A NEW and intuitive version of the Wiltshire Community History website has been launched by the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre.

The modernised site gives users the opportunity to learn and better connect to the place both they and their ancestors lived.

Information on 260 civil parishes in the Wiltshire Council area, as well as background on the lost village of Imber, can be found on the site.

Council leader, Richard Clewer, who is also the lead for heritage, said: “The launch of this new website is really exciting for any budding historians with an interest in Wiltshire or for anyone just looking to research their family history and background.

“There are more than 6,000 images on the site, including photographs dating from as far back as the 1850s right through to today.

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“Nearly 10,000 pages of bibliographies, journal articles and older books on Wiltshire have also been scanned into the site, which is a huge undertaking for the team, but will be worthwhile for people accessing them.

“Congratulations to all involved and I look forward to using it myself to find out all sorts of useful information.”

Users can visit the website free-of-charge to find information such as maps, population figure, newspapers, listed buildings, authors and registered districts.

All of the articles have been written for Wiltshire Community History using secondary and archival sources by staff, volunteers and students.

The original material is also held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham.

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The website is a work in progress, with additional material being added all the time. For more information please email archives@wiltshire.gov.uk

Anyone interested in carrying out their own research can visit the new website here.