A living museum

There is I think in most of us a fascination in history. We are beguiled by the past and the rise in interest in tracing our roots is testament to that. For me old houses are a living museum to the past. They are the backcloth in which our ancestors lived their lives. I traced the history of my first house over 40 years ago and since then have been intrigued by the stories each one tells.

One of my favourite pieces of house detective work was in Bath, where a local soap manufacturer built a prestigious house which changed names five times, was bombed and rebuilt in exactly the same style and, despite the road name being altered, I managed to trace its origins and occupants.

Then there was a modest little cottage in Sussex, where I discovered that an occupant was a poet who was the first person to translate Kafka into English; the Georgian house, where on one staircase the owner could smell cordite and I discovered that it had once been a hospital for troops returning from the Napoleonic war.

And I haven’t mentioned the ‘Gentleman’s’ house in Devon with the dark secret. (Curious? Turn to page 35!)

That is the human side, but there is also the joy of discovering how a house has evolved and been modified to meet each occupier’s needs.

I started Trace My House.com 15 years ago with the sole aim of encouraging others to enjoy the thrill of house history. That remains our objective and we show you where the records are so you too get the joy out of being a house detective.

Keith Searle Author of Tracemyhouse.com