BBC: Thousands of textile treasures preserved in new project. “A treasure trove of thousands of items in storage for decades at a mill museum in Lancashire are being checked for the first time and added to a new database. Helmshore Mills Textile Museum has helped preserve Lancashire’s textile industry history for the past 40 years. As textile firms collapsed in the 1960s and 70s, many contents […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/10/14/bbc-thousands-of-textile-treasures-preserved-in-new-project/#englandhistory — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #englandhistory, aggregated by home.social.
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BBC: Rare ‘fragile’ recordings saved before they disappear. “Hundreds of recordings capturing the voices, accents and memories of people across the South West are being rescued before fragile tapes deteriorate beyond repair. Archivists say some are at risk of being lost forever as ageing cassette and reel-to-reel tapes begin to break down. The Sounds of the South West project is digitising […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/10/08/bbc-rare-fragile-recordings-saved-before-they-disappear/ -
About Manchester: Queer Up North Digital Archive launches. “An extraordinary new digital archive documenting the history of Queer Up North (1992-2002) has launched The archive reveals stories about the people, performances, club nights, cabaret, comedy and art that helped to shape queer culture in 90s Manchester, bringing together objects from the festival’s colourful history and making them […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/10/07/about-manchester-queer-up-north-digital-archive-launches/ -
BBC: Buckingham Palace works uncover trove of everyday items dating back to 1800s. “A pair of battered, hobnailed boots and a decades-old newspaper cutting are among a trove of everyday objects unearthed during restoration work at Buckingham Palace. The misplaced items are thought to belong to staff who worked at the palace decades ago, and were found by workers carrying out the £369m […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/15/bbc-buckingham-palace-works-uncover-trove-of-everyday-items-dating-back-to-1800s/ -
Museums Journal: Record number of museums awarded Designated status. “A record nine museums, libraries and archives have been awarded Designated status for their collections – which span film memorabilia, the archive of a medieval monastery and documents detailing the design, construction and operation of the world’s first underwater tunnel. The Designation scheme was first launched in 1997 […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/14/museums-journal-record-number-of-museums-awarded-designated-status/ -
Wheal Martyn Clay Works: Wheal Martyn Awarded £49,942 Archives Revealed Grant to Catalogue and Share Cornwall’s China Clay Archives. “Wheal Martyn Clay Works has received a £49,942 grant from The National Archives’ Archives Revealed partnership programme, which is funded by The National Archives, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust and the Wolfson Foundation…. This […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/13/wheal-martyn-clay-works-wheal-martyn-awarded-49942-archives-revealed-grant-to-catalogue-and-share-cornwalls-china-clay-archives/ -
BBC: New BBC Series Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga. “A new two-part BBC history commission for BBC Two and iPlayer, Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga, is set to explore the individuals, institutions and organisations who financed Britain’s trade in enslaved Africans from its first tentative steps in the 16th century to abolition of the trade in 1807. Based […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/05/bbc-new-bbc-series-finding-britains-slave-traders-with-david-olusoga/ -
BBC: Shipbuilding archive aims to preserve memories. “…people across north-east England have been asked to sit down with loved ones who once worked in the shipyards to contribute to the Shipyard Heritage Museum’s online living archive. The archive is open to stories from the rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/09/01/bbc-shipbuilding-archive-aims-to-preserve-memories/ -
Border Telegraph: Over 100 tales of the River Tweed collected for new archive. “More than 100 personal stories have now been gathered as part of the Tweed Stories project, which is part of the broader Destination Tweed initiative. The project aims to gather and preserve memories, histories, and legends connected to the river, creating a lasting archive for future generations.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/25/border-telegraph-over-100-tales-of-the-river-tweed-collected-for-new-archive/ -
BBC: Condoms and love letters all in a castle’s secrets. “Nineteenth Century condoms, love letters, and the tale of a servant pilfering a lady’s Easter egg are among unexpected discoveries made by archivists collating Warwick Castle’s records. A new online catalogue, charting 800 years of maps, letters and legal documents, shines a light on previously hidden stories, including those of the […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/13/bbc-condoms-and-love-letters-all-in-a-castles-secrets/ -
https://www.europesays.com/videos/58673/ The Bayeux Tapestry’s risky journey across the Channel • FRANCE 24 English #1066 #BattleOfHastings #BayeuxTapestry #BritishMuseum #CulturalHeritage #EnglandHistory #EuropeanHistory #FRANCE24 #FRANCE24English #FRANCE24 #FRANCE24English #FrenchHistory #HistoryDocumentary #MedievalHistory #MiddleAges #NormanConquest #WilliamTheConqueror #WorldHistory
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BBC: Victorian poet’s archive made available online. “Dorset dialect poet William Barnes bequeathed his writings, woodcuts and engravings to the county museum that he co-founded in 1846. The William Barnes Society raised £35,000 to catalogue the collection so it could be accessed anywhere in the world.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/06/bbc-victorian-poets-archive-made-available-online/ -
UK Government: The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial marks major milestone with new features. “Memories of the Late Queen Elizabeth shared by members of the public and those who knew her are now live as part of a milestone digital archive into her life, and can be viewed at http://www.queenelizabeth.com. Also launching today is a fully digitised version of the Court Circular (Queen Elizabeth’s […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/01/uk-government-the-queen-elizabeth-digital-memorial-marks-major-milestone-with-new-features/ -
University of Reading: See the world of Stonehenge from your sofa this solstice. “Timed to release alongside the summer solstice, the new virtual version goes well beyond a simple recreation of the gallery. Users can go inside Stonehenge itself and watch it change through time, explore Neolithic flint mines at Grimes Graves, and discover rarely seen prehistoric objects through animation, […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/24/university-of-reading-see-the-world-of-stonehenge-from-your-sofa-this-solstice/ -
Ian Visits: Gandhi autograph and suffragette protests among treasures in new London archive. “London has gained a free history archive after more than 200 years of records, photographs, films and artefacts were uncovered and catalogued during the restoration of Union Chapel’s Sunday School building.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/16/ian-visits-gandhi-autograph-and-suffragette-protests-among-treasures-in-new-london-archive/ -
UK Government: New online service opens access to centuries of coal mining history. “This digitised collection brings together detailed maps and plans from former collieries across England, Scotland and Wales, offering an extraordinary view into the history of local landscapes, mining operations, and the lives of the communities who worked within them.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/11/uk-government-new-online-service-opens-access-to-centuries-of-coal-mining-history/ -
The London Library: The London Library Digital Archive. “We’re delighted to launch The London Library Digital Archive, created with TownsWeb Archiving and powered by their PastView platform. It’s now available to explore. The archive gives access to more than 70,000 historical London Library membership records dating from 1841–1950, revealing unexpected connections and previously unknown […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/02/the-london-library-the-london-library-digital-archive/ -
University of Manchester: University of Manchester launches major AHRC-funded project on spontaneous memorials and healing. “Drawing on the Manchester Together Archive, a collection of more than 10,000 items left in St Ann’s Square and other places after the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, the project will work with museum and mental health professionals, people affected by the attack, and the […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/23/university-of-manchester-university-of-manchester-launches-major-ahrc-funded-project-on-spontaneous-memorials-and-healing/ -
York News Focus: York’s past at your fingertips: Explore York launches new digital archive. “York’s history just became much easier to explore. A newly expanded digital archive catalogue has gone live at Explore York Libraries and Archives, opening up centuries of local stories, records and images to anyone with an internet connection.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/10/yorks-past-at-your-fingertips-explore-york-launches-new-digital-archive-york-news-focus/ -
Oxford Mail: Blenheim Palace digitises centuries-old archive collection. “The Blenheim Archives has finished cataloguing and digitising a collection of material never before seen by the public. The project has brought to light more than 200 documents and revealed fresh detail about life in the villages of Wolvercote, Cutteslowe, and Godstow.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/26/oxford-mail-blenheim-palace-digitises-centuries-old-archive-collection/ -
The Conversation: Who were the ‘peasants’ of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt? New database has answers. “The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was one of the largest and most dramatic popular uprisings in medieval Europe. But what do we really know about this celebrated event in English history?… To understand the depth of the rebellion and its impact on society today, we created the People of 1381, […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/18/the-conversation-who-were-the-peasants-of-the-1381-peasants-revolt-new-database-has-answers/ -
Medieval Elite Diet Did Not Align with Popular Beliefs
New research using science shows that rich and poor people in early medieval England ate more alike than we thought. Local food mattered most.
#MedievalDiet, #EnglandHistory, #FoodScience, #SocialHistory, #Archaeology
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Old stories say rich people ate lots of meat, but new science shows this might not be true for every day. Food available nearby was more important than being rich or poor for what people ate daily.
#MedievalDiet, #EnglandHistory, #FoodScience, #SocialHistory, #Archaeology
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University of Michigan: New Additions to the Thomas Gage Papers Digital Collection. “The William L. Clements Library would like to announce the availability of new additions to the Thomas Gage Papers Digital Collection. General Thomas Gage served as the British Army’s Commander-in-Chief in North America from 1763 to 1775, the highest level of administration in the American colonies at that […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/28/university-of-michigan-new-additions-to-the-thomas-gage-papers-digital-collection/ -
City of London England: New online archive launched to celebrate more than 20 years of the Liberty Festival and the UK’s disability arts scene. “Now, for the first time, materials relating to the festival’s history are available in one place, offering a rich resource for audiences, researchers, and future cultural innovators. The digital guide is accessible by design, including features […]
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Medievalists.net: Medieval Genealogical Roll Goes Online. “A colourful and fiercely partisan medieval genealogy created to support Edward IV’s claim to the English throne has now been digitised and made freely available online. In the turbulent fifteenth century, claimants often used elaborate genealogical rolls to legitimise their lineage, and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Manuscript […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/03/medievalists-net-medieval-genealogical-roll-goes-online/
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Jewish News: Holocaust Centre North unveils three new digital galleries. “Holocaust Centre North is enabling people to explore parts of its rich archive remotely for the first time via a searchable browser. Three years in the making, it features three new curated digital image galleries, designed to guide visitors through themed selections of digitised photographs, documents, and artefacts.”
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BBC: Medieval conflict database ‘keeps folklore alive’. “The War of the Roses took place 1455-1487, with the Battle of Northampton – on the grounds of Delapre Abbey – among its most decisive moments. Led by the Battlefields Trust, the database highlights key sites and memorials relating to the war, which occurred between two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet — the House of York […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/19/bbc-medieval-conflict-database-keeps-folklore-alive/
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Ian Visits: From snails to street signs: Soho’s history revealed on a new digital map. This is Soho London, not SoHo NYC. “For the past year, nearly 700 heritage assets have been catalogued as part of a detailed street audit commissioned by the Soho Neighbourhood Forum. The survey… recorded a rich variety of features — from long-standing businesses and historic façades to plaques, street […]
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University of Exeter: National project launched to rediscover Henry VIII’s long-forgotten ‘Tudor Domesday Book’. “A digital team led by Exeter’s Dr Charlotte Tupman, of the Department of Classics, Ancient History, Religion and Theology, will transform the 500-year old Latin manuscripts into modern, searchable records, translated, analysed and in each case linked to current maps using […]
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The Canary: 40 years on, an astonishing new archive documents the Battle of the Beanfield. “1 June 2025 sees the 40th anniversary of the ‘Battle of the Beanfield’ – one of the darkest days in contemporary British history, when a convoy of 150 vehicles heading to the people’s free festival at Stonehenge was ambushed in a quiet corner of Wiltshire, contained in a field for several […]
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Historic England: Historic England Launches Local Heritage Hub to Unlock Hidden Histories. “Coinciding with this year’s Local History Month, Historic England has launched a new Local Heritage Hub. With nearly 400 locations, every county, city, district, major town, and national park in England now has a dedicated digital page that uncovers its rich and layered history.”
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Society for the Study of Labour History: Yorkshire Miners Association archives now indexed and catalogued online. “Work at the Modern Records Centre to catalogue the archive of the Yorkshire Miners Association is now complete with a catalogue live online at the University of Warwick website.”
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Industrial Heritage Support: Historic England Snapshot Survey on the Collection of Developer-Funded Archaeological Archives Published. “Historic England’s Snapshot Survey on the Collection of Developer-Funded Archaeological Archives has now been published as a Historic England Research Report. Conducted as part of the Future for Archaeological Archives Programme, the survey gathered data on […]
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University of Cambridge: Modern Magic Unlocks Merlin’s Medieval Secrets. “A fragile 13th century manuscript fragment, hidden in plain sight as the binding of a 16th-century archival register, has been discovered in Cambridge and revealed to contain rare medieval stories of Merlin and King Arthur…. the digital results of the project are now available for everyone to explore online via the […]
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Thanks to Diane R. for sending this my way, from World History Teachers Blog: Online Archive for WWII. “Here is a cool new online archive of 20th-century resources surrounding Winston Churchill. The archive includes primary sources such as images, cartoons, and documents. One of the most interesting parts of the archives is the investigations of significant issues designed for high school […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/11/world-history-teachers-blog-online-archive-for-wwii/
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Manchester City Council: 90,000+ images on Manchester’s new local image website. “Thanks to a £100,000 funding award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in January 2024, Manchester Libraries has been able to develop the new Manchester Image Archive and to hire a project manager to oversee it. Currently hosting more than 90,000 images, the upgraded website features a much larger archive […]