HE Archive

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.

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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: https://t.co/pYtgBi7FCX

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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👇
https://t.co/Bo9soz0ZcH

📷David Mitchell

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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👇
https://t.co/Bo9soz0ZcH

📷David Mitchell

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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.

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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 👇
https://t.co/LpZ5wjiwKn

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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.

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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 👇
https://t.co/Vq24e8QA73

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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 👇
https://t.co/AJj8BtjDgU

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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 👇
https://t.co/ZpefHUyECu

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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.

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

#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 👇
https://t.co/mTssYYzJbF

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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👇
https://t.co/kFiUNiE2cd

#LudlowCastle

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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👇
https://t.co/zpFf1pF3Wh

#LimehouseBasin

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

#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.👇
https://t.co/CkJAMINyYN

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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👇
https://t.co/SMcyVHm4dG

#Sledging
#Snow

[HE Archive @HE_Archive]

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 👇

https://t.co/LpZ5wjiwKn

#WinterSolstice