The Local Historian

The Local Historian contains articles and features for the general reader that may be of a wide, perhaps national, application or may reflect a local subject.

There is emphasis on applying principles and methods to local research and study, so that you can benefit from the work of others. Family historians can learn about the local world in which their forebears lived and worked. There are extensive reviews and lists of publications.

Published in February, May, August and November.

Back Issues

Issues published within the last three years can be purchased for £5.00 each (subject to availability). Members have access to downloadable copies of these issues.

Issues older than three years are available for download free of charge.

Check out our back issues for free

All back issues (excluding the latest issue) are currently free to view.

Why BALH?

Nick Barratt Historian and Author

Supporting your academic research

There is an increasing interest in local history as a key element of academic studies – not just the content that has been published by local historians over the decades as a key research resource, but also in co-produced projects. Grant-awarding bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have placed an increasing emphasis on collaborations and partnerships when considering the award of research funding, and BALH provides the perfect platform for academic researchers to locate key groups and ongoing activity.

Nick Barratt, Historian and Author

Meet the team

Adrian Webb Trustee

Adrian Webb

Adrian edits Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries, the longest-running local history publication on Somerset. His focus on the late 16th and 17th centuries led to the Maritime History of Somerset series and books on church fonts, maps, subsidies, wills, and maritime charts for the Somerset Record Society. His research on St Decuman’s parish explores everyday life, and he studies Somerset’s loyalties before the 1642 Civil War. Holding a PhD from Exeter, he has lectured internationally on hydrographic heritage and manages the UK Hydrographic Office Archive, preserving historic cartographic records revealing insights into coastal communities.

Adrian Webb, Trustee