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WAAS work in partnership with the Forestry Commission to enhance the historic environment evidence-base for woodland creation proposals in Worcestershire The government is committed to increasing tree and woodland cover in the UK from 14.5% (in 2023) to 16.5% (by 2050). Diverse, resilient woodland habitats play an important role in tackling climate change through carbon...

What historic and modern Coroner’s records do we hold? Worcestershire Archives, as parent body and approved Place of Deposit on behalf of WCC holds historic and modern Coroners’ records from the 19th – 21st century. These include records known as ‘Coroners’ Cravings’ which record Inquests in the late 19th century, through to Coroner’s Daily Record,...

This is the third blog in the series on how members of staff have used the recently released 1921 census to further their own research. This is Julia’s story. We all have our family mysteries; those stories you half remember from childhood, but didn’t ask questions about at the time, and now it’s too late....

Welcome back to our dig diary! In this instalment we will be looking at some of the burials found on site, including a cemetery located on the eastern side of the site. Content Warning: This blog post discusses archaeological burials, including human remains and funerary practices. If you prefer not to see the images of...

Since 1194 Coroners have existed to investigate unnatural, sudden or suspicious deaths, and of deaths in prisons. The function of Coroners, their status and relationship to the state has changed over time and this has affected the type and survivability of records which exist today. For instance, you are more likely to find a newspaper...

We continue our series on how members of staff have used the recently released 1921 census to further their own research. Anthony hoped to learn of the fate of his great-grandfather’s brothers after the First World War having discovered his great grandfather George Henry Roach using the 1939 Register. Using the 1921 Census, I hoped...

Welcome back to the Broadway Dig Diaries! In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re excited to highlight the life and work of the archaeologist Catherine Nancy Sherwood Smith who led the first works on the area adjacent to our site at Broadway. Though we know a little bit about her work on the site, much...

In our final blog exploring how licensing files can assist research into how entertainment venues in Worcestershire may have undergone changes through time, we investigate the amazing story of Malvern Theatres. We explore the history of the theatre from the 19th century which began life as the ‘Assembly Rooms’ to the present day, using archives...

Mary Marchioness of Downshire and Baroness Sandys (1764-1836) was the middle child of Colonel Martin Sandys (1729-1768) and Mary Trumbull (1741-1769). Known as ‘the Little Marchioness’, she grew up as part of the extended royal circle – her father being an Equerry to the King’s uncle – yet her childhood was one of tragedy. An...

Welcome to Dig Diaries We’re excited to share the beginning of our excavation with you. In this first post, we’ll take you back to what was known about the site before we began digging in the summer of 2024, as well as our discoveries from the first few months on site. The Story Behind the...