If you'd like to undertake some research yourself on matters historcial, we've a selection of website which you might find useful to get you started.

Websites

BBC History
A useful guide to the BBC's broad range of history programmes.

British History Online
This website has copies of the Victoria County Histories and old Ordnance Survey Maps. These are vital sources for any in depth investigation of local history.

Family Records
This is useful for births, deaths and marriages. The first census was in 1801 and has been held every ten years since. You can now look all of them up, to 1901.

Imperial War Museum
For a wide range of information about conflicts, especially those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day.

National Archives
This is the National Archives based at Kew, holding a vast array of information. Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland also have their own Public Records Office.

UK National Inventory of War Memorials
Provides records of all war memorials located throughout the UK.

York Archaeology
An excellent site to learn about archaeology and how to get involved.

Vindolanda Trust
Offers information about the Roman settlement of Vindolanda, the excavation of the archaeological site and life on Hadrian's wall.

Other resources

Your local library:

Remember that all public libraries are connected via inter-library loan. The National Library in the capital city of each part of the United Kingdom and Ireland will have under copyright regulations almost every recent book published in English. If you would like information on where to find a library near you, the OU website holds a list of academic, public and national libraries: (click on ‘Search the Academic Libraries database)

Universities:

Most universities will allow genuine researchers in to look at books, especially during vacations. Check before you go. Many of them will allow you to take out books but will generally make a charge.

Magazines:

There is a vast selection to choose from; some useful ones for the historian are The Historian and History Today. There are learned journals in numerous fields.

Other possible sources of information:

A few suggestions would include: local history societies, local and national newspapers (the best collection in general is at the British Museum Newspaper Library) and local history societies.

Census records and birth, death, marriage certificates, and wills are often very useful. Each county has its own Record Office, based in the county town.

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