‘The toolkit offers a structured, high-level guide to help cultural heritage professionals and researchers approach legacy media across its entire lifecycle…It also gives researchers a reference point for engaging critically with legacy media as historical subjects in their own right.’

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

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

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

⛏ Join the Geopark online, this Sunday, for a very special livestream bringing you live coverage of the community archaeological digs in Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves. 📆 Sun 5 July, 1.30-3pm 🌐 More information and links to join: www.charnwoodforest.org/event/geopar...

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.

👉 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...

Congratulations to all involved. We understand a little of the commitment required - our VCH history of Loughborough (only post 1750 and only social and cultural history at the moment) is "just" 100,000 words but has kept us occupied for what seems like ages. Out later this year. Watch this space.

One of Charnwood's gems. There are many incredible examples of oaks that have grown for many years in places where it is difficult to understand how their roots can support them.

🪦 Journey back more than half a billion years to our Tremendous Teichichnus geosite in Thurcaston, and uncover the story of mysterious traces within the gravestones... 🌐 Plan your visit on our website: www.charnwoodforest.org/location/tre... #geology #EarthScience ⚒️🧪

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-...

🚡 Did you know that the origins of the ski lift can be traced back to a Charnwood Forest innovation? ℹ️ Discover the story of the Markfield Wire Tramway with a visit to our Hill Hole Information Hub. 🌐 Plan your visit: www.charnwoodforest.org/location/mar...

Many VCH publications today are only possible through the excellent research of our community volunteers. We provide training and they give freely of their time to projects including the last 4 and next 2 (+ more?) VCH Leics publications. We are very grateful to them and to those providing funding

Our #Archaeology Discovery Circle webpage is now live! Join us in a launch event on July 28! vaughan.coop/archaeology-...

🙏 Thank you to everyone who participated in the community archaeological digs in Stanton under Bardon this weekend! 🌐 Want to grab a glimpse of some of the things we found? Check out the recording of our livestream: www.youtube.com/live/9vid5dQ...

end of an era

This is an otherwise very legible Leicestershire probate inventory for a yeoman farmer in the 1730s. But Wagons and what? faelts? What are they? any ideas anyone? It's probably not much help, but they are worth £12 within an inventory total of £429 @vch-home.bsky.social @materialwills.bsky.social

Discovered last week that the 'live' Newtown Linford broadcast can also be watched on 'catch up' on You Tube, complete with 'mystery item'. Wonder what will they find at Stanton?

📰 Mountsorrel Village Museum Unveils New Geopark Corner 🌟 Our Geopark Corner in Mountsorrel features displays on the local geology, as well as amazing fossil replicas and animations! 🌐 Plan your visit: www.charnwoodforest.org/mountsorrel-...

Very best wishes to Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday today. An amazing man and a wonderful new sculpture in the Geopark to celebrate

We're so pleased that 500 of you now follow us on YouTube! To watch our Ten Minute Talks and look back on some of our events, why not take a look at our channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZt... #WeAreLocalHistory #LocalHistoryForAll

⛏ Join the Geopark online, this Saturday, for a very special livestream bringing you news and updates from the community archaeological digs in Newtown Linford. 📆 Sat 2 May, 3-4pm 🌐 More information and free booking: www.charnwoodforest.org/event/geopar...

⛏ Want to get involved in archaeology in the Geopark? 👉 We've got 3 community digs coming up this summer, and we're looking for volunteers to help uncover the buried past of our villages! 🌐 Find out more and get involved: charnwoodforest.org/get-involved...

We are very grateful to Loughboro Arch&Hist Soc for inviting us to display our Nanpantan research at Old Rectory Museum. They are open most Saturdays 11am-3pm.

👉 Join us for a free online talk by Dr Jack Matthews, as he explains what a geopark is, and what UNESCO status could mean for Charnwood Forest. 📅 Monday 27 April, 7.30pm 🌐 Book your place now: www.charnwoodforest.org/event/free-o...

We are recruiting! We seek an Editor/Volunteer Coordinator to produce Historical Digests for 18 parishes in the Charnwood Forest Geopark, with funding thanks to Charnwood Forest Geopark and National Lottery Heritage Fund. Part-time, fixed term. See leicestershirehistory.co.uk?page_id=5488

👉 Join us for a free online talk by Dr Jack Matthews, as he explains what a geopark is, and what UNESCO status could mean for Charnwood Forest. 📅 Monday 27 April, 7.30pm 🌐 Book your place now: www.charnwoodforest.org/event/free-o...

📍 Are you from the Whitwick, Thringstone, Agar Nook or Coaville area? 🌳 Looking to connect with nature? 🌐 Take at look at these upcoming Listening Wood workshops that we are supporting: www.charnwoodforest.org/listening-wo...

⛏️ There has been a quarry at Bardon Hill for at least 400 years. 📷 This photo, taken in 1910, shows how the quarried, hard, igneous rocks are overlain by layers of softer sandstones from the Triassic period (see left below trees) ©️ NERC

Atmospheric tree at last night's brilliant #Geopark in the Dark event. Second image is models of local fossils painted by children. Many thanks @charnwoodforest.bsky.social

Coming up, Heritage Hub 2026 at University of Leicester. We are looking forward to being there, sharing news of our activities and just talking local history and heritage

Viewing talk by Simon Bradley for @visitchurches.bsky.social about Pevsner's county architectural guides. Key sources included VCH: “the information it contains is impeccable". Ongoing VCH work in turn benefits from Pevsner's work and its updates by Simon & others: thank you. @vch-home.bsky.social

The Vaughan City Explorers will meet for a bespoke guided walk around the Welford Cemetery on SUNDAY MARCH 22. Note that this visit COSTS £6. We will meet at the information centre at 12.30 for the 1pm start (note the time).

YOU GUYS!!! Hidden in this image is an intermediate technology--this is a STATIONARY SEMI-MECHANICAL haybind!! Its job was to compress the hay into a long, rectangular column. Note the women on either side hand-tying off bales, and one loading the hopper. These women were trail-blazers!

🌋 The rocks of Charnwood Lodge are famous for their volcanic blocks, likely deposited in debris flows from a nearby volcano. 📷 This photo was taken in 1896 by W. W. Watts. He would go on to become a fellow of The Royal Society and president of The Geological Society. ©️ NERC

I can recommend this. Susan has spent a long time studying place names in Charnwood, and is now working with us at Leics VCH, leading our latest project in Charnwood Geopark, thanks to funding from Charnwood Geopark and National Lottery Heritage Fund

#Skystorians - New to medieval and early modern #Palaeography? Looking to improve your skills? Then the 49th Latin and Palaeography Summer School - to be held in #Birmingham (rather that Keele, as previously), might just be for you. Please share widely.

Charnwood Forest Geopark - a statement on dinosaurs:

It is self-evident looking around cities, towns and the smallest villages that there are places of worship no longer used by those that built them. 🗃️ Some, of course, are houses. Others remain in devotional use. Some examples from our volumes, supplemented by other information - a short thread 🧵

Help save Leicestershire’s Bronze Age Torc❗️ We've started a crowdfunding campaign to ensure that a 3,000-year-old golden torc discovered last year near Harborough can be saved and brought back to the county - but we only have until mid-March to do it! Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-...

Our next zoom talk. Booking info on the poster - all welcome.

🫏 Take a trip to our Sandham Bridge geosite, and discover this beautiful packhorse bridge. 🌐 Plan your visit now: www.charnwoodforest.org/location/san...

William Paget died in 1865. He founded a large hosiery business in Loughborough, was part owner of a coal mine & a corn milling business & farmed c.700 a. land in S. Notts. How long did it take to get probate? 3 weeks! 22 days to be precise, but one of those days was Christmas Day. How times change

The Generator: Stories and Memories - an oral history project supported by @heritagefunduk We’ve captured the voices, recollections and experiences of those who studied, worked and created in the historic Packe Street building over the decades.

Layers of history revealed in the walls, floors + surfaces of our Art Deco building. each texture is a chapter in The Generator’s journey from power station> art college> community arts venue.

Our February Forum will be online, 15 Feb at 6.15pm. Dr Miriam Gill will be talking on ‘Tantalizing Fragments: Piecing Together Traces of a Lost Coventry Mystery Play’ To find out more👇 vaughan.coop/course/febru...

👍 Thank you to our fabulous volunteers who helped install a Geopark Information Hub in Woodhouse Eaves yesterday. 👉 The Hub also hosts the Woodhouse Eaves Earthquake Geosite, with interpretation on the tremor of 1893. Plan your visit: www.charnwoodforest.org/location/woo...

Save the date and cfp. A grand day out at the beautiful, grade 1 listed Wymeswold Church, Leics (UK). @eccleshistsoc.bsky.social @leicsvcht.bsky.social @leicsarchhissoc.bsky.social @churchmonuments.bsky.social