About
Every home has a history. I uncover yours — and turn it into something worth keeping.
Read the story behind why I was inspired to help people uncover their own house history.
MEET THE FOUNDER
I’m Abbie. The founder of Oak & Willow Cottages, an independent researcher, and a lifelong lover of old houses.
I specialise in creating beautiful, display-worthy house histories that uncover the story of your home and the people who lived there before you.
I’ve always been drawn to history. Not just the big events, but the quiet stories hidden in the walls. For years, I’ve researched old homes and the people who lived in them, simply for the joy of piecing together their stories.
When I bought my own Edwardian cottage, something clicked. The process of uncovering its past deepened my appreciation for what house history can offer, and inspired me to share my long-standing passion with others.
Every house history is researched and written by hand, combining official records with real storytelling.
House history doesn’t have to be exclusively about grand manors or dramatic stories. I love tracing the lives of ordinary people in everyday homes just as much as tales of scandal and gentry.
Alongside my house history services, I also share real-life progress of my own period home & garden renovation over on my blog.
My Products & Services
Learn more about my house history research services
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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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…
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An Ordinary Man with an Extraordinary Life: A Sussex Steward Who Survived the Titanic
House history research into an address in a small West Sussex village surfaced the story of Arthur Victor Edwards Burrage. An ordinary young man, born into a large working-class family, who found himself living to tell a very extraordinary tale. Arthur’s story began in the village of Warnham. Born in 1891, he was one of…
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.