Bringing the secrets of the past to life

 I’m sure every one of us at some point has wondered about the past life of their home – who has lived there, what they did, the parties they held, what Christmas was like, the family celebrations, the tears and the laughter…or maybe you’ve wondered about the house itself and its area – why there’s a weird straight lump on the doorframes, when the row of cottages became one large house or when the windows were blocked up. Perhaps your house once had a much larger garden but now sits surrounded by newer properties.

Our homes live and breathe stories and there is something quite special about this.  Every home is unique and each one has its own story to tell.  From the building to the people so much can be uncovered about the past lives of your home.

Visit my blog for tips on searching for the past of your house, the adventures and pitfalls that can be encountered as well as histories of local homes and people.

Behind These Doors offers a bespoke service to help you uncover the secrets of your home and the people who have lived there.

Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists

I am not sure if Emma was a friend who became my historian, or a historian who became my friend. Either way, she has researched my family history as if it was her own family. She got as excited as I was with each new discovery. She also researched the history of our home as if the walls whispered their secrets to her as she made her way through the years and the stories of the people who called our house their home. They say you don’t know where you are going, if you don’t know where you are from. Emma has made my life so much more connected with the past and the future. She is very passionate, very knowledgeable and delivered an amazing report. Thank you.
Elmarie, Virginia Water

I’ve always felt so guilty not being able to answer questions from visitors about the history of our house, as if somehow we were doing a disservice to the property and all those who had lived in it prior to us.  Owning a very old house (600 years plus in our case), caries so much history and since Emma delivered our report I feel so much closer to our home and an affinity to those who lived in it prior to us.  There is now an extra warmth in our home, and a heightened respect for the bricks that hold so many memories for so many.  I feel so grateful that we’ve been able to pull this history together and thankful to Emma for her hard work in this and know we will continue to find joy in this report for years to come.’
G, Sussex

Homes are part of us forever

“In life, a person will come and go from many homes. We may leave a house, a town, a room, but that does not mean those places leave us. Once entered, we never entirely depart the homes we make for ourselves in the world. They follow us, like shadows, until we come upon them again, waiting for us in the mist.” 
Ari Berk, Death Watch