History of your home
Seeing our homes anew through the lens of history is a project that has many starting points, says house historian Melanie Backe-Hansen. Just the kind of pastime for long dark evenings…
Our homes are often a haven, but in recent months that has taken on a far more powerful meaning. Staying home, as instructed, for much of the past year forced us to look at our houses in a new light. Whether that was the need to reorganise space to work or reevaluating how we actually live and use our homes. Perhaps decorating has taken on more significance and made you look a little closer at the cornicing or the floor tiles and wondered about their origins or, for the first time, you have stopped and thought about the history enveloped within your home’s four walls?
Many of us have already dabbled in some family history and learned more about the way our ancestors lived. Whatever the inspiration, there has been a rise in the interest in researching the history our homes. A little delving into the history of the local area or discovering more about the lives of the people who lived in the same space before us can make us feel an even greater connection to where we live. Our houses are our most personal space and often where we’re most ourselves, but it is a curious thing that it has also been ‘home’ to others before us. Understanding more about the lives of those who trod our stairs, tended our garden or sat in front of our fireplace gives us a fascinating glimpse into a very personal past.
UNEARTH THE PAST
It is a popular myth that you need to live in a very old house or something akin to Downton Abbey for it to have any history – every house has a history. It might be a Victorian two-uptwo-down, a cottage in a rural location, or a larger home in the heart of a village or town, but there will always be something to discover. Even if you live in a new house, there is a wealth of information to uncover about what was on the site before or perhaps an historic event that took place nearby.
Recording your own time in the house is a way to ensure the next custodians have an