Local history society directory

Local history society directory

Find a local history organisation near you or to support your research project.

Local history resource directory

Local history resource directory

Explore our Resource Directory — a curated collection of archives, maps, publications, and specialist websites to support and inspire your local history research.

Become a member

Become a member

Join a national network of local historians and societies — with publications, support, increased visibility, and member benefits including discounts and dedicated insurance.

Our latest ten-minute talks

From our blog

From Plotting Family History to Building Local Histories in Yorkshire
Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson

From Plotting Family History to Building Local Histories in Yorkshire

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Mancunian opposition to the South African crisis (Summer 1899).
Tom Trafford

Tom Trafford

Mancunian opposition to the South African crisis (Summer 1899).

» Read article

From Local Archives to Atlantic Migrations: How Family History Helps Reconstruct a Shared Past
Hugo Javier Freitas

Hugo Javier Freitas

From Local Archives to Atlantic Migrations: How Family History Helps Reconstruct a Shared Past

» Read article

BALH celebrates another successful collaboration with the Historic Towns Trust
Laura Yeoman

Laura Yeoman

BALH celebrates another successful collaboration with the Historic Towns Trust

» Read article

Quarterly publications

Quarterly publications

The Local Historian, our academic journal, was first produced in 1952 and is considered one of the foremost local history publications. It is published four times a year in conjunction with Local History News.

Our educational work

Our educational work

BALH aims to encourage interest and enthusiasm for local history amongst learners of all ages and to share and promote best practice, knowledge and skills.

Featured member society

Featured member society

BALH member societies may now add details of their work to our website, which will be highlighted here. Contact us for further details

Latest news

Making Your PowerPoint Ten-Minute Talk Video

Making Your PowerPoint Ten-Minute Talk Video

Thu 20th August 2026

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Free Community Heritage Training from The National Archives

Free Community Heritage Training from The National Archives

Fri 3rd July 2026

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Society in Focus: Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society

Society in Focus: Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society

Fri 19th June 2026

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BALH Appoints New Projects Manager

BALH Appoints New Projects Manager

Wed 10th June 2026

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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

Susan Moore Trustee

Susan Moore

Susan has spent her career as a freelance researcher specializing in archives since graduating from St Andrews in 1974. She has worked on diverse projects, including family, manor, house, village, and business histories, with a particular interest in tracing complex property deeds. Specializing in Court of Equity records, she authored Family Feuds: An Introduction to Chancery Proceedings and Tracing Your Ancestors through the Equity Courts. She regularly speaks on Chancery records, highlighting their value for local historians. Active in her local history society, she hopes to research her own village when client projects slow down.

Susan Moore, Trustee

Forthcoming events

Disturbing the Delicate Peace: The Early Quakers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Disturbing the Delicate Peace: The Early Quakers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Thu 5th November 2026 7:00 pm

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Swansea Local History Book Fair

Swansea Local History Book Fair

Sat 7th November 2026 10:00 am

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History Day 2026

History Day 2026

Wed 18th November 2026 11:00 am

» Further details

Yorkshire’s Watermen: Illuminating Their Lives with Genealogy

Yorkshire’s Watermen: Illuminating Their Lives with Genealogy

Thu 19th November 2026 7:00 pm

» Further details

Local history bookshop

The Local Historian Volume 56 Number 3 August 2026
The Local Historian Volume 56 Number 3 August 2026
Reading Early Handwriting, 1500-1700
Reading Early Handwriting, 1500-1700
Words From Wills and Other Probate Records
Words From Wills and Other Probate Records
Exploring Local History
Exploring Local History

Visit bookshop

From our archives

The Amateur Historian Volume 2 Number 4 February March 1955

Tracing the history of your home

Stanley-Morgan, Robert

pp 106-110

Article which outlines the main sources for house history, a subject which later became a major area of interest to amateur historians. The subjects noted include interior design; inventories; correspondence; architectural details; building plans; other maps and plans; census returns; title deeds; manorial records; taxation records; and the resources of the British Library and British Museum (NB almost all the suggestions relate to larger and more substantial properties).

The Amateur Historian Volume 2 Number 4 February March 1955

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