Discover your history with the launch of updated Wiltshire Community History website

The Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre has launched an updated, more intuitive version of its Wiltshire Community History website. With a more modern feel, the site gives users the opportunity to gain a greater understanding and connection to the place where they or their ancestors lived.

Containing information on 260 civil parishes in the Wiltshire Council area and the 'lost' village of Imber, the website will provide information for those interested in local and family history.

Users can visit the website free of charge to find information such as maps, population figures, newspaper and printed map coverage, listed buildings, local authors and registration districts, as well as a series of FAQs for each community.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, who also leads on Heritage, said: The launch of this new website is really exciting for any budding historians with an interest in Wiltshire or for anyone just looking to research their family history and background

There are more than 6,000 images on the site, including photographs dating from as far back as 1850s right through to today. Nearly 10,000 pages of bibliographies, journal articles and older books on Wiltshire have also been scanned into the site, which is a huge undertaking for the team, but will be worthwhile for people accessing them.

Congratulations to all involved and I look forward to using it myself to find out all sorts of useful information.

All of the articles have been written for Wiltshire Community History using both secondary and archival sources by staff, volunteers and students. The original material is also held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham.

The website is a work in progress, with additional material being added all the time. For further information or advice please contact the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre at archives@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window).

Anyone interested in carrying out their own research can visit the new website at https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory (opens new window).