About
Every home has a history. Let’s uncover yours — and turn it into something worth keeping.
Read the story behind Oak & Willow
About Oak & Willow
Oak & Willow Cottages is built on the belief that buildings carry stories, especially those that have been used for something as personal as a home. Land and the buildings upon it have a history shaped not only by grand houses or well-documented estates, but by ordinary homes lived in by ordinary people.
House history is more than dates, deeds, and ownership records. It is about understanding how a place has been lived in, adapted, and passed on over time. By using the information found in historical records, the aim is to make the past clearer and more meaningful, creating a connection between a house’s history and its present day.
Each house history is researched individually using original records and historical sources, then written as a clear, carefully considered narrative.
Oak & Willow grew from a long-standing appreciation for historical research and period properties. At its heart is a desire to make historical records more accessible and easier to understand, helping homeowners engage with the past and play a small part in preserving it.
Old houses, I thought, do not belong to people ever, not really, people belong to them.
– DAPHNE DU MAURIER, Rebecca, 1938
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Does Your House Have a Date Stone?
The Stories Hidden in Date Stones Have you ever noticed an old house with a date stone? Maybe paired with a set of initials? Or perhaps even your own home has one. From the 17th century onwards, it became increasingly common to inscribe buildings with their construction date. By the 18th and 19th centuries, especially…
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When a House Name Is a Puzzle: The Story Behind Reawem
One of my favourite things about researching old houses is how often they turn out to be hiding remarkable stories. Every so often, a property offers up a detail that feels like a gift. Receiving the order for 197 County Road was exactly that. On the surface, it’s a charming detached 1930s house; behind it…
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A House Historian’s Dream: Exploring St Osyth Priory, The Abbot’s Tower, and the Medieval Cage
For anyone who appreciates old buildings and their history, St Osyth’s has to be on your list of places to explore. Hidden on the Essex coast, St Osyth is one of those rare places where layers of English history sit almost completely intact. As a house historian who spends my days researching period homes, tracking…
Some of the house imagery used on this site was photographed by me, from public streets, as part of a long-standing personal interest in architectural history. No identifying information is shared, and images are used respectfully to celebrate the heritage of our built environment.