Local Studies Toolkit

Acknowledgements
How To Use This Toolkit
Sources of Information
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Warwickshire's History And Landscape
- The Landscape Of Warwickshire
- Changing Landscapes
Tips And Hints
Information Sheets
Bibliography
- General Reference Books
- Warwickshire Related Books
Glossary
Back to introduction

Useful Internet Resources

Maps and Plans

Online archive of old Ordnance Survey maps (http://www.old-maps.co.uk/)

Church Plans Online is a database that contains 12,300 church plans, dating from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, held in the records of the Incorporated Church Building Society (http://www.churchplansonline.org/).

Antique Maps and Prints includes a useful online book Antique Maps - A Collector's Handbook which describes various types of maps. Maps and prints can also be bought from this website. (http://www.antiquemaps.co.uk)

Photographs and Other Images

Windows on Warwickshire is a website with photographs and images of Warwickshire, containing over 10,500 fascinating items from some of Warwickshire's most important historic collections, including old photographs, rare documents, maps, historic buildings, art, letters, fossils, literature and everyday memorabilia.

(http://www.windowsonwarwickshire.org.uk/)

A photograph of Harbury Quarry showing the fossil of a lchthyosaur discovered there. 1928.

Click here for larger image

The English Heritage Images of England website is still expanding, but aims to have photographs of each of England's c.370,000 listed buildings. It also provides listed buildings descriptions, even for sites where no images are presently available (http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk)

National Monuments Record (NMR) is based in Swindon and has a huge collection of photographs and historic resources. The website contains several searchable databases of information and photographs, which can be viewed online (www.english-heritage.org.uk/nmr). Other resources at available at their Swindon offices including listed building descriptions, aerial and other photographs, buildings files, measured drawings collections, estate sales particulars, survey notes and an extensive reference library.

Archives and Historical Documents

Access to Archives (A2A) has a database of archives from across the country (http://www.a2a.org.uk/)

Ancestry.com is a searchable database of census returns and family history records (http://www.ancestry.co.uk/).

Pickard's Pink Pages is a free source with a variety of information about Warwickshire including census returns, parish registers and trade directories (www.hunimex.com/warwick).

Archives Hub provides information and descriptions of archives in UK universities and colleges (http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/).

National Register of Archives (NRA) contains information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records relating to British History, held in British record offices (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra).

Archon is a website providing information about UK record office holdings (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon).

British History Online provides details of the contents for volumes of the Victoria County History for some counties. Details of Warwickshire volumes are available on this site (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?gid=34&type=&sponsor)

Manorial Documents Register (MDR) identifies the location of manorial records. The Register is only partially computerised, including Wales and several English counties but not including Warwickshire. Records for other locations are available at the National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mdr).

The Workhouse website provides information about the Poor Law, workhouses, their locations and surviving records (http://www.workhouses.org.uk/).

Newspapers and Trade Directories

The British Library has a large collection of newspapers (http://www.bl.uk/). The website gives details of the collections and includes access to an online catalogue over 52,000 newspaper and periodical titles held, together with a database of searchable facsimile issues of London's Daily News, The News of the World, The Weekly Dispatch, and The Manchester Guardian.

NEWSPLAN West Midlands Database (http://www.newsplan.co.uk/wm_newsplan/modules.php) has details of 1100 newspaper titles published in the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and in the Metropolitan Boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton as well as in the Unitary Authorities of Stoke-on-Trent and Telford & Wrekin.

Historical Directories Online provides online access to over 600 trade directories from across England and Wales (http://www.historicaldirectories.org/).

Midlands Historical Data provides digital versions of a variety of sources including Warwickshire's trade directories which are available online for free(http://www.midlandshistoricaldata.org/).

Archaeology Related Sites

Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary scheme to record artefacts found by the public in England and Wales. The scheme website provides more information on the scheme together with advice on what to do with finds and information on recent finds across the country (http://www.finds.org.uk/).

Archaeological Data Service (ADS) provides access to a variety of academic and digital resources relating to archaeology. There is a searchable database, as well as a tutorial in how to use academic books (ads.ahds.ac.uk/index.html).

British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB) is an online bibliographic database, which includes virtually all British archaeology publications from 1968. It includes publications from 1695 to the present day on archaeology and the historic environment, historic buildings, maritime and industrial archaeology, environmental history, and the conservation of material culture with a geographical focus on Britain and Ireland (www.biab.ac.uk/index.asp).

Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP) has a searchable database of abstracts of archaeological short reports, which have not been formally published. The database entries consist of short abstracts summarizing the work carried out, information about the location of the site and the investigating authority/body, and full bibliographic references for each and every archaeological investigation completed during the period covered by the project (csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/aip).

Council for British Archaeology provides lots of resources and links for British archaeology. There are also various factsheets available on the site to help people get started in archaeological research (http://www.britarch.ac.uk/).

West Midlands Regional Research Framework for Archaeology is an initiative aiming to provide an archaeological framework for the region. The website includes a series of papers outlining the archaeology of the region during different time periods (http://www.iaa.bham.ac.uk/research/fieldwork_research_themes/projects/wmrrfa/intro.htm)

Other websites mentioned in this Toolkit

Warwickshire Historic Environment Record (HER) has a searchable online database(timetrail.warwickshire.gov.uk)

Warwickshire Libraries and Information Service (www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries) has on online catalogue of material held in Warwickshire Libraries (library.warwickshire.gov.uk). More help and information on local studies resources can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localstudies.

Warwickshire Record Office (www.warwickshire.gov.uk/countyrecordoffice) holds records for the entire county and has an online searchable catalogue.(www.warwickshire.gov.uk/archivesunlocked)

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Record Office and Library holds records for Stratford and the surrounding area. There is also a searchable online catalogue available (http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/).

Warwickshire Museum Service operates the Market Hall Museum and St John's House Museum in Warwick (www.warwickshire.gov.uk/museum).

The Warwickshire Online Parish Clerks (OPCs) are volunteers who collect and transcribe records for a chosen specific parish (www.hunimex.com/warwick/opc/opc.html).

The Dugdale Society promotes research and publishes articles on Warwickshire's local history (www.shakespeare.org.uk/dugdale)

The National Archives have a guide to using archives for researching local history (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/localhistory). They also have more information on the census (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/census).

The Index of Parish Registers the IGI (International Genealogical Index) is accessible on the Internet through Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org/).

Inspire Coventry & Warwickshire is a partnership between almost all libraries within this region (www.warwickshire.gov.uk/inspire). The Inspire scheme allows you access to materials in other libraries (www.inspire.gov.uk/west_midlands.php).

BBC Local History trail can help you get started in researching local history (www.bbc.co.uk/history/lj/locallj/preview.shtml).

The Local History Directory is a national directory of local history groups all over the country (http://www.local-history.co.uk/Groups/).

The Community Information Database lists over 4000 local services and organisations including clubs, societies and voluntary groups (http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cid)

British Association for Local History have useful information on their website(http://www.balh.co.uk/).

Local History Magazine Online is a useful reference source (http://www.local-history.co.uk/)

Google Scholar can provide access to secondary sources published on the Internet although there is often a charge for accessing a complete document (scholar.google.com).