Authors

Dr Ian West and Professor Marilyn Palmer

Date

2008-ongoing

Project Type

Research

Subject

History

Datasets

Landmark historic OS maps available through Digimap

Related Subjects

Architecture; Buildings Archaeology; History of Technology; Sociology

Sources: Digimap

Dates/Editions: All available.

Scales: Predominantly 1:2500

Key Words

Buildings; Technology; Lighting; Heating; Communications; 19th century

Publishing Institution

The Country House Technology Project, University of Leicester

Summary

This project examines the impact which new technology, in areas such as lighting, heating and communications, had on country houses and on the people who lived and worked in them.  

Aims & Objectives

The project seeks to understand how and when different types of technology were introduced into country houses, the factors influencing the adoption (or failure to adopt) certain technologies, and the effects that this had on the development of the house and its estate and on the lives of the inhabitants and staff. See The Country House Technology Project at the University of Leicester for further details.

Methodology

The project combines historical research, using primary and secondary sources, with fieldwork to record the remains of technology within the property and its surrounding estate. Historic Ordnance Survey maps are used mainly to trace the development of features associated with domestic technology, such as gas, water and sewage works, electricity generating plants.

Results/Outcome

Project outcomes include a conference held in Oxford in 2010, the proceedings of which are to be published in 2012, and a major book, to be published in 2013. Details can be found on the project website.

References & Acknowledgements

This project is based at the University of Leicester’s Centre for Historical Archaeology and has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust and the National Trust.