Historic England Archive: A history of England in 14m photographs and other items, from the 1850s to the present day. Home of #HELibrary, open to the public.
As the number of our followers grows, we'd just like to remind you all that you are as 'welcome as the flowers in May' and you can find out more about us and #HELibrary here: bit.ly/2oBBqWM
ALT Black and white photo - Surrounded by trees and foliage, 2 rows of children in Victorian clothes with a lady in dark clothes stood at each end. The children have signs hung around their necks spelling out "WELCOME AS THE FLOWERS IN MAY".
This Friday, the Historic England Archive is hosting a lecture on the story of the North Wessex Way between #Oxford and #Bristol, by historian David Robertson Mitchell.
To book your place to attend the event in-person or online, go to👇
northwessexway.co.uk/talks-a…
📷David Mitchell
ALT Colour photograph of a narrow road and wide verge, with the road running from bottom-right to the centre of the photograph. Hedges and trees line the route. The ground is covered in frost and the sky is clear. Low sunlight from the left illuminates some of the trees and a distant field.
On Friday 30 January, the Historic England Archive will be hosting a lecture on the amazing story of the North Wessex Way by historian David Robertson Mitchell.
To book your place to attend the event in-person or online, go to👇
northwessexway.co.uk/talks-a…
📷David Mitchell
ALT Colour photograph of a narrow road and wide verge, with the road running from bottom-right to the centre of the photograph. Hedges and trees line the route. The ground is covered in frost and the sky is clear. Low sunlight from the left illuminates some of the trees and a distant field.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight from the Historic England Archive is an aerial view of Sutton Scarsdale Hall in Derbyshire.
The roof was removed in around 1920.
#AerialPhotography#Derbyshire
ALT A colour photograph of an oblique aerial view of a large building without a roof, set within green trees and grass. The building is set at an angle within the photograph. At the bottom of the photograph, a pale pathway travels along two sides of the building. To the left of the building are trees and a church; to the right are also trees. To the top right of the photograph is a small car park with several cars.
We're continuing to share our 2025 Cataloguing Highlights this week.
The Historic England Archive cataloguing team have chosen their favourites from the wide range of archive material they worked with in 2025 - from interesting and striking, to the quirky and unique.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight is a military vehicle being demonstrated in front of a crowd, probably between 1926-1929.
The car, possibly an early Morris Commercial 6x4, is a 6-wheeler or '6x4'. It has continuous tracks or 'caterpillar treads' on the rear wheels.
#Military
ALT A sepia photograph of a six-wheeled vehicle being driven down a grassy slope, while being observed by a crowd of men. Some of the men wear military uniforms, others are civilians in long coats. The vehicle has six wheels: one at the front on each side, and two at the back on each side. The rear wheals appear to have continuous tracks. A spare wheel is mounted to the side of the vehicle. The car has a canvas roof, and inside sit more men.
ALT A sepia photograph of a six-wheeled vehicle being driven down a grassy slope, surrounded by a crowd of men. Some of the men wear military uniforms, others are civilians in long coats and hats. Two men are standing to the left of the car and leaning towards the front window, as though speaking to the driver. The car has a canvas roof and size wheels: one at the front on each side, and two at the back on each side. The rear wheals appear to have continuous tracks. A spare wheel is mounted to the side of the vehicle.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight from the Historic England Archive is the dormitory of the Women's Land Army Hostel in Birlingham, photographed in 1949.
It's rare example of the interior of a hostel used by the Women's Land Army during the #SecondWorldWar.
#WomensLandArmy
ALT A black and white photo of a dormitory with rows of neatly made beds covered with white sheets. The room has a timber interior. The wooden beams of the roof structure are exposed. In the foreground, on the right, are flowers on a table which is out of view.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight is an aerial photo of White Sheet Castle in Wiltshire.
Katy chose this photo because the low winter sun captures the extent of the earthworks, making it a striking image.
See more with our Aerial Photo Explorer 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT A colour, oblique aerial photo of a large hillfort earthwork with raised banks and ditches. The grass is pale green and yellow. In the centre of the photo is the hillfort earthwork. At its centre is a small circular feature. To the right of the main earthworks are three rectangular areas. A road is just visible running diagonally across the top right corner of the photograph. On the left of the photo is a line of trees and scattered shrubs.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight from the HE Archive is the Medieval Market mosaic by Kenneth Budd in Manzoni Gardens, Bull Ring, #Birmingham.
The mosaic was installed in 1982 and photographed in 1991. It is said that it was buried in situ when the Bull Ring was redeveloped.
ALT A colour photograph of a mosaic depicting a market scene. On the left is a woman holding a basket of produce on her head. In the centre, a man with a maroon hat is holding poultry in front of two customers. On the right, two woman hold baskets of produce. The people wear clothes of maroon, blue, yellow, and white.
ALT A colour photograph of a mosaic depicting a market scene. In the centre is a woman holding a basket of fruit on her head, with three sheep at her feet. To the right is a person seated in a stall with a low table in front of them. This scene is surrounded by people with farm animals, baskets and produce. In the background are two buildings of pale stone.
ALT A colour photograph of a mosaic depicting a market scene. In the foreground is a group of people, some with baskets and hats, watching a group of dogs attack a bear. In the centre of the image is a market cross, and beyond this is a church. To the left, three people stand in front of another building.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlights are 'before and after' photos of Holy Trinity Church in Much Wenlock.
The photos were probably taken between 1900 and 1939. The spire of the church was removed in around 1930.
Explore the R F Warner Collection 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT A black and white photograph of a timber framed building with gables on the right, and the tower and spire of a church on the left. To the left again is part of a building with a tiled roof. The street is empty, save for a parked bicycle leaning against the front of the timber framed building.
ALT A black and white photograph of a timber framed building with gables on the right, and the tower of a church to the left. A woman stands on the pavement on the street corner on the left of the photograph.
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight is a great photo of WAAF Corporal Peggy Harvey doing her makeup whilst pumping up a tyre at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios. It was taken in 1942-1943.
See more of the Knicky Chapman's photos here 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT A black and white photograph of a woman in military uniform standing beside a military vehicle. The woman is applying make up and holding a compact mirror. She is pumping the tyre of the vehicle using her foot. At the bottom of the photograph is a handwritten caption which reads "Combined Ops!! Peggy Harvey".
Today's 2025 Cataloguing Highlight from the Historic England Archive is this photograph of #Durham Cathedral, the city and the River Wear. It was taken in September 2024.
Katy says: "I chose this image because it epitomises the beautiful city of Durham."
#AerialPhotography
ALT A colour photograph of an oblique aerial view of Durham Cathedral. The cathedral is in the centre of the photo. It is surrounded by green trees, with buildings along a road to the right and below it. The River Wear is seen clearly to the left, and wraps around the bottom and right of the city. At the top and edges of the photograph are buildings of the city.
This month we'll be sharing our 2025 Cataloguing Highlights: the most interesting, striking or quirky images the Historic England Archive cataloguers worked with in 2025.
We start with barrel making at the Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport on 16 July 1970.
This was one of the last barrels to be made before the Royal Navy's tradition of a daily rum ration for sailors was abolished on 31 July 1970.
See the production process 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT A black and white photograph of two men standing on either side of a wooden barrel in a workshop. The man on the left is wearing an apron over a shirt and trousers, and the man on the right is wearing a hat and an apron. Both men hold the barrel steady with one hand and hold a hammer in their other hand. Barrels and tools are in the background.
#HappyNewYear from the Historic England Archive!
This photo shows steps up to the Queen Victoria Memorial in Westminster. 'Happy New Year' is written in snow around the base. It was probably taken in 1963 by John Gay.
Explore more John Gay photos here 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT A black and white photograph of snow covering steps leading up to a large monument. The monument has sculptures on top of a base with the inscription 'Victoria Regina Imperatrix'. The words 'Happy New Year' is written in snow around the base of the monument. In the foreground is a post and chain fence.
Today's image from the Historic England Archive shows a snowy Burton Street in Melton Mowbray in the early 1950s.
The photo was featured in Country Fair magazine in December 1954, with the title "Where the pies come from."
#MeltonMowbray#Snow
ALT A black and white photograph of a snowy street at night. Snow is falling and the roofs, pavements and edges of the road are covered in a dusting of snow. The road stretches from left to right diagonally across the photograph. In the foreground are two petrol pumps with 'Esso' illuminated on top of each. To the right, signs including an RAC sign hang over the pavement from a building which is out of shot. Beyond this are two parked cars. On the opposite side of the road is a row of buildings. In the centre is a timber framed building. To the left is a sign for Melton Garage, and to the right is a church tower which is just visible against the dark night sky.
Today's image from the Historic England Archive shows the chapel at Ludlow Castle, #Shropshire. It was taken in 1929 by photographer Brian Charles Clayton.
Discover more Archive photos of Ludlow Castle👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…#LudlowCastle
ALT Black and white photograph showing a circular stone building set in a patch of grass bordered by a stone wall. The circular building has two principal stories and is topped with crenelation. A round headed doorway with zigzag mouldings gives access to the building. Goats or sheep graze on the grass.
Today's image from the Historic England Archive is a view of the Limehouse Basin or Regent's Canal Dock during its enlargement in 1869. Can you see the ships moored above the trench?
You can see another view of the construction work👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…#LimehouseBasin
ALT Vintage photograph of the construction of a huge trench to the side of a huge brick wall. A timber bridge spans from the top of the wall to an earth embankment. Three men stand on the bridge and two men pose in the trench. A steam crane stands next to the bridge. Several sailing ships are moored above the trench, adjacent to the embankment.
#MerryChristmas from the Historic England Archive! Our festive image shows a bizarre vehicle built to advertise Gamage's department store as 'the home of Father Xmas'. It's from an album of shops and shop fittings compiled by A Walter Piggot & Co Ltd.👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…
ALT Vintage photograph showing an ark-like vehicle displaying posters and the message: 'From the Home of Father Xmas'. On the 'deck' is a hut-like structure with a pitched roof. Painted on the roof is the name: 'Gamages'.
Today's image from the Historic England Archive shows a group of children sledging down a snow covered road in Halifax, #Calderdale. The photograph was taken by John Gay between 1962 and 1976.
You can see more Archive snowy scenes👇
images.historicenglandservic…#Sledging#Snow
ALT Black and white photograph of a group of four children playing with sledges along a narrow, snowy road bounded by stone walls. One child watches as another slides down the road. Next to them, a child pushes a sledge with another child lying on it.
Happy Winter Solstice everyone! If you can’t make it to Stonehenge to celebrate the days getting longer, check out some amazing aerial views of the stones via Historic England’s Aerial Photo Explorer 👇
historicengland.org.uk/image…#WinterSolstice
ALT A black-and-white oblique aerial photograph showing some standing stones in a grassy field.