The life story of a house is told by the stones, bricks, timber, tiles and thatch that make up its walls, floors and roof. This book describes how different structural techniques adopted by house builders down the centuries may provide clues to the date of construction. An unfolding story of alteration, improvement, extension (and occasional dilapidation) may be read in the layout f rooms or the style of features, fixtures and fittings. The history of an old house is also discovered in manuscripts and printed books, in archives and public libraries. These crucial sources are described and explained with the help of apt quotations and old documents and reproductions of maps, plans and pictures. Separate chapters unravel the intricacies of old title deeds, place-names and on-site survey methods.

'...outstandingly well informed about the documentary sources concerning old houses and their occupants ... of great help to the historian as well as the general reader.' - Times Educational Supplement; '... will be fascinating to owners of old houses. It very readably gives an introductory guide to dating houses from their architectural styles, plans and materials, and to racing their history from documents... As the book sensibly concentrates on modest houses rather than mansions it will have a wide appeal.' - Solicitors' Journal; 'This sort of information is not contained elsewhere in such concise and usable way.' - Architects Journal

David Ireland and John Barrett are both professional archivists whose lifetime experience of local records and historical fieldwork has been shared in published articles on prehistory, local history, archive administration and genealogy. They are co-authors of three other books for Shire, 'Discovering Local History', 'Discovering Your Family Tree' and 'Discovering Old Handwriting'.