My Favourite Period of History is ....

find out here at Roland's Travels

Catherine Hill, Frome, Somerset. A typical example of a street with a variety of old buildings with a lot of history attached to them. Image: Roland’s Travels

When I visit places, I like to find out about their history. Who lived in the homes? Who built them, and when? What has happened in the area? How did the inhabitants live, and what did they do to make their livelihood?

The answers to these and other questions fascinate me. I hope you find these answers interesting when you read about the places I travel to. Often, finding out about a person, event, or particular property can lead me down all sorts of research paths and uncover some wonderful stories. It’s not possible to tell you everything at once, but over a period of time, I will revisit these stories and write them for you to read.

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Coming soon!

I will be making a series of videos, just on one small town, thanks to the amazing amount of history there is, and these, when completed, will be uploaded for you to watch. To see more of the places I have visited, check out my YouTube Channel.

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My favourite period of history

My favourite period of history is related to the average age of properties in the villages or towns here in England. Many places near me have buildings dating from the 1600s onwards (some earlier), and fortunately, in many cases, there are records which allow us to find out about the people who lived in them. It is this period, 1600 to more recent times, that I like to look closely into. Of course, I will relate stories about much older places, as I did in my post on Stonehenge, the prehistoric stone circle.

History is not just about the rich and famous. When I was at school (a long time ago), it seemed to me that much of the history was around the Kings and Queens of England and Scotland and the battles that took place. We did, at one point, touch on the Industrial Revolution in my final years. However, it was taught, and I use that word loosely by, shall I say, a below-average teacher. It was, therefore, the most boring period at school for history, which is a shame. Industrial history is something today that I find interesting. Looking back on the old industrial buildings, we can discover how people lived and worked at the time. Learning how things used to be made and the progress in production methods, as well as health and safety, is very interesting. Many woollen and cotton mills still survive, and some have become heritage centres.

I was delighted when the historian, Annette Laing, joined me on my podcast and also, on another occasion, Owen Roberts, the curator of Eyam Museum. The interviews showed just how exciting learning about history could be. If you haven’t tuned in to the podcasts, you can by clicking the podcast link. You can listen on Roland’s Travels website or Spotify, Apple and other platforms, should you prefer.   

I am researching several places in the County of Wiltshire, close to where I live. Once again, there is a mountain of facts to sift through. I try my best to make sure the facts are correct, and sometimes I encounter discrepancies; when I do, I always try to establish the information from the most reliable authority. If something is uncertain, I will always let you know.

I will be making a series of videos, just on one small town, thanks to the amazing amount of history there is, and these, when completed, will be uploaded for you to watch. To see more of the places I have visited, check out my YouTube Channel.

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Roland