Do you study medieval manors? Do you want to speak at @imc-leeds.bsky.social? Then we have the Call for Papers for you! Medieval Manorial Research: Community in the Manor. We welcome researchers of all disciplines and career stages. Deadline 4th September 2026. #IMC2027 #Skystorians #Medievalsky

If you're visiting the Battle of Chippenham 1643, staged in Monkton Park this weekend, why not also visit the museum? Discover how the Civil War shaped Wiltshire in our latest exhibition, featuring Chippenham Town Council's Oath of Allegiance, altered during the Commonwealth and restored in 1660.

Welcome to #OnePlaceWednesday! As always, please use the hashtag to share anything and everything relating to #OnePlaceStudies, where #FamilyHistory and #LocalHistory unite. News and views, questions and suggestions, pics and links, and general OPS chat – all are welcome, at any time today.

The Records of Early English Drama is delighted to announce the open access publication of the tenth digital edition in the REED series. The dramatic records for the Swan Playhouse, edited by Sally-Beth MacLean, are now available on REED Online (ereed.org/collections/...).

A brilliant article by my wonderful colleague, Co-General Editor of @vch-home.bsky.social , @adamchapman.bsky.social.

Liverpool University Press@livunipress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Archives | Most Read 'The Maurice Bond Lecture 2024. Placing Archives: The Victoria County History and Archival Landscapes' by @adamchapman.bsky.social ➡️ Read it online: bit.ly/Archives-Chapman @internetarchiveca.bsky.social @araukie.bsky.social @humanitiesall.bsky.social @britrecs.bsky.social

A thoughtful and illuminating thread from our colleague @adamchapman.bsky.social

Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · 3w ago

You might be wondering how this decline in the number of people entering academic disciplines in the humanities affects something like a project devoted to researching, writing, and publishing histories of place (or local histories)? These early career researchers are essential to our work. 🗃️ 1/5

This is an incredibly important point: like all areas of local government (and the VCH was part of that, mostly a long time ago), access to local record offices is becoming restricted due to funding restraints. For us, that is especially problematic.

Susan Amussen@sdamussen.bsky.social · 2w ago

Another piece in the cuts of funding for the humanities is visible in local record offices. The Somerset Archives are only open 3 days a week; Norfolk only 4 days a week. As a US grad student doing research in the UK, that would have made it impossible to write my dissertation.

🥳 Enormous congratulations to my outstanding colleague & friend Prof. Jane Whittle, on her election to the Fellowship of the British Academy. Jane is a world renowned scholar of the history of work & gender in preindustrial Europe. She currently leads The Material Culture of Wills project. 🗃️

NB - should you want to read it, all I need is an email address to send the PDF to: just ask.

Adam Chapman@adamchapman.bsky.social · 3w ago

Just out, my latest article for Archives: The Journal of the British Records Association, 'Placing Archives: The Victoria County History and Archival Landscapes'. This draws on the archive of @vch-home.bsky.social and reflects on its role in shaping the landscape of archives in England. 1/3 🗃️

#NewBook news! We're delighted to share the news that our latest (252nd) #BigRedBook is available with a discount of 25% until 31 August from @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social. Wiltshire vol. 20, Chippenham and Environs, available now. #Skystorians Enter the code: BB132 at checkout.

A History of the County of Wiltshire

This volume, the first to be published in the VCH Wiltshire series since 2011, presents histories of Chippenham and six adjacent parishes, Bremhill, Christian Malford, Hardenhuish, Kington Langley, Ki...

boydellandbrewer.com

Doing some work for the VCH at an early career stage was incredibly useful for me - improved various skills and got out of my specialism post PhD

Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · 3w ago

You might be wondering how this decline in the number of people entering academic disciplines in the humanities affects something like a project devoted to researching, writing, and publishing histories of place (or local histories)? These early career researchers are essential to our work. 🗃️ 1/5

We have! One of the (many), important women in the early history of local archives. Declaring an interest, she contributed to some of our books in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Surrey and Worcestershire, available @bho.bsky.social. #Skystorians

Suffolk Archives@suffolkarchives.bsky.social · 3w ago

Have you heard of Lilian Redstone? She was one of the first women to make history her profession and helped establish the first county record offices in Suffolk, shaping how the county's history is kept and shared today. We're honouring her life and work with a range of events https://orlo.uk/1LVxg

The latest from our Co-General Editor, @adamchapman.bsky.social explores and celebrates the our work over the last 127 years with our archival colleagues in benefitting from and supporting what they do. #Skystorians

Adam Chapman@adamchapman.bsky.social · 3w ago

Just out, my latest article for Archives: The Journal of the British Records Association, 'Placing Archives: The Victoria County History and Archival Landscapes'. This draws on the archive of @vch-home.bsky.social and reflects on its role in shaping the landscape of archives in England. 1/3 🗃️

Important notes: 1) many women we researched for @beyondnotables.bsky.social did not get degrees (that we could identify) but Did take high level courses on specialist subjects through unis & uni extension and 2) researching evidence of women's ed, especially outside oxf/cambs colleges takes Time.

Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · 3w ago

Going even further back, and drawing on our archive, with the help of @amalexathorn.bsky.social (and the voice of @cathamclarke.bsky.social), @beyondnotables.bsky.social demonstrated the essential role of women historians - then unable to receive degrees - in the project from the very beginning. 3/5

As always, very proud of the opportunities @vch-home.bsky.social offers to early-career historians - and hugely grateful for what they contribute to our 127-year-old project.

Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · 3w ago

You might be wondering how this decline in the number of people entering academic disciplines in the humanities affects something like a project devoted to researching, writing, and publishing histories of place (or local histories)? These early career researchers are essential to our work. 🗃️ 1/5

Although we tend to associate the census with the Victorian era onwards, they have an interesting history and can provide earlier population lists to aid research. www.exploreyourgenealogy.co.uk/history-of-t...

You might be wondering how this decline in the number of people entering academic disciplines in the humanities affects something like a project devoted to researching, writing, and publishing histories of place (or local histories)? These early career researchers are essential to our work. 🗃️ 1/5

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 3w ago

In perhaps our most devastating briefing we find early career staff in the humanities as a whole have declined by 20% since 2016/17. Between 23/24 and 24/25 early career staff across all SHAPE subject areas fell by 6%, (from 52,795 to 49,410 FPE). That is the pipeline for our disciplines

We're delighted to be able to offer a launch discount on this book - an excellent overview of the town of Chippenham and its surrounding area from the earliest times to the present. A hefty tome as a result, but worth, I hope, every penny.

Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · 3w ago

#NewBook news! We're delighted to share the news that our latest (252nd) #BigRedBook is available with a discount of 25% until 31 August from @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social. Wiltshire vol. 20, Chippenham and Environs, available now. #Skystorians Enter the code: BB132 at checkout.

#NewBook news! We're delighted to share the news that our latest (252nd) #BigRedBook is available with a discount of 25% until 31 August from @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social. Wiltshire vol. 20, Chippenham and Environs, available now. #Skystorians Enter the code: BB132 at checkout.

A History of the County of Wiltshire

This volume, the first to be published in the VCH Wiltshire series since 2011, presents histories of Chippenham and six adjacent parishes, Bremhill, Christian Malford, Hardenhuish, Kington Langley, Ki...

boydellandbrewer.com

🗣️ The London Society for Medieval Studies seeks new committee members. If you are a PGR or ECR interested in joining the committee, fill in the form 👇 One of the longest running @ihr.bsky.social seminars, the LSMS is a peer-organised series showcasing latest research in the of medieval studies 1/4

London Society for Medieval Studies@londonmedieval.bsky.social · last mo.

The LSMS is recruiting new committee members for the 2026/2027 term! Apply now here: forms.gle/xnU6dtn6fSky...

This is not something we thought about (or could have envisaged), when we published our history of the village of Milton Keynes in, erm, 1927.

Buckinghamshire Archives@bucksarchives.bsky.social · 3w ago

Could you write a song for Milton Keynes? Something to think about this #MKMonday, thanks to this 1979 poster advertising the competition.

Gossip, yes. But always with footnotes. 🗃️

Buckinghamshire Archives@bucksarchives.bsky.social · 3w ago

Who doesn't love a bit of gossip?

Our friends VCH Derbyshire have a range of projects underway, and among them is work on Chesterfield. This blog (from last year, but we have been thinking about medieval hospitals recently), offers a short history of the hospital of St Leonard, Chesterfield. #MedievalSky 🗃️

Spital Leper Hospital, Chesterfield: a short history - Derbyshire Victoria County History

Now and then there’s some debate regarding the leper hospital at Spital (in Hasland parish), so we thought we would try and address some of the questions asked about it in this blog – mainly a summary...

derbyshirevch.org

As well as talks and a display about Nanpantan at Loughborough's Old Rectory Museum on Saturday (4 July), we also have a guided walk along Nanpantan Road, either Thursday 16th or Wednesday 22 July, booking essential #FestivalofArchaeology

Please see what our friends and colleagues in #Somerset are up to by taking a look at their latest newsletter, no. 27. This includes excerpts from ongoing research from the Middle Ages, to the 18th century to Taunton travel (or buses, if you prefer). #Skystorians

Somerset

Learn about the Victoria County History of Somerset.

history.ac.uk

The full programme for Leicestershire's contribution to the Festival of Archaeology includes many NEW history and archaeology talks, walks and hands-on events, etc. We have a walk in Nanpantan and a short talk at Loughborough Old Rectory Museum event. See leicsfieldworkers.org/festival-of-...

Festival of Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeology

2025 PROGRAMME NOW LIVE! Saturday 5th July – Sunday 3rd August

leicsfieldworkers.org

👉 We're looking for new Trustees to help us shape the future of Charnwood Forest Geopark. 🌐 Find out more on our website: www.charnwoodforest.org/charnwood-fo...

Being at Chalke History Festival reminds me yet again how interconnected university-based history and other forms of history-making are. The thing we do in one place explicitly supports the thing we do in another. University cuts, closures and job losses harm the entire history eco-system.

Advocating for History by Doing History - On History

This blog was written by Claire Langhamer, Director of the IHR Historians are very good at crafting arguments and in recent times very many people have advanced very many arguments about why history m...

blog.history.ac.uk

There are still places available at the time of typing (though they're going fast!), for these two walks and talks on 16 July and 22 July with our friends and colleagues, @leicsvcht.bsky.social. #Skystorians

Leicestershire VCH Trust@leicsvcht.bsky.social · last mo.

As well as talks and a display about Nanpantan at Loughborough's Old Rectory Museum on Saturday (4 July), we also have a guided walk along Nanpantan Road, either Thursday 16th or Wednesday 22 July, booking essential #FestivalofArchaeology

Last few weeks of the Shelthorpe 100 exhibition at the Loughborough Library Local and Family History Centre. Don't miss it. Celebrations of 100 years of Shelthorpe Estate. Free entry during staffed hours. #loughborough #library #CultureLeics #Shelthorpe