history of a property can sometimes be difficult. Houses often have a number of uses during their lifetime. They may have been converted from other types of property such as inns or farms. This may make it difficult to imagine what the original property looked like.

The first clues to the age of a house can be found by looking at the house itself and at the other buildings round about. Books on the history of the area may tell you when the area developed or expanded. Background books on building styles and architectural methods may also help.

There are many useful sources available in Derbyshire local studies libraries, and elsewhere, to help you trace the history of your house. These are described in a helpful leaflet: House history.

Download your copy from the More information section below to read all about it.

Visit the Peakland Heritage website (opens in a new window) for a fascinating study in how to research house history. Here Elizabeth Wildgoose describes the information she was able to find about a terraced house in Buxton.

A possible source of information, if the property has changed hands in the last 25 years or so, is the Land Registry (opens in a new window). However they charge a fee for searches of their records. Offices are located throughout the country. Nottingham West (opens in a new window) looks after Derbyshire records.

Wills can also be useful as sources for previous property owners. Wills after 1858 are kept centrally at:

First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NP
Tel: 020 7947 7000

Further information about them can be found on the website of Her Majesty's Court Services (opens in a new window).

History of your house

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